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William A. Steel Appointed to National Advisory Position
Washington, D.C. November 1, 2006 - President William A. Steel of the National Grange has recently been appointed to the Advisory Panel on Medicare Education (APME) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Mr. Steel is the 21st president of the National Grange in Washington, D.C., a 138-year-old organization. The western Pennsylvania native oversees more than 2,800 local, county and state Grange chapters across the United States. Raised on a century-old farm, he is rooted deep in the agricultural community with 50-plus years in the Grange on the local and national levels.
A graduate of Geneva College with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, Mr. Steel worked as a chemist for Duquesne Light Company at Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania.
In the name of agriculture, he has served on the Board of Trustees of the Pennsylvania State University and the Board of Overseers of the Veterinary School at the University of Pennsylvania. Currently, he serves on the American Highway Users Board of Directors.
“As a national organization, we represent individual Grange members across our country,” said Richard Weiss, chief operating officer for the National Grange. “Within our organization, we have many members who are concerned about their Medicare and Medicaid options. We are proud to have Mr. Steel, the president of our organization, seated on this panel safeguarding the interest of our Grangers and the many Americans who must turn to our national healthcare program for assistance.”
Originally established in January 1999, the panel advises the secretary of Department of Health and Human Services and the administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on opportunities to enhance the federal government's effectiveness in implementing a national Medicare education program.
The Advisory Panel also gives direction to the HHS and CMS on ways to educate Americans on their Medicare options when selecting a health plan under Medicare, using public-private partnerships, outreach to vulnerable and undeserved communities, and the building of a community infrastructure for information, counseling and assistance.
The panel is made up of representatives from Medicare service providers and organizations that have the ability to reach large numbers of Medicare participants. |
