Managed Care Professionals Storm Capitol Hill to Strengthen Medicaid, Public Health Safety Net
Dozens of Medicaid managed care executives from across the country stormed Capitol Hill on June 7, 2023, meeting with members of Congress to increase awareness of the value of Medicaid managed care and advocate for policies that would strengthen the nation’s public health safety net. Specifically, advocates urged members of Congress to request a delay in implementation of recently released Managed Care and Access proposed regulations to help states mitigate coverage losses for Medicaid enrollees during redetermination.
Following Medicaid managed care’s successful grassroots advocacy efforts, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) wrote to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, expressing concerns that some states improperly removed health care coverage from residents during the Medicaid eligibility redetermination process.
Hill Day was part of MHPA’s inaugural Advocacy Leadership Forum, where nearly 100 advocates “Met the Medicaid Moment” for two days of training, education, and engagement with health care policy experts, Administration officials, and political insiders. Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) welcomed Forum attendees by sharing insight into congressional rules, foster care reform, and health care policies.
Additional speakers included:
- Abigail Davenport, Partner, Hart Research, who provided the latest polling data on public perceptions to Medicaid spending cuts, access, and government involvement.
- Sonja Nesbit, Senior Policy Advisor, Arnold & Porter, who explained how the interplay between Congress and the Administration creates unique advocacy opportunities.
- Kate McEvoy, Exec. Director, National Association of Medicaid Directors; Shelby Kerns, Exec. Director, National Association of State Budget Officers; and Hemi Tewarson, Exec. Director, National Academy for State Health Policy, all of whom addressed early lessons, trends, and emerging best practices of states during redetermination.
- John Giles, Director, Division of Managed Care Policy, and Jennifer Bowdoin, Director, Division of Community Systems Transformation, both with the Centers for Medicaid and CHIP Services, discussed next steps of the rulemaking process and spoke to the importance of stakeholders sharing perspectives with government.
- Robin Rudowitz, V.P., Director of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured, gave an overview of historic legislative and political developments around the Medicaid program.
- Jennifer Bell, Founding Partner, Chamber hill Strategies, helped attendees hone their messaging skills for a policymaking audience.
