The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) met Dec. 7–8 to discuss draft recommendations in preparation for the March 2021 report to Congress. The December 2020 MACPAC meeting opened with a panel discussion on the role of Medicaid in improving health equity. Commissioners also reviewed and discussed implications of the interim final rule affecting Medicaid provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L 116-172). This act provided a temporary 6.2% increase to the federal medical assistance percentage to states and territories. The Commission plans to comment on this rule by the Jan. 4, 2021 deadline.
Additionally, the Commission has spent time on a Countercyclical Medicaid Financing Adjustment that would help provide immediate relief to States in the event of future pandemics or natural disasters. While Congress has provided relief to many states, a more permanent solution will be required. Highlights from the second day of the meeting included staff presentations on Quality Rating Systems in Medicaid Managed Care. The Commission focused on the implications of the 2020 congressional and presidential elections for Medicaid policy. The Commission is considering sending letters to the incoming Administration and the 117th Congress on a number of policy issues that affect Medicaid, including prior Commission recommendations that have not been implemented.
The full meeting agenda and presentation material are accessible via the MACPAC website. MACPAC will convene again Jan. 28–29, 2021. The public is encouraged to register in advance and attend.