News & Media
Physicians’ Knowledge and Input Critical for Improved Health
In this age of rapidly spreading misinformation, non-health professional influencers, and conflicting opinions, it is more important than ever for physicians to be the source of information upon which the public can rely and health care policies are formed. There are many ways in which this can be accomplished such as strengthened patient-physicians relationships, shared decision-making, membership in professional and issue-focused organizations, and participation on boards and committees of interest. Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new opportunity to weigh-in at the national level.
HHS and CMS are establishing a Healthcare Advisory Committee to focus on patient-centered reforms across Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Marketplace plans. They are currently accepting nominations from individuals interested in serving as advisory committee members. The purpose of forming the Committee is to reduce healthcare costs, improve chronic disease prevention, cut administrative red tape for providers, and modernize data systems for faster claims processing.
Nominations submitted by September 22, 2025, via email at HAC@cms.hhs.gov, will be considered. The subject line should state “Healthcare Advisory Committee Nomination.”
According to the Federal Register posting, Request for Nominations for Members to Serve on the Healthcare Advisory Committee, the Committee will serve as an advisory body to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on programs and policies that can help improve the United States (US) healthcare system consistent with the Executive Order Establishing the President's Make America Healthy Again Commission. It also states that the “The Committee is tasked with advising the Secretary of HHS and the Administrator of CMS on the following issues as they relate to strategies for improving the operations and outcomes of federally administered healthcare insurance and payment programs:
- Developing a set of actionable policy initiatives that can promote chronic disease prevention and management, as consistent with the Make America Healthy Again policy agenda;
- Identifying opportunities to move towards a regulatory framework of accountability for safety and outcomes that reduce unnecessary red tape and allow providers to focus on improving patient health outcomes not filling out paperwork;
- Sharing actionable levers to advance a real-time data system, enabling a new standard of excellence in care, rapid claims processing, rapid quality measurement and rewards;
- Identifying structural opportunities to improve quality for the most vulnerable in the Medicaid program (outside of more funding for the current system); and
- Securing the sustainability of the Medicare Advantage program, specifically identifying opportunities to modernize risk adjustment and quality measures that assess and improve health outcomes.”
If you are interested in being considered for a member position, view the eligibility and nomination criteria included in the August 22, 2025, Federal Register. For questions related to submitting nominations, please email the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at HAC@cms.hhs.gov.