MACPAC Votes on Recommendations for Their March 2024 Report to Congress

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) met Jan. 25 and 26 to discuss a variety of topics including Medicaid financing and access to physician services. The commission also voted on seven recommendations to be included in their March 2024 report to Congress. The first recommendation would require states to establish an independent, external medical review process accessible by beneficiary choice with exceptions for automatic review and would not relay access to a fair state hearing. This recommendation was met with the most mixed votes, totaling thirteen yeas, three nays, and one abstention. The remaining six recommendations passed and focused on managed care organizations and improving the appeals process for beneficiaries.  

Additionally, the commission discussed a variety of policy options related to Medicaid financing focused on improving the transparency of financing methods and the transparency of state-level and provider-level financing amounts. Lastly, MACPAC discussed themes related to the effects of Medicaid payment changes on access to physician services. These themes included the tension between expanding provider participation and improving access to safety-net providers, data challenges, variations by practice types, the role of managed care, and a refocus on beneficiary needs.