#045: Medicaid: What Is It, How Does It Work, & Who Does It Help?
02/25/25 • 61 min
Tens of millions of low-income and disabled Americans – including children and the elderly could lose health insurance coverage if Congress cuts Medicaid funding and changes work requirements. Atrómitos’ Founder, President, and CEO Michealle Gady and Health Policy Consultant, Kat Latet, discuss Medicaid’s far-reaching role in keeping both our country’s most vulnerable people and our overall economy vibrant and healthy. Michaelle and Kat debunk Medicaid myths and urge everyone––even those who don’t qualify for coverage to raise their collective advocacy voices to protect this critical health insurance program.
Kat F-M Latet has nearly 20 years of experience in health and social policy design, implementation and evaluation in both the private and public sectors. Throughout her career – which includes positions at Milliman, the Community Health Plan of Washington, the Washington State Health Care Authority, and the Oregon Primary Care Association – Kat has focused on reforming Medicaid, advancing health equity, and developing initiatives that address the intersection of health and social services.
Michealle Gady, who has almost two decades of experience in health law, policy, and system reform, is the Founder, President, and CEO of Atrómitos, a boutique safety net health and human service consulting firm. Positions with the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, where she shaped the Affordable Care Act of 2010, Families USA, and the Medicare Rights Center honed her expertise in health policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, and value-based healthcare delivery models.
Key Takeaways
The High Stakes: Tens of millions of Americans, including elderly, low-income and disabled people and children, could lose health insurance coverage if Congress cuts Medicaid funding and changes work requirements.
Medicaid’s Critical Role: As the largest health insurer in the country, Medicaid covers over 80 million people with essential services like primary care, maternal and behavioral health, and long-term care, while stabilizing the U.S. economy.
Myths About Work Requirements: Despite political rhetoric, data shows that a vast majority of Medicaid recipients already work, and imposing more work requirements will lead to additional bureaucratic red tape and more people losing Medicaid coverage.
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We've made some resources to continue your learning outside the podcast. Our articles and our white papers give you more information behind the scenes and to learn about our guests.
- Atrómitos Way Podcast Website: www.atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way
- Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-atrómitos-way
- Articles: https://atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way/progress/
- White Papers: https://atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way/unlocking/
This podcast is a production of Atrómitos, a boutique consulting firm creating a better way for our health and human service safety net clients by strengthening internal operations, enhancing financial stability and evaluating public policies.
Want to know more about the firm behind the podcast?
- Atrómitos, LLC Website: https://atromitosconsulting.com
- Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atromitos-llc/
- Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@atromitosllc
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Tens of millions of low-income and disabled Americans – including children and the elderly could lose health insurance coverage if Congress cuts Medicaid funding and changes work requirements. Atrómitos’ Founder, President, and CEO Michealle Gady and Health Policy Consultant, Kat Latet, discuss Medicaid’s far-reaching role in keeping both our country’s most vulnerable people and our overall economy vibrant and healthy. Michaelle and Kat debunk Medicaid myths and urge everyone––even those who don’t qualify for coverage to raise their collective advocacy voices to protect this critical health insurance program.
Kat F-M Latet has nearly 20 years of experience in health and social policy design, implementation and evaluation in both the private and public sectors. Throughout her career – which includes positions at Milliman, the Community Health Plan of Washington, the Washington State Health Care Authority, and the Oregon Primary Care Association – Kat has focused on reforming Medicaid, advancing health equity, and developing initiatives that address the intersection of health and social services.
Michealle Gady, who has almost two decades of experience in health law, policy, and system reform, is the Founder, President, and CEO of Atrómitos, a boutique safety net health and human service consulting firm. Positions with the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, where she shaped the Affordable Care Act of 2010, Families USA, and the Medicare Rights Center honed her expertise in health policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, and value-based healthcare delivery models.
Key Takeaways
The High Stakes: Tens of millions of Americans, including elderly, low-income and disabled people and children, could lose health insurance coverage if Congress cuts Medicaid funding and changes work requirements.
Medicaid’s Critical Role: As the largest health insurer in the country, Medicaid covers over 80 million people with essential services like primary care, maternal and behavioral health, and long-term care, while stabilizing the U.S. economy.
Myths About Work Requirements: Despite political rhetoric, data shows that a vast majority of Medicaid recipients already work, and imposing more work requirements will lead to additional bureaucratic red tape and more people losing Medicaid coverage.
