Avantages
The advantages include the opportunity to work on specialized Medicaid policy areas without worrying about funding, time to research, possibility of funding internal projects, and working on Medicaid all the time. Since you are working at a quasi-independent Congressional entity, you will have just about anyone interested in talking with you. In addition, MACPAC has access to the latest AMISYS files (Medicaid administrative files). This would be a good job for a person with a few years of experience looking to learn about Medicaid or assist senior analysts. You will write and rewrite and rewrite again. You will learn how to do styles, references, and footnotes since there is no editing department.
Inconvénients
This is the place where fit, however that is defined, is key. It is not a happy friendly place unless you are in the "in circle". You must "fit" with the senior leadership. People work in front of their computers most of the day. Depending on the group that you are in, you might work as a team or work alone most of the time. Unlike MEDPAC, there is a preference for fairly new and inexperienced staff. So if you have over 5 years of experience, you probably find this a poor fit. There is little Medicaid knowledge here so you will hear over and over, "I don't know what I want, but I will know it when I see it." There is little to know emphasis on management experience for senior staff. Expect to only hear negative feedback. Staff spend hours writing and rewriting-- fearful of the executive director's red copy editing. There is an emphasis on writing over substance since few of the senior staff know the intricacies of Medicaid.