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Contact Joan

JoanAlker1 jca25@georgetown.edu

Joan Alker

is the Executive Director of the Center for Children and Families and a Research Professor at the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy.

Joan Alker is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Center for Children and Families (CCF), and a Research Professor at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy. She is a nationally recognized expert on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and is the lead author of CCF’s annual report on children’s health care coverage trends. Alker has published in journals such as JAMA and Health Affairs and has written numerous reports, blogs, and other commentary on a wide range of issues including Medicaid Section 1115 waivers, child and family health, the role of Medicaid in rural areas, and numerous reports on premium assistance for the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Alker has testified before Congress, served on expert advisory panels to the federal government, and is a frequent speaker and commentator; she is routinely quoted in major national and state media outlets such as the New York Times, NPR, Politico, Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and Kaiser Health News. Joan Alker holds a Master of Philosophy in politics from St. Antony’s College, Oxford University, and a Bachelor of Arts with honors in political science from Bryn Mawr College. Follow Joan on Twitter @JoanAlker1

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      Latest From Joan

      CMS Takes Swift Action to Require States to Address Medicaid Auto-Renewal Errors and Reinstate Children’s Coverage

      We have long feared that large numbers of children were losing Medicaid during the unwinding, essentially by mistake, and the ex parte debacle underscores the fact that this is indeed happening.  As we’ve previously explained, the ex parte issue came to light in August after a CMS investigation found several states were doing automatic renewals […]

      Statement by Joan Alker on Biden Administration Medicaid Ex Parte Announcement

      The following is a statement by Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families in response to Biden Administration letter to states requiring Medicaid ex parte renewal fixes and reinstatement of children and others impacted. “Children are especially at risk during the current process of checking eligibility for everyone covered […]

      Why Are So Many Kids Losing Medicaid Coverage?

      At the end of the COVID pandemic, more than half (54%) of the nation’s children were covered by Medicaid or CHIP; the vast majority by Medicaid. So, the lifting of the pandemic-related Medicaid continuous enrollment protection this spring is a really big deal, putting low-income children at risk of losing access to health care and/or […]

      Medicaid’s Role in Rural Areas Has Grown: Families Have Much at Stake in the Unwinding

      In 2017 we published our first report examining the role of Medicaid in rural areas. We’ve updated the data a few times and our newest look is based on Medicaid coverage in 2020-2021. The data underscores the outsize importance of Medicaid as a source of health insurance coverage in rural areas and small towns – […]

      Medicaid’s Coverage Role in Small Towns and Rural Areas

      Medicaid’s vital role as an insurer for low-income families, people with disabilities and chronic health conditions, and individuals in need of long-term services and supports in the nation’s health care system has continued to grow over the past decade. According to federal administrative enrollment data, one-quarter of all residents of the United States and more […]

      • Topics
        • CHIP
        • Health Equity
        • Maternal & Early Childhood Health
        • Medicaid
        • Rural Health
        • Unwinding the PHE
        • Waivers
      • Blog
      • Maps
        • Percent of Children Covered by Medicaid/CHIP by Congressional District, 2018
        • Percent of Adults Covered by Medicaid/CHIP by Congressional District, 2018
        • 2016 Maps and Data
        • 2015 Maps and Data
      • State Data Hub
      • Research
        • Research & Reports
        • Comments on Federal Regulations
      • Projects
      • About Us
        • Faculty and Staff
        • Contact Us
        • Funders
        • News
        • Jobs
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • RSS

      The Center for Children & Families (CCF), part of the Health Policy Institute at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, is a nonpartisan policy and research center with a mission to expand and improve high-quality, affordable health coverage. Founded in 2005, CCF is devoted to improving the health of America’s children and families, particularly those with low and moderate incomes. Contact Us

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