Former California Medical Association (CMA) trustee and Permanente physician Francis J. (Jay) Crosson, M.D., has been named chairman of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), the federal panel that advises the U.S. Congress on Medicare issues.

Dr. Crosson previously served on MedPAC from 2004 to 2010, acting as vice chair from 2009 to 2010.

Dr. Crosson is a 35-year Permanente veteran working in several capacities, including serving as a long-time pediatrician as well as senior fellow at the Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy, director of public policy for Permanente Medical Group and executive director of the Permanente Federation.

Dr. Crosson was a member of the CMA Board of Trustees for nine years. He is the past chair of the governing board of the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) and founded the Council of Accountable Physician Practices, an AMGA affiliate. He currently serves on the National Advisory Council of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Dr. Crosson received his medical degree from the Georgetown University School of Medicine.

MedPAC was established by Congress in 1997 to analyze issues affecting Medicare, including access to care, cost and quality of care.