Joshua Liao, M.D., M.Sc., Professor of Internal Medicine and a leading expert on health care policy, has been appointed to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), a nonpartisan agency that provides congressional analysis and guidance on the key federal health care program.

“Public policy plays a major role in driving care delivery and clinical outcomes,” said Dr. Liao, who is also Chief of the William T. and Gay F. Solomon Division of General Internal Medicine. “I’m honored to be part of a group that advises the U.S. Congress on the Medicare program, informing policy that can promote better outcomes, reduce health disparities, and affect the lives of so many.”

MedPAC makes recommendations to improve Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people over age 65, such as suggesting payment rates for medical services, care facilities, and pharmaceutical drugs. Dr. Liao is one of two newly appointed MedPAC Commissioners whose terms run through April 2027. Commissioners are selected by Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office, which announced the list of commissioners on May 28.

“Dr. Liao’s appointment is a testament to his skills as a leader and his expertise in health policy,” said Thomas J. Wang, M.D., Chair of Internal Medicine at UTSW. “It also reflects his long-standing commitment to improving access and quality of care for one of our most vulnerable patient populations.”

A graduate of Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Liao completed his internal medicine residency training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He was a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School and obtained a master’s degree in health policy research from the University of Pennsylvania, where he remains an adjunct senior fellow in the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics in the Wharton School.

Dr. Liao, who joined the UTSW faculty in January 2024 from the University of Washington, has devoted his career to improving health care access and addressing inequities. In addition to his faculty position at UT Southwestern Medical School, he is a Professor in UTSW’s Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health.

Dr. Liao’s appointment to MedPAC builds on his extensive experience providing recommendations about payment and care delivery issues to eminent health care institutions. Those include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through his service on the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) as well as the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Medical Association through his service on multiple advisory groups. As a testament to Dr. Liao’s expertise, he is the first person in history to be appointed to both MedPAC and PTAC.

Dr. Liao is also a prolific researcher, having authored more than 330 articles, about 210 of which have appeared in peer-reviewed publications. Nationally and abroad, he has given dozens of presentations about his clinical work, policy proposals, and practice transformation. Dr. Liao is currently the Principal Investigator or joint PI on grants that total nearly $11 million.