Medicaid’s Potential and Limitations in Supporting Public Health Policies

Concurrent Sessions 5: 4:30 pm – 5:45 pm, Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Medicaid provides critical health coverage for millions of low income Americans who would otherwise not be able to afford health care services. Although financed in large part by the federal government, Medicaid allows for considerable state policymaking. State discretion is often viewed as a positive. However, this session will explore areas where such discretion is more problematic, including State decision making as to Medicaid expansion, community engagement waivers, and inconsistent policies involving vaccine coverage.

Moderator:

• Craig Wilson, JD, MPA, Health Policy Director, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement

Speakers:

• Russell McCord, JD, Public Health Analyst, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Nicolas Terry, LLM, Hall Render Professor of Law & Executive Director, Hall Center for Law and Health