The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) is a non-partisan legislative branch agency that provides policy and data analysis and makes recommendations to Congress, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the states on a wide array of issues affecting Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).MACPAC serves as an independent source of information on Medicaid and CHIP, publishing issue briefs and data reports throughout the year to support policy analysis and program accountability. The Commission's authorizing statute, 42 U.S.C. 1396, outlines a number of areas for analysis, including:· payment;· eligibility;· enrollment and retention;· coverage;· access to care;· quality of care; and· the programs' interaction with Medicare and the health care system generally. In carrying out its work, the Commission holds public meetings in Washington, DC and regularly consults with state officials, congressional and executive branch staff, beneficiaries, health care providers, researchers, and policy experts. A permanent staff of analysts with backgrounds in public policy, public health, Medicaid and CHIP operations, and data analysis supports the Commission's deliberations and conducts its analytic work.