Medicaid Advisory Committees: Best Practices for Effective Stakeholder Engagement

Executive Summary

Although Medical Care Advisory Committees (MCACs) have been federally required for nearly forty years, some states have seriously underutilized this opportunity to monitor and improve their Medicaid programs. In May 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated regulations implementing MCACs. New requirements for the renamed Medicaid Advisory Committees (MACs) and Beneficiary Advisory Councils (BACs) present an important opportunity to enhance the role of Medicaid enrollees and other stakeholders in state Medicaid policy development and oversight.

This paper describes key regulatory changes for MACs and BACs, as well as operational challenges and best practices to help ensure meaningful stakeholder engagement