New Healthcare Advisory Committee Created to Improve Patient Care

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the members of the Healthcare Advisory Committee, a new federal advisory body comprised of leaders from across the healthcare system to provide expert advice on improving, strengthening and modernizing U.S. healthcare. The committee will advise on ways to improve how care is financed and delivered across Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Health Insurance Marketplace.

The following individuals, selected through a competitive review process that drew more than 400 nominations nationwide, will serve on the Healthcare Advisory Committee: Robert Bessler, MD, Kimberly Brandt, JD (ex officio), Sebastian Caliri, Stephanie Carlton (ex officio), David Carmouche, MD, Elizabeth M. Fago, Clive  K. Fields, MD, William J. Gassen, JD, Jenni Gudapati, PhD, Valerie D. Huhn, Dennis Laraway, Dan Liljenquist, JD, Andrew Lynch, Ursel J. McElroy, Kyu Rhee, MD, Tony Robbins, Russ Thomas and Linda Thomas-Hemak, MD.

The committee will provide non-binding recommendations to inform federal healthcare policy and program administration. Over its term, it will focus on: 1) developing actionable policy solutions to prevent and better manage chronic disease; 2) advancing accountability for safety and outcomes while reducing unnecessary administrative burden; 3) expanding the use of real-time data to support a higher quality of care, speed up claims processing and improve quality measurement; 4) enhancing care for vulnerable populations, including those served by Medicaid; and 5) strengthening Medicare Advantage sustainability, including modernizing risk adjustment and quality measurement.

More information can be found at www.cms.gov/priorities/healthcare-advisory-committee/overview.