The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) was formed as part of the BBA of 1997 and functions to advise Congress on issues effecting Medicare - primarily payment issues, yet also reviews and advises on the broad topics of access, quality and other factors effecting Medicare.
The Commissioners, 17 in number and serving 4-year terms, bring a range of expertise and interests from policy to financing to health services delivery.
MedPAC issues two major reports each year, holds public meetings and seeks input from a very broad sector of government, academia and interested individuals. Occassionally, I've been asked for input on these policy papers and find that the commissioners are truly seeking solutions that work yet are mindful of the realities in which Medicare policy is formed and executed.
MedPAC reports tend to be 'leading' indicators of future potential policies effecting Medicare. Such as the future of IDTF imaging reimbursement, SGR changes and the like. The lag time can be 6 months to never for implementation of MedPAC findings. For those who are attempting to predict or influence the future of Medicare financing policy, pay attention to MedPAC.
There is a special section on the website to sign up for electronic mailings. Strongly recommended.
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