Jul, 06, 2021

Building Health Equity into Medicaid Budgeting

The COVID-19 pandemic, ensuing recession, and amplification of issues related to health equity have forced state Medicaid agencies to evaluate their budgets and investments to better serve Medicaid enrollees. In the latest episode of the Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast, Tracy Johnson, Medicaid director at the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, and Caprice Knapp, director of the medical services division at the North Dakota Department of Human Services, share strategies on how to have discussions with budget staff and legislators about investing in infrastructure that supports long-term health equity goals. They also explore how Medicaid services and budgets are affected by factors that impact access to equitable care, including criminal justice, childcare, broadband access, and more.