Medicaid programs increasingly recognize the value of partnering directly with Medicaid members to inform program design and policy implementation. Given the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirement for states to establish new types of member advisory groups — referred to as Medicaid Advisory Committees and Beneficiary Advisory Councils (BACs) — Medicaid agencies now have a heightened imperative to strengthen mechanisms for meaningful member engagement.

To help states meet CMS’ requirements for member advisory groups, the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) launched the Medicaid Beneficiary Advisory Council Learning Series in 2024. Through the series, CHCS is providing technical assistance and expert support to help states build, manage, and refine their BAC operations. The series combines virtual learning, peer exchange, and engagement with national experts to strengthen state capacity.

As BACs move beyond their startup phase, a critical next step is ensuring that member input is not only collected but meaningfully incorporated into program and policy decisions. The second phase of the series will help states evolve their BACs into effective, sustainable mechanisms for authentic member engagement and policy impact. CHCS is partnering with six states — Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Dakota, and Oregon — to help them strengthen how they engage Medicaid members in shaping policy and program design, including responses to emerging federal requirements such as new work requirements processes. This work supports states in improving state systems for elevating member voice, enhancing feedback loops, and building staff capacity to translate lived experience into actionable policy and program changes.

During the first phase of the series, CHCS worked with seven states — Alaska, Arizona, Michigan, Maine, North Dakota, Oregon, and Virginia — to establish or strengthen BACs aligned with CMS’ vision for centering Medicaid lived experience in Medicaid program and policy decision-making.

Throughout the initiative, CHCS is creating and disseminating resources to share best practices and inform additional state efforts in advancing meaningful Medicaid member engagement.