Building Health Equity into Medicaid Budgeting

The COVID-19 pandemic, ensuing recession, and amplified awareness of health inequity have motivated state Medicaid agencies to evaluate their budgets and investments to better serve Medicaid enrollees. In this 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 for working with budget experts and legislators to invest in infrastructure that support long-term health equity goals. They discuss drivers – such as criminal justice, childcare, broadband access – that affect Medicaid services and budget, and impact access to equitable care.

This episode is cohosted by Gretchen Hammer, senior strategic advisor, and Hilary Kennedy, formerly with the National Association of Medicaid Directors. It includes insights from Mark Larson, senior vice president of leadership and capacity building at the Center for Health Care Strategies.

Medicaid Leadership Exchange is a podcast series exploring priority topics for Medicaid leaders developed in partnership with NAMD and the Center for Health Care Strategies through support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Visit Medicaid Leadership Exchange for more podcasts, or look for the podcast series on iTunes, or wherever you download your podcasts.