MACPAC Releases first Report to Congress - March 23, 2011

On March 15, 2011, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) issued its first report to Congress on Medicaid and the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP). MACPAC was authorized in 2009 under the CHIP Reauthorization Act to serve a function similar to that of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. MACPAC’s first report provides background information on Medicaid and CHIP and their roles in the US healthcare system, and also includes state-specific program information. In addition, it identifies key issues that MACPAC intends to analyze in future reports to Congress in order to evaluate access, payment policies and data needs of the Medicaid and CHIP programs.