SOCW 6351 Wk 9 Discussion 1. Need Responses. Respond in one of the following ways: · Describe two factors that might make minority groups especially vulnerable in the Medicaid policy your colleague cited. Explain why these groups may not have a voice in the policy-making process. · Offer examples of organized self-help and citizens’ groups as both support mechanisms and potentially powerful lobbies. Describe how these lobbying bodies can help in amending the policy your colleague described. Support your response with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references. NA: Top of Form Medicaid is a medical assistance program developed specifically for low income individuals of any age, unlike Medicare, which is designed for those over 65 and have no income requirements (“Difference between Medicare and Medicaid”, n.d.). When health care policies are change, they affect programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. For example, when the ACA (Affordable Care Act) was implemented, it led to an increase of enrollment as it made the process easier and reached more individuals and it expanded Medicaid eligibility to low-income adults (Wachino, Artiga & Rudowitz, 2014). In the state of Pennsylvania, a Medicaid policy that I would amend would be the Healthy PA policy, which was a Medicaid expansion that included drug and alcohol services (IRETA, 2015). The issue is the length of time it takes for someone to be admitted into a program. Whether it’s getting into an inpatient or outpatient program, the process needs to be expedited and more streamlined. Many who are suffering from substance abuse disorders struggle with finally getting themselves into a program and delaying the process could result in someone hesitating and deciding not to move forward with treatment that is crucial (IRETA, 2015). In Pennsylvania, stakeholders include a steering committee, which is made up of hospitals, health care providers, consumers, foundations and academic institutions (“HIP”, 2019). This committee comes up with ways to improve population health and control health cost including Medicaid and Medicare. They developed a plan for heathcare delivery that will improve the quality of life for everyone, without limitations on income or background (“HIP”, 2019). This committee has 5 work groups that develop implementation plans for the goals that were developed by the committee and focus on specific aspects such as payment, price and quality transparency, population health, healthcare transformation and health information technology (“HIP”, 2019). References: HIP stakeholders. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/Health-Innovation/Pages/Stakeholders.aspx IRETA. (2015). Pennsylvania’s Medicaid expansion smooths the road to addiction treatment, but barriers remain. Retrieved from https://ireta.org/resources/pennsylvanias-medicaid-expansion-smooths-the-road-to-addiction-treatment-but-barriers-remain/ Wachino, V., A.

1. SOCW 6351 Wk 9 Discussion 1. Need Responses.
Respond in one of the following ways:
· Describe two factors that might make minority groups
especially vulnerable in the Medicaid policy your colleague
cited. Explain why these groups may not have a voice in the
policy-making process.
· Offer examples of organized self-help and citizens’ groups as
both support mechanisms and potentially powerful lobbies.
Describe how these lobbying bodies can help in amending the
policy your colleague described.
Support your response with specific references to the resources.
Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.
NA:
Top of Form
Medicaid is a medical assistance program developed
specifically for low income individuals of any age, unlike
Medicare, which is designed for those over 65 and have no
income requirements (“Difference between Medicare and
Medicaid”, n.d.). When health care policies are change, they
affect programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. For example,
when the ACA (Affordable Care Act) was implemented, it led to
an increase of enrollment as it made the process easier and
reached more individuals and it expanded Medicaid eligibility
to low-income adults (Wachino, Artiga & Rudowitz, 2014).
In the state of Pennsylvania, a Medicaid policy that I would
amend would be the Healthy PA policy, which was a Medicaid
expansion that included drug and alcohol services (IRETA,
2015). The issue is the length of time it takes for someone to be
admitted into a program. Whether it’s getting into an inpatient
or outpatient program, the process needs to be expedited and
more streamlined. Many who are suffering from substance abuse

2. disorders struggle with finally getting themselves into a
program and delaying the process could result in someone
hesitating and deciding not to move forward with treatment that
is crucial (IRETA, 2015).
In Pennsylvania, stakeholders include a steering committee,
which is made up of hospitals, health care providers,
consumers, foundations and academic institutions (“HIP”,
2019). This committee comes up with ways to improve
population health and control health cost including Medicaid
and Medicare. They developed a plan for heathcare delivery that
will improve the quality of life for everyone, without
limitations on income or background (“HIP”, 2019). This
committee has 5 work groups that develop implementation plans
for the goals that were developed by the committee and focus on
specific aspects such as payment, price and quality
transparency, population health, healthcare transformation and
health information technology (“HIP”, 2019).
References:
HIP stakeholders. (2019). Retrieved
from https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/Health-
Innovation/Pages/Stakeholders.aspx
IRETA. (2015). Pennsylvania’s Medicaid expansion smooths the
road to addiction treatment, but barriers remain. Retrieved from
https://ireta.org/resources/pennsylvanias-medicaid-expansion-
smooths-the-road-to-addiction-treatment-but-barriers-remain/
Wachino, V., Artiga, S. & Rudowitz, R. (2014). How is the
ACA impacting Medicaid enrollment? Retrieved
from https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/how-is-the-aca-
impacting-medicaid-enrollment/
What is the difference between medicare and Medicaid? (n.d.).
Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/answers/medicare-and-
medicaid/what-is-the-difference-between-medicare-
medicaid/index.html
AH:
Top of Form

