The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Advisory Panel on Outreach and Education (APOE) was established to advise the U.S. Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CMS concerning strategies for developing and implementing outreach and enrollment programs for individuals enrolled in, or eligible for, Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, the Health Insurance Marketplace and other CMS programs. Tia Whitaker, PACHC’s Statewide Director for Outreach and Enrollment, was appointed to the panel in 2019 representing Community Health Centers. The APOE met on March 31 to discuss COVID-19 therapies, Medicare COVID-19 research and outreach and new cost savings available to consumers accessing healthcare coverage through the Federal and State-based Marketplaces from the American Rescue Plan Act. Presentations from Meredith K. Chuk, MD, lead for the COVID-19 Therapeutics Team, HHS Office of Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Chris Koepke, Ph.D., Director of the Strategic Marketing Group, Office of Communications, CMS, and Laura Salerno, Deputy Director of the Strategic Marketing Group, Office of Communications, CMS, focused on messaging, branding, outreach tactics, strategies and target populations to educate consumers and market COVID-19 therapies, reduce vaccine hesitancy and make consumers more aware of the availability of health insurance through the state and federal marketplaces.
