MACPAC

On Wednesday, March 15, 2023, MACPAC released it's March 2023 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP. The report recommends a series of measures aimed at improving the collection of race and ethnicity data, increasing transparency in nursing facility payment data, and giving states greater flexibility in following Medicare drug coverage decisions. It also includers MACPAC's annual, statutorily required report examining payment policy for safety net hospitals.

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) released the 2022 edition of the MACStats: Medicaid and CHIP Data Book, with updated data on national and state Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollment, spending, benefits, and beneficiaries’ health, service use, and access to care. As of July 2022, almost 90 million people were enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP.

MACPAC has released its June 2022 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP. The report recommends measures that Congress can take to better monitor access to care for Medicaid beneficiaries, improve the oversight and transparency of managed care directed payments, increase access to vaccines for adults enrolled in Medicaid, encourage the uptake of health information technology in behavioral health, and better integrate care for Medicaid and Medicare dual-eligibles. The commission also offers policy levers that states and the federal government can use to promote equity in Medicaid.

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) have released an updated data book, Beneficiaries Dually Eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. This is the sixth edition of the book and describes the dually eligible population’s composition, service use, and spending in 2019. The book compares subgroups of dually eligible beneficiaries, such as those with full and partial benefits as well as those under age 65 and those ages 65 and older.

On Tuesday, June 15, 2021 the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) released its June 2021 Report to Congress on Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The report recommends that Congress take measures to address the effect of high-cost specialty drugs on state Medicaid programs and take steps that would improve access to mental health services for adults and children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.

This issue brief reviews the distribution of provider relief funds to Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) providers based on a review of applications submitted as of November 26, 2020. Additionally, MACPAC interviewed Medicaid officials in 5 states and representatives from national provider organizations to learn more about the barriers experienced by Medicaid providers applying for provider relief funding. Read the brief to learn their findings.

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) released the 2020 edition of the MACStats: Medicaid and CHIP Data Book, with updated data on national and state Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollment, spending, benefits, and beneficiaries’ health, service use, and access to care. MACStats brings together the range of Medicaid and CHIP statistics, including eligibility and enrollment, benefits, service use and access to care.

During the Friday September 25, 2020 MACPAC meeting, MACPAC presented on the Management of HCBS Waiver Waiting Lists. The talk included background information on Medicaid and HCBS Waivers, data on HCBS Waiver waiting lists, and strategies for reducing or eliminating waiting lists. The slides from this presentation are included here.

This compendium includes select information on waiver capacity and waiting list management. The compendium highlights over 200 approved Section 1915(c) and Section 1115 waivers across all 50 states and DC. As an accompaniment to this compendium, MACPAC has also released an issue brief. This issue brief includes a description of the waiver analysis conducted in the compendium. It also features information from stakeholder interviews.

The MACPAC June 2020 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP was created prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights long-term challenges facing Medicaid. Across six chapters, it discusses key issues including integrated care for dually eligible Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare Savings Programs, and Medicaid's statutory role as the payer of last resort.