50 Most Influential Physician Executives – 2016
Rank: 41
Francis Crosson
Chairman, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
Dr. Francis Crosson, 71, has led the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, commonly known as MedPAC, since May 2015. The former Kaiser Permanente veteran has ushered the 17-member commission through a number of major decisions, including support for a divisive proposal to reduce Part B drug payment rates for hospitals participating in the controversial 340B Drug Pricing Program, funneling those savings to hospitals with the neediest patients. Before becoming chair, he had served on MedPAC from 2004 through 2010, serving as vice chairman, and went on to serve on the National Advisory Council of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Before his time at the AHRQ and MedPAC, Crosson spent 35 years at Kaiser as a senior fellow at its Institute for Health Policy, director of public policy for Permanente Medical Group and executive director of the Permanente Federation.