Prospective Payment Assessment Commission

In 1983, the Congress created the Prospective Payment Assessment Commission to advise the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on Medicare's diagnosis related group-based prospective payment system. Its members are appointed by the director of the Office of Technology Assessment. The Commission's main responsibilities include recommending an appropriate annual percentage change in DRG payments; recommending needed changes in the DRG classification system and individual DRG weights; collecting and evaluating data on medical practices, patterns, and technology; and reporting on its activities.