The Commission continued a discussion on the role of medical care advisory committees (MCACs) in supporting state Medicaid agencies efforts to incorporate the beneficiary voice into their programs. MACPAC staff presented a draft chapter for the March 2024 report to Congress with three recommendations on how state Medicaid agencies can improve the beneficiary experience on MCACs and actions the federal government can take to aid states.
The chapter highlights the importance of beneficiary engagement, as well as an overview of the federal statute and regulations related to MCACs and recent proposed federal actions to implement changes to these regulations. Drawing on Commission discussions and findings from a 50-state policy document review and key stakeholder interviews, the chapter describes key findings and the challenges with recruitment of beneficiaries, particularly those representing historically marginalized communities, and barriers to meaningful beneficiary engagement. The chapter concludes with the rationale and implications for Commission recommendations.
The Commission voted in favor of the recommendations for improved beneficiary engagement on MCACs. The recommendations call on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to issue guidance focused on specific state concerns related to implementation challenges. The recommendations also call on state Medicaid agencies to develop a plan to recruit beneficiary members from historically marginalized communities, as well as develop and implement policies that reduce beneficiary participation barriers.