3. Major health policy creations or changes are based on health
care reforms and this has been a global issues over many years
as the United States has seen proposals for multiple reforms
(Manchikanti, Helm, Benyamin, & Hirsh, n.d.). The main goal
of health care reform is to expand services to more people,
improve access, decrease the cost, and improve quality. At the
beginning of the 20th century, the United States was influenced
by progressivism due to many European countries passing the
first welfare acts and government-run health care programs
(Manchikanti, Helm, Benyamin, & Hirsh, n.d.). In 1933,
Franklin D. Roosevelt included publicly funded health care
programs in his provisions resulting in private insurers starting
to emerge such as Blue Cross. Then, in 1951, the IRS ruled that
group premiums paid by employers is a tax-deductible business
expense, which solidified third party insurance companies as the
primary providers of access to health care (Manchikanti, Helm,
Benyamin, & Hirsh, n.d.). The passage of the Affordable Care
Act has also influenced Medicaid policies today.
Because Medicaid is federally funded and guidelines are broad,
states have a great deal of flexibility in designing and
administering their programs, so eligibility and benefits vary
widely across the states (Policy Basics: Introduction to
Medicaid, 2019). In the state of Wisconsin, a policy that should
be amended is the BadgerCare Plus Prenatal Plan. Under this,
health care coverage is provided to women who are not eligible
for the general BadgerCare Plus because of their immigration
status or because they are in prison or jail (BadgerCare Plus
Prenatal Plan, 2019). This should be amended because while
someone under this plan receives prenatal care, doctor and
clinic visits, prescription drugs such as vitamins, and labor and
delivery, there are no services provided after the pregnancy
ends. This can be amended by extending services into post-
partum for a period of time to insure there are not later
difficulties such as post-partum depression or difficulties
adjusting to a new baby especially because of the populations

4. that this policy aims to serve is already at-risk.
Stakeholders involved in the Medicaid and Medicare health care
policy include a group called WCHQ or Wisconsin
Collaborative for Healthcare Quality. A few stakeholders that
have collaborated within this group are Wisconsin Department
of Health Services, Delta Dental, U.S. Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA), and Security Health Plan to
name a few (WCHQ, 2019). Their goal is to improve on better
care for patients with multiple chronic diseases, better care
coordination with fewer resources which would result in
improved efficiency, higher patient satisfaction, better
outcomes, and lower costs for the patients, employers, and
payers (WCHQ, 2019). They work towards a commitment to
ensure all patients receive high-quality, safe care. These
stakeholders could play a role in policy development in
amending the BadgerCare Plus Prenatal Plan by advocating that
safe care includes post-partum care in those specific
populations.
Resources:
BadgerCare Plus Prenatal Plan. (2019, April 12). Retrieved
from https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/badgercareplus/prenatal-
plan/index.htm
Policy Basics: Introduction to Medicaid. (2019, April 01).
Retrieved from https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/policy-
basics-introduction-to-medicaid
Manchikanti, L., Helm, S., II, Benyamin, R. M., & Hirsch, J. A.
(n.d.). Evolution of US Health Care Reform. PAIN
PHYSICIAN, 20(3), 107–110. Retrieved from https://search-
ebscohost-
com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edswsc
&AN=000398732100023&site=eds-live&scope=site
Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality. (2019).
Retrieved from https://www.wchq.org/index.php

