MedPAC held a meeting January 11-12, 2024 (link). The following relevant topics were discussed:

Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Physician and other health professional services
Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Hospital inpatient and outpatient services
Medicare Part D: Status report
The Medicare Advantage program: Status report
Standardizing benefits in Medicare Advantage plans

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Key takeaways from the January meeting include:

Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Physician and other health professional services
Commissioners reviewed draft recommendations to increase the physician fee schedule rate by half of the Medicare Economic Index and add add-on payments for low-income beneficiaries. Commissioners unanimously voted in favor of the draft recommendations.
Assessing payment adequacy and updating payments: Hospital inpatient and outpatient services
Commissioners largely agreed with the draft recommendations to increase fees to hospitals for services. Some Commissioners grappled with grouping hospital inpatient and outpatient services and a number expressed the need for these funds to reach healthcare workers directly.
Medicare Part D: Status report
MedPAC staff reviewed Part D trends and expected changes.
Commissioners discussed and recommended additional Part D topics they believe should be included in the staff’s final Part D status report which will be sent to Congress in March.
The Medicare Advantage program: Status report
Commissioners reviewed and discussed the latest data on Medicare Advantage, including enrollment, market structure, and payments. Commissioners expressed concerns around the high cost and requested additional information on prior authorizations.
Standardizing benefits in Medicare Advantage plans
Staff provided multiple frameworks for standardizing benefits in Medicare Advantage plans. All Commissioners agreed that the current state was not consumer-friendly, and many Commissioners agreed with a framework that limited the number of plans per carrier.

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