Question:
What is the structure of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and terms of appointment?
Answer:
The Commission’s 17 members bring expertise in the financing and delivery of health care services. Commissioners are appointed to three-year terms (subject to renewal) by the Comptroller General and serve part time. Appointments are staggered; the terms of five or six Commissioners expire each year. The Commission is supported by an executive director and a staff of analysts who typically have backgrounds in economics, health policy, public health, or medicine.