Contact Joan

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

Latest From Joan

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 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 […]