5. NS:
Top of Form
The evolution of health care policy has had a significant
influence on Medicaid and Medicare. Medicaid was started as
an aftermath to Medicare and has since evolved to become the
largest insurer in the country from being an adjunct to state
welfare initiatives. In America, the ever-increasing cost of
healthcare has influenced changes in Medicaid and Medicare
programs. The main aim of the government is to increase the
population of insured people. Further, Medicaid and Medicare
programs have been nationalized to offer response to the high
demand for medical services, which created the need to expand
the health insurance industry. Significant efforts to achieve
universal medical coverage also influenced health care
policy. Texas Health Steps periodic health screening for
preventive care or what is commonly referred to as the Early
and Periodic, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) should be
amended. Making an amendment to the Medicaid program
would require the input of the state’s legislature and advanced
input from the public. EPSDT should be revised to focus on all
health care services for children from birth through 35 years.
This will help increase awareness of the prevailing medical
services via informing and outreach efforts. It would ensure the
recruitment of qualified medical experts to enhance the
provision of health care services to the young population. The
first stakeholder with involvement in Medicaid and Medicare
programs in Texas is the state’s government. The government
help in policy formulation, implementation, and financing.
Lawmakers are responsible for policy approval that includes
making changes to the policy. Also, the national government
helps in financing the programs (Acker, 2010). Others are social
workers who interact with patients on a daily basis. Together
with other human service workers, they ensure that patients get
the best care. The general output of service providers like social
workers determines the effectiveness and efficiency of medical
amenities.

6. References
Acker, G. M. (2010). How social workers cope with managed
care. Administration in Social Work, 34(5), 405-422.
doi: 10.1080/03643107.2010.518125
Texas Department of State Health Service (n.d). About Texas
Health Steps. Retrieved
from https://www.dshs.texas.gov/thsteps/about.shtm
Bottom of Form
SOCW 6351 Wk 9 Discussion 1. Need Responses.
Respond in one of the following ways:
· Describe two factors that might make minority groups
especially vulnerable in the Medicaid policy your colleague
cited. Explain why these groups may not have a voice in the
policy-making process.
· Offer examples of organized self-help and citizens’ groups as
both support mechanisms and potentially powerful lobbies.
Describe how these lobbying bodies can help in amending the
policy your colleague described.
Support your response with specific references to the resources.
Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.
NA Original Post which needs a response:
Top of Form
Medicaid is a medical assistance program developed
specifically for low income individuals of any age, unlike
Medicare, which is designed for those over 65 and have no
income requirements (“Difference between Medicare and
Medicaid”, n.d.). When health care policies are change, they
affect programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. For example,
when the ACA (Affordable Care Act) was implemented, it led to
an increase of enrollment as it made the process easier and

7. reached more individuals and it expanded Medicaid eligibility
to low-income adults (Wachino, Artiga & Rudowitz, 2014).
In the state of Pennsylvania, a Medicaid policy that I would
amend would be the Healthy PA policy, which was a Medicaid
expansion that included drug and alcohol services (IRETA,
2015). The issue is the length of time it takes for someone to be
admitted into a program. Whether it’s getting into an inpatient
or outpatient program, the process needs to be expedited and
more streamlined. Many who are suffering from substance abuse
disorders struggle with finally getting themselves into a
program and delaying the process could result in someone
hesitating and deciding not to move forward with treatment that
is crucial (IRETA, 2015).
In Pennsylvania, stakeholders include a steering committee,
which is made up of hospitals, health care providers,
consumers, foundations and academic institutions (“HIP”,
2019). This committee comes up with ways to improve
population health and control health cost including Medicaid
and Medicare. They developed a plan for heathcare delivery that
will improve the quality of life for everyone, without
limitations on income or background (“HIP”, 2019). This
committee has 5 work groups that develop implementation plans
for the goals that were developed by the committee and focus on
specific aspects such as payment, price and quality
transparency, population health, healthcare transformation and
health information technology (“HIP”, 2019).
References:
HIP stakeholders. (2019). Retrieved
from https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/Health-
Innovation/Pages/Stakeholders.aspx
IRETA. (2015). Pennsylvania’s Medicaid expansion smooths the
road to addiction treatment, but barriers remain. Retrieved from
https://ireta.org/resources/pennsylvanias-medicaid-expansion-
smooths-the-road-to-addiction-treatment-but-barriers-remain/
Wachino, V., Artiga, S. & Rudowitz, R. (2014). How is the

8. ACA impacting Medicaid enrollment? Retrieved
from https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/how-is-the-aca-
impacting-medicaid-enrollment/
What is the difference between medicare and Medicaid? (n.d.).
Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/answers/medicare-and-
medicaid/what-is-the-difference-between-medicare-
medicaid/index.html
AH Original Post which needs a response:
Top of Form
Major health policy creations or changes are based on health
care reforms and this has been a global issues over many years
as the United States has seen proposals for multiple reforms
(Manchikanti, Helm, Benyamin, & Hirsh, n.d.). The main goal
of health care reform is to expand services to more people,
improve access, decrease the cost, and improve quality. At the
beginning of the 20th century, the United States was influenced
by progressivism due to many European countries passing the
first welfare acts and government-run health care programs
(Manchikanti, Helm, Benyamin, & Hirsh, n.d.). In 1933,
Franklin D. Roosevelt included publicly funded health care
programs in his provisions resulting in private insurers starting
to emerge such as Blue Cross. Then, in 1951, the IRS ruled that
group premiums paid by employers is a tax-deductible business
expense, which solidified third party insurance companies as the
primary providers of access to health care (Manchikanti, Helm,
Benyamin, & Hirsh, n.d.). The passage of the Affordable Care
Act has also influenced Medicaid policies today.
Because Medicaid is federally funded and guidelines are broad,
states have a great deal of flexibility in designing and
administering their programs, so eligibility and benefits vary
widely across the states (Policy Basics: Introduction to
Medicaid, 2019). In the state of Wisconsin, a policy that should
be amended is the BadgerCare Plus Prenatal Plan. Under this,
health care coverage is provided to women who are not eligible

