The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission met for two days last week in Washington, D.C.

The following is MACPAC’s own summary of the sessions.

MACPAC kicked off its January meeting with a review of a draft chapter for the March 2021 report to Congress and recommendations on a mandatory extension of Medicaid coverage for 12 months postpartum. The Commission received extensive public comment on the recommendations. On Friday, the Commission approved three recommendations as drafted related to postpartum coverage. The Commission recommended that Congress should:

• extend the postpartum coverage period for individuals who were eligible and enrolled in Medicaid while pregnant to a full year of coverage, regardless of changes in income. Services provided to individuals during the extended postpartum coverage period will receive an enhanced 100 percent federal matching rate;
• extend the postpartum coverage period for individuals who were eligible and enrolled in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) while pregnant (if the state provides such coverage) to a full year of coverage, regardless of changes in income; and
• require states to provide full Medicaid benefits to individuals enrolled in all pregnancy-related pathways.

Commissioners then turned their attention to Medicaid estate recovery policies that affect beneficiaries …

Members of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission met in Washington, D.C. last week to discuss a number of Medicaid and CHIP meetings.  The following is MACPAC’s summary of this meeting.

MACPAC’S March 2018 meeting began with a review of two draft chapters with recommendations that will be included in MACPAC’s June 2018 report, the first to improve operation of the Medicaid drug rebate program and the second to improve the clarity of substance use disorder (SUD) confidentiality regulations.

At the opening session the Commission reviewed a draft chapter on Medicaid drug policy and later voted to approve two recommendations presented at its December 2017 meeting to (1) close a loophole in current law that allows drug manufacturers to reduce rebates on certain brand drugs, and (2) give the Department of Health and Human Services new authority to take action on inappropriately classified drugs.

At the second morning session, the Commission reviewed a draft chapter on federal regulations governing confidentiality of SUD patient records that affect integration of behavioral and physical health services for Medicaid beneficiaries, later approving two recommendations to address the inconsistent application of these regulations. The morning wrapped up with a review of potential comments …