Supreme Court Ruling on Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid Expansion: How Will Non-Implementation Affect Community Health Center Capacity?

Speakers:

Katherine Hayes, J.D.

Associate Research Professor, Department of Health Policy, George Washington University of Public Health and Health Services, School of Public Health and Health Services

Aurelia Jones-Taylor, M.B.A.

Chief Executive Officer, Aaron E. Henry Community Health Services Center, Inc., Clarksdale, MS  Session Summary: A new policy research brief by the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative, titled “How the Supreme Court’s Medicaid Decision May Affect Health Centers: An Early Estimate,” confirms an earlier finding that if fully implemented by the states, the Medicaid expansion will enable community health center capacity to nearly double, and reach approximately 19.8 million new patients. Conversely, without a full Medicaid expansion, the authors find capacity to serve additional patients would be reduced by nearly 27 percent, a 5.3 million decrease in new patients served. Our panel, including the lead authors of the report, will discuss the policy environment and context, present the analysis and report findings, and discuss implications for Community Health Centers and the patients and communities they serve.  Sponsor: RCHN Community Health Foundation Date:  Thursday, August 16th, 2012