HHS Healthcare Advisory Committee holds first meeting and outlines initial scope

CMS held the first public meeting of the HHS Healthcare Advisory Committee on May 18, moving the panel from a newly announced advisory body into an operating committee with bylaws and an initial work plan.

According to the public agenda posted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the meeting included member introductions, approval of committee bylaws, a review of the panel’s charge and scope of work, and discussion of how to narrow the committee’s focus and the scope of its working groups.

CMS also posted webinar information for the session, indicating it was held virtually and open to the public.

The committee was announced in March, when HHS and CMS said the new group would advise the agencies on ways to improve, strengthen and modernize U.S. healthcare. The bylaws say working groups may be created to support the committee’s work, with CMS providing technical and operational support.

The first meeting suggests the panel is now moving into its organizational phase, with its immediate focus on defining what topics it will prioritize and how its working groups will operate. CMS has not publicly posted minutes or a transcript from the session.