The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) released its recommendations for the Children’s Health Insurance Program and children’s healthcare.  MACPAC serves as the advisory body to Congress on issues related to CHIP and Medicaid. 

MACPAC’s core recommendation to Congress is to ensure the long-term viability of CHIP through a five-year extension of federal CHIP funding. Other recommendations include eliminating waiting periods for CHIP coverage and waiving premiums for children with family incomes under 150 percent of the poverty level. The commission also recommends the extension of current maintenance of effort provisions and the 23 percentage point increase in the federal CHIP matching rate through fiscal year 2022.