Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee nominations open
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a notice in the Federal Register requesting nominations for membership on the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC).
The agencies are looking for a diverse group of nominees. They are looking to fill 20 memberships that are expiring in December. According to the notice, the expiring memberships are two industry representatives, ten patient advocates, “and the remaining 8 membership openings are for the at-large standing MEDCAC membership.”
The call for nominations asks that nominees be experts in one or more of these fields:
· Clinical medicine including subspecialties
· Administrative medicine
· Public health
· Health disparities
· Biological and physical sciences
· Epidemiology and biostatistics
· Clinical trial design
· Healthcare data management and analysis
· Patient advocacy
· Healthcare economics
· Medical ethics
· Geriatrics
· Other relevant professions
Specifically, they are seeking specialists in “health disparities, cancer screening, genetic testing, clinical epidemiology, psychopharmacology, screening and diagnostic testing analysis, and vascular surgery. We also need experts in biostatistics in clinical settings, dementia treatment, observational research design, stroke epidemiology, geriatrics, and women's health.”
Currently, of the 100 members, only two are pathologist laboratory directors, and none are medical laboratory scientists.
The purpose of MEDCAC is to “support the principles of an evidence-based determination process for Medicare's coverage policies. MEDCAC panels provide advice to CMS on the strength of the evidence available for specific medical treatments and technologies through a public, participatory, and accountable process.”
The Federal Register notice has instructions on how to apply. Nominations will be open until February 17, 2025.