-----
We've made some resources to continue your learning outside the podcast. Our articles and our white papers give you more information behind the scenes and to learn about our guests.
- Atrómitos Way Podcast Website: www.atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way
- Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-atrómitos-way
- Articles: https://atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way/progress/
- White Papers: https://atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way/unlocking/
This podcast is a production of Atrómitos, a boutique consulting firm creating a better way for our health and human service safety net clients by strengthening internal operations, enhancing financial stability and evaluating public policies.
Want to know more about the firm behind the podcast?
- Atrómitos, LLC Website: https://atromitosconsulting.com
- Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atromitos-llc/
- Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@atromitosllc
- Get Emails: https://atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way/#subscriber
Previous Episode
#044: 2024 Reflections: Finding Strength in Community and Change
In this reflective episode of The Atrómitos Way Podcast, producer Liz Church explores the challenges of 2024 and the power of collective action.
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We've made some resources to continue your learning outside the podcast. Our articles and our white papers give you more information behind the scenes and to learn about our guests.
- Atrómitos Way Podcast Website: www.atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way
- Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-atrómitos-way
- Articles: https://atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way/progress/
- White Papers: https://atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way/unlocking/
This podcast is a production of Atrómitos, a boutique consulting firm creating a better way for our health and human service safety net clients by strengthening internal operations, enhancing financial stability and evaluating public policies.
Want to know more about the firm behind the podcast?
- Atrómitos, LLC Website: https://atromitosconsulting.com
- Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atromitos-llc/
- Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@atromitosllc
- Get Emails: https://atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way/#subscriber
Next Episode
#046: The Impact of Federal Policy and Funding Changes on Refugee and Immigrant Communities
Since January of 2025 organizations like Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS) have faced numerous legal and financial challenges in the wake of recent federal policy changes. Atrómitos Communications Director, Monette Goodrich, and IRIS Executive Director, Maggie Mitchell Salem, discuss the origins of the organization, the support it provides refugees integrating into their new homes, and how ordinary people in communities across Connecticut can help secure the future of organizations like IRIS. Monette and Maggie shed light on the critical first 90 days after refugees arrive in the United States, the impact of a $4 million federal funding cut on IRIS staff and the people they serve, and the vital role individuals play in advocating for refugee and immigrant rights with local, state and federal elected officials.
Maggie Mitchell Salem joined IRIS as Executive Director in January 2024. Throughout her 30-year career, Maggie has managed diverse teams focused on civic education, intercultural dialogue, social and political rights, and forced displacement. Given the fewer number of refugees allowed into the country due to the recent federal immigration ban, Maggie has focused on organizational structure, systems, and new initiatives that create a solid foundation for the organization’s continued growth.
Monette Goodrich, the new Atrómitos Communications Director, has decades of strategic communications, media relations and management experience in the governmental, non-profit and philanthropic sectors.
Key takeaways
The Past : For more than four decades the federal resettlement program funded organizations like IRIS to provide newly arrived refugees with critical and comprehensive integration services from basic living necessities and employment assistance, to healthcare and mental wellness support, and so much more.
The Present : Recent presidential executive orders including the immigrant ban, funding freezes and pauses, and stop work orders have drastically decreased the number of refugees allowed to immigrate into the U.S. and cut funding for resettlement agencies across the nation. After losing federal grant dollars, which make up a quarter of its annual budget, IRIS closed offices in New Haven and Hartford, restructured its services and cut its staff by more than half.
The Future : While national organizations have challenged these policy changes in federal courts, judicial rulings take time. During this interim period of legal and financial uncertainty IRIS relies on state-level assistance and fundraising efforts, such as the Run with Refugees, to keep its doors open
-----
We've made some resources to continue your learning outside the podcast. Our articles and our white papers give you more information behind the scenes and to learn about our guests.
- Atrómitos Way Podcast Website: www.atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way
- Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/the-atrómitos-way
- Articles: https://atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way/progress/
- White Papers: https://atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way/unlocking/
This podcast is a production of Atrómitos, a boutique consulting firm creating a better way for our health and human service safety net clients by strengthening internal operations, enhancing financial stability and evaluating public policies.
Want to know more about the firm behind the podcast?
- Atrómitos, LLC Website: https://atromitosconsulting.com
- Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atromitos-llc/
- Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@atromitosllc
- Get Emails: https://atromitosconsulting.com/atromitos-way/#subscriber
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