NCD Letter to CMS Inviting Participation in Upcoming Medicaid Managed Care Forum

September 10, 2014

Barbara Edwards, Director,
Disabled and Elderly Health Programs
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
U. S Department of Health and Human Services                         
7500 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850                

Dear Director Edwards:

I want to thank you for participating in the five National Council on Disability (NCD) Medicaid Managed Care Regional Forums – Part 1 in Kansas, Florida, Illinois, California and New York.  Your involvement demonstrates to the public, including people with disabilities that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) at the Department of Health and Human Services is committed to ensuring stakeholder input and involvement as an important component of the planning and implementation of Medicaid Managed Care (MMC) programs.

As you know, NCD is planning additional forums (MMC Forums Part 2) during Fiscal Year 2015 in different locals around the country. The next one is scheduled for October 7, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The forum will begin after conclusion of NCD’s October quarterly meeting in the same location. So, on behalf of NCD I am writing to request your participation in person, if it is at all possible. Your attendance in person would strengthen the message to stakeholders around the country that CMS fully values their input and would allow for a richer even more meaningful dialogue with convened stakeholders at the forums.  

An agenda is being finalized for the Atlanta forum and will be posted on the NCD website shortly. Please feel free to contact our NCD Executive Director, Rebecca Cokley (rcokley@ncd.gov), should you have questions. Please confirm with her as soon as possible the name of the person from your office who will represent CMS at the Atlanta forum.  We look forward to our continuing partnership.

Sincerely,

Jeff Rosen
Chairman, 
National Council on Disability