MedPAC’s April 2026 public meeting was held virtually. On Friday morning, there was also a limited number of seats available for the public to attend in person. A public comment period was open to in-person attendees.
The Hemisphere Room
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20004
Agenda
04/09/2026 . 10:45 am - 12:10 pm
Improving payment incentives in Medicare
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: Medicare spending is projected to nearly double over the next decade, driven by expected growth in the number of beneficiaries and in the volume and intensity of services delivered per beneficiary.
KEY POINTS: Since payment policy can have an impact on volume and intensity growth, it is important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of Medicare’s different payment methods—fee-for-service, alternative payment models such as accountable care organizations, and Medicare Advantage—and improvements that should be made to each.
ACTION: Commissioners will review and discuss the material.
04/09/2026 . 12:15 pm - 12:45 pm
Mandated report: Assessment of the Medicare ground ambulance data collection system
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 directs the Commission to assess the information submitted by ground ambulance service providers under a recently implemented data collection effort, including the burden on ambulance organizations of collecting the data. The mandated report is due June 15, 2026.
KEY POINTS: The Commission must provide a recommendation to the Congress as to whether CMS should continue to collect these data and whether the data collection system should be revised.
ACTION: Commissioners will review the findings and vote on the draft recommendation.
04/09/2026 . 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Analysis of regional benchmarks and benchmark-plan availability in the Part D PDP market
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: In the June 2025 report to the Congress, the Commission discussed trends in Part D that could affect the long-term stability of the stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) market.
KEY POINTS: The number of benchmark PDPs, which are available at no premium to beneficiaries who receive Part D’s low-income subsidy, has been declining. In 2025, there were four regions with just a single benchmark plan.
ACTION: Commissioners will review and discuss information on the mechanisms that determine which plans qualify as benchmark plans and how those mechanisms affect the number of benchmark plans in a region.
04/09/2026 . 3:05 pm - 4:05 pm
Preferred networks and pharmacy access in Part D
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: Pharmacy access for Medicare beneficiaries depends not only on the presence of local pharmacies but also on how Part D plans contract with them.
KEY POINTS: Part D plans establish a set of in-network pharmacies where beneficiaries can use their insurance, and plans may designate some pharmacies as preferred, typically with lower cost sharing.
ACTION: Commissioners will review and discuss findings from an initial analysis of beneficiary access to pharmacies in stand-alone PDPs.
04/09/2026 . 4:10 pm - 5:30 pm
Estimated association between Medicare Advantage enrollment and hospitals’ and post-acute care providers’ finances
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: Medicare Advantage (MA) has been growing rapidly and now covers more than half of eligible beneficiaries. As a result, MA enrollees now comprise a substantial share of many providers’ patients and revenues.
KEY POINTS: Some provider groups have stated that MA growth has been challenging for them, operationally and financially. However, there is limited data quantifying how MA growth has affected the finances of hospitals and post-acute care (PAC) providers.
ACTION: Commissioners will review and discuss results from analyses of the relationship between MA enrollment and hospitals’ finances and between MA enrollment and PAC providers’ finances.
04/10/2026 . 9:45 am - 11:10 am
Information sources that beneficiaries use to make Medicare enrollment decisions
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: Once an individual becomes eligible for Medicare and during certain times of the year or in specified situations, they must make several complex decisions about their coverage.
KEY POINTS: Beneficiaries often report confusion about enrolling in Medicare and their different coverage options.
ACTION: Commissioners will review and discuss the sources of information and advice that beneficiaries use to make Medicare choices.
04/10/2026 . 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
Institutional special-needs plans: Provision of services, network-adequacy requirements, and star ratings
Staff Contacts:
ISSUE: In 2022, about 1.2 million beneficiaries lived in nursing homes (NHs), which provide services such as 24-hour medical and skilled nursing care, rehabilitation services, meals, and assistance with activities of daily living. As a group, the long-stay NH population has significant care needs and high medical costs, and there have been long-standing concerns about the quality of care they receive in NHs.
KEY POINTS: About 12 percent of long-stay NH residents are enrolled in institutional special needs plans (I–SNPs), which are specialized Medicare Advantage plans for beneficiaries who live in NHs. These plans aim to improve quality and manage costs by providing more care in the NH setting and modifying how NHs are reimbursed.
ACTION: Commissioners will discuss the material and provide guidance on potential future work.
04/10/2026 . 12:15 pm - 12:30 pm
Public comment (in-person attendees only)
Staff Contacts:
Comments submitted by stakeholders
AMRPA letter to MedPAC
View CommentsAIMHI letter to MedPAC
View CommentsAAA letter to MedPAC
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