MACPAC Releases June 2026 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP

The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) released its June 2026 Report to Congress. This report contains seven chapters that review hospital payment policies for safety-net hospitals and providers, focused on community engagement requirements, automation in prior authorization, Medicaid managed care accountability, and provider enrollment and credentialing in Medicaid, among other issues. 

The first six chapters contain specific recommendations, while the final chapter reviews Medicaid provider enrollment and managed care credentialing. The first chapter issues a recommendation to create a transparent plan for monitoring and evaluating community engagement requirements in Medicaid, also known as work requirements. Chapter 2 issues multiple recommendations related to the use of automation in Medicaid prior authorization, including recommending greater disclosure and transparency of managed care plans’ use of automation in prior authorization. Chapter 3 focuses on recommendations to improve oversight and accountability of Medicaid managed care plans. Lastly, Chapters 4, 5, and 6 focus on recommendations to improve appropriate access to residential behavioral health treatment for Medicaid-enrolled children, transition children with special health care needs to adult Medicaid coverage, and improve transparency in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).