FACACLASSIC

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HHS - 84737 - Health Equity Advisory Committee - Agency Authority

GENERAL INFORMATION

Committee Name	Health Equity Advisory Committee	Agency Name	Department of Health and Human Services
Fiscal Year	2025	Committee Number	84737
Original Establishment Date	7/26/2024	Committee Status	Terminated
Actual Termination Date	2/19/2025	Committee URL	https://www.cms.gov/medicare/regulations-guidan...
Actual Merged Date		Presidential Appointments*	No
New Committee This FY	No	Max Number of Members*	30
Terminated This FY	Yes	Designated Fed Officer Position Title*	Health Insurance Specialist
Merged This FY		Designated Federal Officer Prefix	Mrs.
Current Charter Date	7/26/2024	Designated Federal Officer First Name*	Iris
Date Of Renewal Charter	7/26/2026	Designated Federal Officer Middle Name	Victoria
Projected Termination Date		Designated Federal Officer Last Name*	Allen
Exempt From Renewal*	No	Designated Federal Officer Suffix
Specific Termination Authority		Designated Federal Officer Phone*	410-786-1633
Establishment Authority*	Agency Authority	Designated Federal Officer Fax*
Specific Establishment Authority*	2 U.S.C. § 300u-6a (section1707A of the Public Health Service Act, as amended).	Designated Federal Officer Email*	iris.allen@cms.hhs.gov
Effective Date Of Authority*	3/23/2010
Exempt From EO 13875 Discretionary Cmte	Not Applicable
Committee Type*	Continuing
Presidential*	No
Committee Function*	Special Emphasis Panel

RECOMMENDATION/JUSTIFICATIONS

Agency Recommendation*	Terminate
Legislation to Terminate Required	Not Applicable
Legislation Status	Not Applicable
How does cmte accomplish its purpose?*	The Committee is established to advise and make recommendations on the identification and resolution of systemic barriers in the CMS programs that hinder access and quality for beneficiaries and consumers. Consistent with Executive Order (EO) 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government1, CMS seeks to address systemic barriers in health care, including structural racism, as it relates to all CMS programs (including but not limited to Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Health Insurance Marketplace). The Committee shall also serve as a dedicated platform for collaborating with key stakeholders to advance health equity by eliminating systemic barriers in CMS programs, and promoting access, and quality for all its beneficiaries and consumers. The Committee shall help CMS consider a broad range of views and information from interested and impacted audiences and to identify CMS programs and policies that, according to section 1 of the EO “perpetuate systemic barriers to opportunities and benefits for people of color and other underserved groups.
How is membership balanced?*	The members will represent individuals and their lived experience (via patient or family advocacy) as well as organizations that have expertise with health equity and the following: Community/safety net providers, Disability policy and access, Minority and underserved communities that have been denied fair, just and impartial treatment, as identified in Executive Order 13985, such as: Black, Latino, Indigenous and Native American people, Asian and Pacific Islanders, people of color, members of religious minorities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, people with disabilities, people who live in rural, frontier, Tribal communities and the U.S. Territories, people who otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or equality. Up to an additional two representatives otherwise not described above, as determined necessary and appropriate by the Secretary of HHS and/or the CMS Administrator. Due to the expertise attributes desired above, HEAC also expects there to be intersectionality within members. The Committee may also be comprised of Special Government Employee and Representative Members. The members and the Chair shall be selected by the CMS Administrator, or their designee, from organizational authorities knowledgeable in the fields of health equity; outreach to underserved populations; community/safety net providers; disability policy and access; and other relevant health equity matters that are presented or addressed by the agency. The CMS Administrator or designee will appoint a Co­chair from among the pool of at-large members. Members shall be invited to serve for a 2-year term. The period of service for the Chair and Co-Chair shall be no more than 4 years. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy for an unexpired term shall be appointed for the remainder of that term. The Designated Federal Officer may establish subcommittees composed of members and nonmembers of the Committee to perform specific assignments. Subcommittees shall not work independently of the chartered Committee and shall report all of their recommendations and advice to the Committee for deliberation and discussion. Subcommittees must not provide advice or work products directly to the Departments or any Federal agency. The HEAC membership, except as otherwise required by law, will be consistent with the applicable FACA regulations. Membership on the HEAC will be fairly balanced. Members will come from a cross-section of those directly affected, interested, and qualified as appropriate to the nature and functions of the Advisory Committee. The composition of the HEAC will depend upon several factors, including (i) the HEAC’s mission; (ii) the geographic, racial, ethnic, social, and economic impact of the HEAC’s recommendations; (iii) the types of specific perspectives required, for example, those of patients, providers, caregivers, experts, minority and underserved communities , or other intersecting viewpoints; (iv) the need to obtain innovative points of view on the issues before the HEAC; and (v) the relevance of state, local or tribal governments to the development of the HEAC’s recommendations.
How frequent & relevant are cmte mtgs?*	The Committee will hold approximately 2-4 meetings per year.
Why advice can't be obtained elsewhere?*	A coordinated agency-wide approach to engagement with interested parties of underserved communities can help inform and shape the current diffuse and inconsistent engagement approaches across the agency and help to establish best practices and a forum for open dialogue with interested parties to gather input on policy changes and impacts specific to the experiences of underserved communities who may be hard to reach or require unique and tailored engagement strategies. CMS's other Advisory Committees provide advice and recommendations in such areas as physician services, proposed medical coverage, beneficiary education, and management. CMS does not currently have any Advisory Committees solely focused on health equity and lessening the impact of systemic barriers within CMS programs.
Why close or partially close meetings?	The committee was recently established and no meetings have taken place yet.
Recommendation Remarks	Per Executive Order, "COMMENCING THE REDUCTION OF THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY" this FACA Committee has been terminated.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Outcome Improvement To Health Or Safety*	No	Action Reorganize Priorities*	No
Outcome Trust In Government	No	Action Reallocate Resources	No
Outcome Major Policy Changes	No	Action Issued New Regulations	No
Outcome Advance In Scientific Research	No	Action Proposed Legislation	No
Outcome Effective Grant Making	No	Action Approved Grants Or Other Payments	No
Outcome Improved Service Delivery	No	Action Other	No
Outcome Increased Customer Satisfaction	No	Action Comment	The committee is not seated at this time to make recommendations for the agency to act upon.
Outcome Implement Laws/Reg Requirements	No	Grants Review*	No
Outcome Other	No	Number Of Grants Reviewed	0
Outcome Comment	The committee is not seated, therefore there are no outcomes to report at this time.	Number Of Grants Recommended	0
Cost Savings*	None	Dollar Value Of Grants Recommended	$0.00
Cost Savings Comment	The committee is not seated, therefore there are no cost savings to report at this time.	Grants Review Comment
Number Of Recommendations*	0	Access Contact Designated Fed. Officer*	Yes
Number Of Recommendations Comment	The committee is not yet seated to make recommendations.	Access Agency Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented*	0.00%	Access Committee Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented Comment	The committee is not seated, therefore there have been no recommendations to implement.	Access GSA FACA Website	Yes
% of Recs Partially Implemented*	0.00%	Access Publications	Yes
% of Recs Partially Implemented Comment	The committee is not seated, therefore there have been no recommendations to implement.	Access Other	No
Agency Feedback*	Not Applicable	Access Comment
Agency Feedback Comment*	The committee is not seated to make recommendations for the agency to provide feedback.	Narrative Description*	The Committee is established to advise and make recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the identification and resolution of systemic barriers to accessing CMS programs that hinder quality of care for beneficiaries and consumers. The Committee will also serve as a dedicated platform for collaborating with key interested persons to advance health equity. The Committee will focus on health disparities in underserved communities, which are populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life, such as but not limited to Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality as defined in Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.

