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Anne Dwyer

Anne Dwyer is an Associate Research Professor of the Practice at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy’s Center for Children and Families (CCF). Her research and policy work focuses on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) including issues related to behavioral health.  

Prior to joining CCF, Anne served as Senior Health Counsel for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee leading the Medicaid, CHIP, and women’s health portfolio. During her time with the committee, she was directly involved in major health legislation including reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, passage of the American Rescue Plan, and multiple year-end bills advancing Medicaid and children’s health.  

Anne has received numerous awards for her work including the “Exceptional Congressional Staffer Award” from the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors, the “Hill Health Care Hero Staff Award” from the National Association of Community Health Centers, and being named an “Emerging Health Care Leader” by Politico in 2016. She is also a former Winston Health Policy Fellow.

Anne holds a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School and a Masters of Public Health from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. 

Latest From Anne

CMS Affirms States Must Cover Stand-Alone Vaccine Counseling under EPSDT, More Work to Be Done

As families and parents across the country eagerly await approval of the COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5, new guidance from CMS reaffirms that states must cover stand-alone vaccine counseling for children covered by Medicaid under EPSDT. According to guidance released last week, CMS reiterates that under Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment […]

How Medicaid Can Help Schools Sustain Support for Students’ Mental Health

Among the Covid-19 pandemic’s most pernicious aftershocks is its impact on student mental health. Isolated at home, disconnected from friends, and suffering trauma from family members’ job losses or Covid-related deaths, students are experiencing high levels of anxiety and depression. About 44 percent of adolescents experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the pandemic compared to […]

Congressional Committees Focus on Mental Health, Announce Bipartisan Efforts

Mental health was in the spotlight this month on Capitol Hill with four Congressional committees holding hearings on the subject during the first three weeks of February and some committees formally announcing plans to pursue bipartisan legislation. As we’ve discussed on Say Ahhh!, the pandemic has taken an unprecedented toll on the mental health of […]

American Rescue Plan Helps States Respond to Youth Mental Health Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted lives in many ways and has taken an unprecedented toll on children’s mental health, exacerbating long-standing gaps in mental health care for children in the United States. According to CDC reports, children’s emergency room visits for mental health issues increased significantly during the pandemic, with visits for adolescent girls for […]

American Rescue Plan Home and Community-Based Services Funding: A Review of State Plans to Support Child and Adolescent Mental Health

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken an unprecedented toll on children’s mental health, exacerbating long-standing gaps in mental health care for children in the United States. Fortunately, a number of states plan to invest in initiatives that support youth behavioral and mental health by leveraging funds made available by section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan […]