MedPAC
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) held its final public meeting of the 2024–2025 meeting cycle from April 10–11. The commission heard presentations about, discussed, and voted on Medicare-related recommendations relevant to their upcoming report to Congress on topics including:
- Physician fee schedule updates to ensure beneficiary access
- Long-term viability of stand-alone prescription drug plans, and Medicare Advantage’s (MA’s) role in them
- MA supplemental benefit utilization
- The impact of MA on rural hospitals and rural hospital utilization
- Medicare payments for software technologies
- Medicare hospice benefits, especially for those with end-stage renal disease
- Nursing home quality
The commission unanimously approved two recommendations related to the physician fee schedule: one proposing that the fee schedule be indexed to inflation, and another aimed at improving the accuracy of payment rates. Commissioners also explored the ways MA plan networks might drive patients away from rural hospitals, resulting in higher rates of patients bypassing these hospitals and contributing to financial strain. Additionally, the commission discussed the difficulties of assessing utilization and the value of supplemental benefits MA plans offer and discussed their interest in better capturing supplemental benefit use data.
MedPAC typically meets seven times per annual cycle and publishes reports in March and June. The new 2025–2026 term is slated to begin with its first public meetings Sept. 4–5.
MACPAC
The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) hosted its final meeting of the term April 10–11. Commissioners met to hear public presentations and lead public discussion about key Medicaid issues, including:
- Medicaid statistics, trends, payment, and financing
- Children with special health care needs
- Home- and community-based services access and workforce payment policies
- Access to medications for opioid use disorder
- Automation and artificial intelligence
MACPAC presented data on beneficiary demographics, enrollment and spending; coverage of services; the nonfederal financing structure; provider payment mechanisms; and the impact on providers. Commissioners were supportive of provider taxes and discussed how engrained they were in the Medicaid payment system.
MACPAC meets six times a year and submits reports to Congress in March and June. MACPAC’ will start a new term and hold its next public meeting is Sept. 18–19.
Members of the America’s Essential Hospitals Federal Action Network (FAN) can access a full summary of both discussions on our FAN Resource Center. To access these summaries and other policy resources, join the FAN today.
Contact Director of Policy Rob Nelb, MPH, at rnelb@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.
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