COSTS

1. Payments to Non-Federal Members*	$0.00	1. Est Paymnts to Non-Fed Membrs Nxt FY*	$0.00
2. Payments to Federal Members*	$0.00	2. Est. Payments to Fed Members Next FY*	$0.00
3. Payments to Federal Staff*	$68,587.00	3. Estimated Payments to Federal Staff*	$0.00
4. Payments to Consultants*	$13,614.75	4. Est. Payments to Consultants Next FY*	$0.00
5. Travel Reimb. For Non-Federal Membrs*	$0.00	5. Est Travel Reimb Non-Fed Membr nxtFY*	$0.00
6. Travel Reimb. For Federal Members*	$0.00	6. Est Travel Reimb For Fed Members*	$0.00
7. Travel Reimb. For Federal Staff*	$0.00	7. Est. Travel Reimb to Fed Staf Nxt FY*	$0.00
8. Travel Reimb. For Consultants*	$0.00	8. Est Travel Reimb to Consltnts Nxt FY*	$0.00
10. Other Costs	$0.00	10. Est. Other Costs Next FY*	$0.00
11. Total Costs	$82,201.75	11. Est. Total Next FY*	$0.00
Date Cost Last Modified	4/3/2025 10:40 AM	Est. Fed Staff Support Next FY*	0.00
Federal Staff Support (FTE)*	1.40	Est Cost Remarks
Cost Remarks	Per Executive Order, "COMMENCING THE REDUCTION OF THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY" this FACA Committee has been terminated. Before committee termination, the work involved by federal staff and consultants was related to announcing the committee's establishment, creating the process and criteria to review and rate nominations, and onboarding preparations.

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