Click here to watch a recording of this presentation.
Click here to view the slides from this presentation.
This webinar was presented by Cindy Zeldin from Georgia Health Initiative, Sheldon Weisgrau, MHS, from Missouri Foundation for Health, and Peter Evangelakis, Ph.D., from REMI.
Deliberations are underway by federal decision-makers around proposed programmatic and budgetary changes to the Medicaid program, which insures more than 70 million Americans nationwide. As a publicly funded insurance program, Medicaid provides health coverage to low-income individuals and families, as well as those who are elderly or have disabilities.
The program is jointly funded through a combination of state and federal dollars, so any changes to the fundamental operation of the program would have not only health implications but also fiscal ones as well. It, therefore, is important to have access to sound economic data and analysis as options are assessed and conversations progress.
During this webinar, panelists Dr. Peter Evangelakis, Sheldon Weisgrau, and Cindy Zeldin will address how the Medicaid system currently works and the interplay between fiscal realities resulting from decisions made at the federal level. They will share in greater detail how the Medicaid program uniquely operates in Missouri and Georgia. They also will share how commissioned analysis conducted by REMI has already served to educate and elevate informed dialogue about the economic impact projected to result from proposed changes to the program.
Sound data are essential as decisions are weighed about changes to Medicaid programs. The panelists will speak about how economic analysis can highlight the interplay between proposed changes to the Medicaid program and the fiscal impact experienced by states for various constituencies.
Learn more about the presenters below:
Sheldon Weisgrau, MHS
Vice President of Health Policy & Advocacy
Missouri Foundation for Health
Sheldon Weisgrau brings four decades of experience to his position leading the Foundation’s health policy, advocacy, and government affairs functions. In this role, he directs work focused on eliminating health inequities by addressing social determinants of health, enhancing access to care, and building capacity for advocacy and civic engagement.
Before joining the Foundation in 2020, Sheldon served in senior leadership positions with state-based policy and advocacy organizations, a rural health consulting firm, and both federal and state agencies. During that time, he worked to ensure the delivery of health care services in rural and underserved communities and to enhance the knowledge and engagement of community members, providers, and policymakers.
Sheldon earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree in health policy and management from the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. He has served on numerous boards and commissions focused on enhancing health and health care.
Cindy Zeldin
Vice President of Health Policy and Government Affairs
Georgia Health Initiative
Cindy Zeldin serves as Vice President of Health Policy and Government Affairs for Georgia Health Initiative and is a member of the executive leadership team. As the inaugural staff member in the Health Policy role she designs and implements a portfolio of initiatives and activities that inspire and promote collective action to advance health equity for all Georgians.
With more than twenty years of experience in the health policy and advocacy field, Cindy has established herself as a connector, bridge builder, and strategic innovator who works for the good of all Georgians.
As the first executive director of Georgians for a Healthy Future (GHF), a statewide consumer health advocacy organization, she worked closely with partners and key stakeholders to establish and build the new organization’s capacity for policy development, community outreach and education, coalition building and mobilization, strategic communications, and advocacy. Most recently, she served as a Senior Consultant for Health Management Associates (HMA), a leading national research and consulting firm that specializes in publicly financed health care.
In her early career, Cindy held various positions in research, policy analysis, and advocacy, all with a focus on health. She earned her MPH in Health Policy and Management from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, an MA from The George Washington University, and a BA in Political Science from Emory University.
Peter Evangelakis, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President of Economics & Consulting
REMI
Peter Evangelakis, Ph.D. is Senior Vice President of Economics & Consulting at REMI. After joining REMI in September 2017, he has served as Principal Investigator on all consulting projects and published papers, managed REMI’s team of economists and analysts, provided comprehensive technical and advisory support to clients, contributed to economic modeling software development, made multiple presentations on behalf of the company, and contributed to business development from our Washington, D.C. office.
Dr. Evangelakis is an experienced Economic Researcher and Analyst. Highlights of his published work include a review of the non-pecuniary benefits of professional sports stadiums, a municipal-level revenue analysis of Florida property tax reform, an exposition of novel macroeconomic measures of the digital economy, and an economic and demographic analysis of the U.S. immigrant population.
Dr. Evangelakis holds Ph.D. and Master’s degrees in Economics from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Mathematics from Swarthmore College.
