Medicaid Expansion and Health Equity
Presented by Ryan Barker MSW, MPPA
Course Description: In August 2020 Missouri residents voted to joined 37 other states and the District of Columbia in expanding the State Medicaid Program. This presentation will explore what Medicaid Expansion means for health equity in Missouri.
Objectives: At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Define health equity and discuss factors that impact health equity
- Describe how Medicaid Expansion will affect health care coverage for Missouri residents
- List potential consequences of Medicaid Expansion on health equity in Missouri
Ryan Barker joined Missouri Foundation for Health in 2002 and assisted in establishing and growing its Health Policy area. As the vice president of strategic initiatives since 2019, he is responsible for coordinating the team’s work and providing leadership on the direction and content of the area’s work. At MFH, Barker has developed expertise on Missouri’s Medicaid program, health equity, federal health reform issues, and policy options to provide health coverage for the uninsured. Previously, he worked at Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, where he focused on program evaluation, mental health parity, and grantmaking to address severe mental illness. He also previously worked as a case manager and harm reduction specialist with runaway and street youth at social service agencies in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Portland, Oregon. Barker obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Xavier University, holds a master’s in social work from University of Cincinnati, and received a master’s degree in public policy administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
This speaker has declared no commercial conflict of interest relative to this presentation