9. for the general BadgerCare Plus because of their immigration
status or because they are in prison or jail (BadgerCare Plus
Prenatal Plan, 2019). This should be amended because while
someone under this plan receives prenatal care, doctor and
clinic visits, prescription drugs such as vitamins, and labor and
delivery, there are no services provided after the pregnancy
ends. This can be amended by extending services into post-
partum for a period of time to insure there are not later
difficulties such as post-partum depression or difficulties
adjusting to a new baby especially because of the populations
that this policy aims to serve is already at-risk.
Stakeholders involved in the Medicaid and Medicare health care
policy include a group called WCHQ or Wisconsin
Collaborative for Healthcare Quality. A few stakeholders that
have collaborated within this group are Wisconsin Department
of Health Services, Delta Dental, U.S. Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA), and Security Health Plan to
name a few (WCHQ, 2019). Their goal is to improve on better
care for patients with multiple chronic diseases, better care
coordination with fewer resources which would result in
improved efficiency, higher patient satisfaction, better
outcomes, and lower costs for the patients, employers, and
payers (WCHQ, 2019). They work towards a commitment to
ensure all patients receive high-quality, safe care. These
stakeholders could play a role in policy development in
amending the BadgerCare Plus Prenatal Plan by advocating that
safe care includes post-partum care in those specific
populations.
Resources:
BadgerCare Plus Prenatal Plan. (2019, April 12). Retrieved
from https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/badgercareplus/prenatal-
plan/index.htm
Policy Basics: Introduction to Medicaid. (2019, April 01).
Retrieved from https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/policy-

10. basics-introduction-to-medicaid
Manchikanti, L., Helm, S., II, Benyamin, R. M., & Hirsch, J. A.
(n.d.). Evolution of US Health Care Reform. PAIN
PHYSICIAN, 20(3), 107–110. Retrieved from https://search-
ebscohost-
com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edswsc
&AN=000398732100023&site=eds-live&scope=site
Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality. (2019).
Retrieved from https://www.wchq.org/index.php
NS Original Post which needs a response:
Top of Form
The evolution of health care policy has had a significant
influence on Medicaid and Medicare. Medicaid was started as
an aftermath to Medicare and has since evolved to become the
largest insurer in the country from being an adjunct to state
welfare initiatives. In America, the ever-increasing cost of
healthcare has influenced changes in Medicaid and Medicare
programs. The main aim of the government is to increase the
population of insured people. Further, Medicaid and Medicare
programs have been nationalized to offer response to the high
demand for medical services, which created the need to expand
the health insurance industry. Significant efforts to achieve
universal medical coverage also influenced health care
policy. Texas Health Steps periodic health screening for
preventive care or what is commonly referred to as the Early
and Periodic, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) should be
amended. Making an amendment to the Medicaid program
would require the input of the state’s legislature and advanced
input from the public. EPSDT should be revised to focus on all
health care services for children from birth through 35 years.
This will help increase awareness of the prevailing medical
services via informing and outreach efforts. It would ensure the
recruitment of qualified medical experts to enhance the
provision of health care services to the young population. The

11. first stakeholder with involvement in Medicaid and Medicare
programs in Texas is the state’s government. The government
help in policy formulation, implementation, and financing.
Lawmakers are responsible for policy approval that includes
making changes to the policy. Also, the national government
helps in financing the programs (Acker, 2010). Others are social
workers who interact with patients on a daily basis. Together
with other human service workers, they ensure that patients get
the best care. The general output of service providers like social
workers determines the effectiveness and efficiency of medical
amenities.
References
Acker, G. M. (2010). How social workers cope with managed
care. Administration in Social Work, 34(5), 405-422.
doi: 10.1080/03643107.2010.518125
Texas Department of State Health Service (n.d). About Texas
Health Steps. Retrieved
from https://www.dshs.texas.gov/thsteps/about.shtm
Bottom of Form