Beneficiaries have much to offer in the development and implementation of Medicaid policies and can also provide valuable feedback on how well the policies and programs are serving them, as well as areas for improvement. As part of the Commission’s continued focus on advancing health equity and beneficiary engagement, MACPAC staff examined the role of medical care advisory committees (MCACs) in supporting these efforts. Federal rules require each state Medicaid agency to establish an MCAC that consists of beneficiaries or consumer group representatives, but there is little federal guidance on state engagement of beneficiaries through MCACs (42 CFR 431.12). MACPAC contracted with RTI International to examine how states use MCACs to engage beneficiaries, particularly those from historically marginalized communities, to inform programs, policies, and operations.
This presentation provided an overview of the federal statute and regulations related to MCACs and recent proposed federal actions to implement changes to these regulations. Then it describes key findings about state approaches to MCAC beneficiary recruitment, meeting structure, and beneficiary engagement, as well as how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services plans to address certain challenges in the proposed rule.