Altarum Helps States Build Effective Beneficiary Advisory Councils

In Kentucky, Altarum has partnered with the Department for Medicaid Services (DMS) to provide high-touch support that gives Medicaid beneficiaries the opportunity to help shape policy. 

  • Challenge: Under the CMS Access Rule, states must create Beneficiary Advisory Councils (BACs) to give Medicaid members a formal role in shaping policy, but creating effective councils is complex. Without the right support, BACs risk becoming a compliance checkbox instead of a tool for improvement.
  • Solution: Altarum partners with states to successfully establish federally compliant BACs, allowing Medicaid beneficiaries to meaningfully engage and help shape state Medicaid programs. 

Altarum's Solution

Altarum helps states build effective, federally compliant BACs that deliver meaningful member insights through:

  • Individualized onboarding and support
  • Plain-language, accessible materials
  • Meeting facilitation and logistics
  • Integration with Medicaid Advisory Councils (MACs)
  • Continuous improvement through post-meeting feedback

Focus Areas

Medicare and Medicaid

The Challenge for States

States know their programs, but they often lack direct insight into member experience. BACs bridge that gap, but implementation can be difficult. Here’s why: 

  • Strict guidelines, including term limits, and rules about how BACs interact with MACs, can be difficult to track.
  • Ensuring meaningful participation means members must understand complex Medicaid policies and programs.
  • Operational hurdles, including onboarding and ensuring BAC input is integrated into MAC decisions, can increase strain on Medicaid program staff. 

Kentucky’s Success Story 

Kentucky’s DMS partnered with Altarum to ensure their BAC members attend meetings, are meaningfully engaged, and receive the support they need: 

  • One-on-one support: We provide individualized onboarding and support for each BAC member.
  • Meeting logistics and facilitation: Altarum supports development of and distributes advance materials and supports hybrid participation options.
  • Beneficiary communication: We help members understand complex concepts by using plain-language materials.
  • Coordination with MACs: Altarum ensures BAC member feedback is heard and systematically incorporated into MAC discussions. This creates a clear and actionable feedback loop from member experience to policy decisions.
  • Stakeholder engagement: We partner with the state to keep leadership and other stakeholders informed and engaged.

Kentucky’s BAC is now fully operational, with elected leadership and bylaws in place. Future meetings will allow BAC members to share their valuable insights on Medicaid program decisions, with support from Altarum. 

How Altarum Can Help Your State 

Altarum acts as an extension of your Medicaid team, offering high-quality staff augmentation to support BAC implementation, strategic planning, member support, and meeting management—ensuring BAC input informs policy and success stories are shared.

Altarum brings:

  • Effective member engagement: We help BAC members connect complex Medicaid policies to their lived experiences, enabling them to provide feedback that is both personally relevant and policy informed.
  • More actionable feedback: DMS receives clear, member-informed recommendations that influence policy decisions.
  • Compliance confidence: BAC operations align with CMS Access Rule requirements, including integration with MAC processes.
  • Sustainability: Altarum supports smooth leadership transitions and onboarding of new BAC members, preserving group continuity and institutional knowledge.
  • Accessibility and inclusion: Materials meet health literacy standards and accessibility requirements (ADA/ACA, §508 compliance).

Want to learn more about our BAC solutions? Download “Helping States Build Beneficiary Advisory Councils”.

Partner with Altarum 

Altarum is a nonprofit organization that designs and implements solutions to improve the health of individuals with fewer financial resources and populations disenfranchised by the health care system.

Let’s talk about how your state can replicate Kentucky’s success. Connect with us to explore how Altarum can support your BAC implementation. Contact Helen Dawson at helen.dawson@altarum.org.

 

Altarum ensures that BAC members are supported and their feedback is heard and systematically incorporated into Medicaid program decisions, creating a clear and actionable feedback loop from member experience to policy decisions. 

View Materials

Helping States Build Beneficiary Advisory Councils

Focus Areas

Medicare and Medicaid