The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has shared its agenda for its 2023-2024 public meeting cycle.

According to MedPAC, it will engage in its regular work of offering recommendations to Congress on the adequacy of Medicare payments to providers and, as needed, suggest changes in those payments.  In addition, it will fulfill two statutory requirements in the coming year:  to evaluate Medicare Advantage special needs plans for individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid and to review the new “Rural Emergency Hospital” designation.

In addition, MedPAC writes that

We are working on several other issues in the Medicare program as well, including methods of updating payment rates under the physician fee schedule, payments for certain types of cases in inpatient rehabilitation facilities, staffing at skilled nursing facilities, the Acute Care Hospital at Home program, generic drug prices in the Medicare Part D program, and Medicare coverage of and payment for software approved or cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. Further, we plan to conduct analyses related to telehealth, Medicare’s coverage of inpatient psychiatric services, Medicare’s payments for beneficiaries receiving hospice care, and Medicare’s support of providers in rural areas.

Historically, MedPAC has paid close attention to how Medicare reimbursement policy affects community safety-net hospitals.  While its recommendations are not binding on either Congress or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, it is a highly respected source of policy guidance and its recommendations often find their way into future public policy.

Learn more about MedPAC’s plans for the coming year from its document “MedPAC’s analytic agenda for the 2023-2024 meeting cycle.”