Engaging Medicaid Members: New Requirements in the Medicaid Access Rule

On April 22, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services final rule (the “Access Rule”), which establishes new requirements for states regarding the engagement of people enrolled in Medicaid to inform policy and program design. This commentary examines the tools states will need to create and support a Beneficiary Advisory Council (BAC) composed solely of current and former Medicaid enrollees, their family members, and paid and unpaid caregivers under the Access Rule.