Dean Health System CEO Appointed to Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
Madison, WI - Craig Samitt, MD, MBA, president and chief executive officer of Dean Health System, has been appointed to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). His term will expire in April 2015.
MedPAC is an influential, independent Congressional Agency established to advise Congress on the Medicare program. This includes overall reimbursement policies, Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) reforms, payments to private health plans and broader strategies to achieve better care and lower costs. The commission has a total of 17 members, comprised of a diverse group of subject matter experts in the financing and delivery of health care services.
“Medicare is one of the federal government’s most significant responsibilities, and MedPAC has a significant role in ensuring responsible stewardship of this important program. We were fortunate to be able to consider many highly qualified applicants. The five new individuals selected this year bring impressive credentials to the commission,” said Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
“I am truly honored to have been nominated and supported by my peers for such an important commission,” says Dr. Samitt. "More importantly, this honor firmly recognizes the work and successes of the entire Dean organization. This independent agency strives to improve the performance of Medicare and ensure its accountability to the American people and its continued ability to deliver high-quality, affordable care. I look forward to working with the Commission to improve Medicare at this critical time.”
Dr. Samitt is also a chair-emeritus of the Group Practice Improvement Network and co-chair of the Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative Center for Accountable Care, a coalition of 900 members, including major employers, consumer groups, patient quality organizations, health plans, and providers. He previously served as an advisory and faculty member of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Accelerated Development Learning Sessions. His prior positions include Chief Operating Officer of the Fallon Clinic in Massachusetts, Senior Vice President at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and Chairman of Medicine and Executive Director of the Kenmore Center at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates.
Congress established MedPAC in 1997 to analyze access to care, cost and quality of care, and other key issues affecting Medicare. MedPAC advises Congress on payments to health plans participating in the Medicare Advantage program and providers in Medicare’s traditional fee-for-service programs. The Comptroller General is responsible for naming new commission members.
