GAO Makes 2024 PTAC Appointments
WASHINGTON, DC (October 24, 2024) – Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), today announced the appointment of two new members to the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC).
“PTAC provides valuable information to the Department of Health and Human Services aimed at maximizing the value of the $1 trillion in annual Medicare spending,” Dodaro said. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of two new committee members with extensive knowledge and experience in value-based payment and care models.”
PTAC was created by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) to improve how the federal Medicare program pays physicians for the care they provide to Medicare beneficiaries. This independent advisory committee makes recommendations to the Secretary of HHS on physician payment models and related topics.
The Comptroller General is responsible for appointing members to the committee.
The newly appointed members are Henish Bhansali, MD, FACP and Krishna Ramachandran, MBA, MS. Their terms will expire in 2027. In addition, current members Lawrence R. Kosinski, MD, MBA and Soujanya R. Pulluru, MD have been reappointed. Their terms will also expire in 2027.
Brief biographies of the new committee members follow:
Henish Bhansali, MD, FACP, is Chief Medical Officer for Medical Home Network, a healthcare organization that partners with Federally Qualified Health Centers, Primary Care Associations, and Clinically Integrated Networks to build the capabilities to succeed in value-based care. He also serves on the National Association of ACOs (NAACOS) Board of Directors and as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President and Medical Director of Medicare Advantage at Duly Health and Care and as Vice President and Senior Medical Director of Care Navigation at Oak Street Health. Board certified in internal medicine and obesity medicine, Dr. Bhansali received his medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine graduating with Honors (AOA) and trained in Internal Medicine at Washington University/Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.
Krishna Ramachandran, MBA, MS, is Senior Vice President of Health Transformation and Provider Adoption at Blue Shield of California. In this position, he leads partnerships and innovations aimed at improving health care quality and affordability for members and providing tools and support for providers. Previously, he served as Divisional Senior Vice President of Health Care Delivery at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Chief Administrative Officer at Duly Health and Care, and as Director of Technical Services at Epic Systems Corporation. Mr. Ramachandran received his MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and his Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
For more information about PTAC, contact Lisa Shats, PTAC Designated Federal Officer, at PTAC@hhs.gov. Other calls should be directed to Sarah Kaczmarek in GAO’s Office of Public Affairs at (202) 512-4800.