State of the Art Plenary

Advocacy

Community Pediatrics

Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Health Equity/Social Determinants of Health

Session Type: State of the Art Plenary

The Changing Medicaid Program: Current Opportunities and Challenges

Sunday, April 30, 2023

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET

Location: Convention Center: 206

CE: Live CME: 1.50

Selected By: AAP
Co-sponsored By: APA

Chair(s)

James Perrin, MD (he/him/his)

Professor of Pediatrics
MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Disclosure(s):

James M. Perrin, MD: No financial relationships to disclose

Session

Description: Medicaid and CHIP today insure more than half of US children and youth. No other age group depends so heavily on Medicaid. The programs provide a powerful tool to advance child health equity, yet they also help maintain a segregated system of child health care. Recent Medicaid changes, particularly expanding eligibility for postpartum women and young children, should improve access to care, while other recent efforts may expand services, especially in mental/behavioral health and through the EPSDT benefit. Early evaluation comparing states who expanded Medicaid for pregnancy and the first-year post-partum have indicated improvements in maternal outcomes. At the same time, a major threat to coverage comes with the end of the public health emergency (PHE), with that “unraveling” leading to disenrollment of large numbers of adults and young children. All of these changes also highlight the substantial state-to-state variation in access and benefits. The session begins with an overview of recent Medicaid opportunities and challenges, followed by discussion of the major changes in enrollment associated with the end of the public health emergency (Dr. Alker). The next presentation will describe recent federal government improvements in Medicaid for younger populations, including mental/behavioral health, payment, and eligibility (Ms. Glier). Finally, a leading Medicaid policy analyst will present a vision for a Medicaid program that addresses well the needs of children, youth, and young families (Prof. Rosenbaum).

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to describe recent state/Federal approaches to covering pregnant and postpartum women, as well as continuous eligibility for young children.
2. Participants will be able to explain the impact of the public health emergency on Medicaid coverage and the degree of coverage “unraveling.”
3. Participants will be able to describe other developing strategies for improving Medicaid services, including major reform.

Presentations:

8:00 AM – 8:10 AM ET

Framing the Opportunities and Challenges in Medicaid
Speaker: James M. Perrin, MD (he/him/his) – MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Harvard Medical School
8:10 AM – 8:30 AM ET

The Ending of the Public Health Emergency and Medicaid Unwinding
Speaker: Joan Alker, MPhil (she/her/hers) – Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy
8:30 AM – 8:50 AM ET

Major Federal Achievements in Medicaid for Children, Youth, and Families
Speaker: Stephanie Glier, MPH (she/her/hers) – American Academy of Pediatrics
8:50 AM – 9:10 AM ET

A Political and Policy Perspective on Medicaid Reform
Speaker: Sara Rosenbaum, JD – George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences