Legislative Policy Day to feature conversation about health care availability, delivery, cost

Legislative Policy Day to feature conversation about health care availability, delivery, costOctober 19, 2005Carol K. Masiclatclkim@syr.edu

The seventh annual Legislative Policy Day will be held Oct. 24 from 8:45 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Onondaga County Legislative Chambers in Syracuse. This year’s conference is titled, “Balancing Compassion, Cost and Complexities: The Challenge of Medicaid Financing in New York State.” The event explores political, fiscal and social justice challenges of Medicaid financing reforms in New York State, and reforms affecting social workers as service providers, taxpayers and advocates of service to vulnerable persons. The event is sponsored by the School of Social Work in the College of Human Services and Health Professions at Syracuse University.

“This is an important day for social work students because it highlights the importance of policy-what it is and who’s behind it,” says Candace E. Murray, a student in the master’s of social work program (MSW) who, along with MSW student Jill Joseph, is coordinating the event. “I believe Policy Day reminds our students that it is important for social workers to advocate for social justice on all levels, whether at the organizations we serve or on Capitol Hill, and that we have a professional obligation to do so.”

State and county legislators, policymakers, analysts, service providers and advocates will discuss the following topics: fiscal, political, health access and service delivery challenges shaping Medicaid financing as an issue; state assumption from counties of a larger proportion of Medicaid costs, including the implications of the new Medicaid cap on the growth of program costs for counties; implications for the well-being of populations at risk; and Medicaid fraud as a political and social policy concern.

Karen Schimke, president and CEO of the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy (SCAA), will be the keynote speaker. SCAA is a statewide, nonprofit policy analysis and advocacy organization working to shape policies that improve the economic security and health status of low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. Schimke has served as executive deputy commissioner for both the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Department of Social Services.

State Sen. Raymond A. Meier, chair of the Senate Social Services Committee; Onondaga County Executive Nicholas Pirro; Onondaga County Legislative Chairman Dale Sweetland; and Schimke will participate in a legislative panel titled, “Medicaid Reform: County and State Perspectives.”

At an afternoon panel, including SU Professors Sandy Lane and Thomas Dennison and School of Social Work graduates Gregg Heffner and Aaron Tripp, the local policy and service delivery implications of Medicaid reform will be discussed.

First-year master’s students and fourth-year bachelor’s students will attend the event as part of the social work curriculum, but the event is open to all students in the College of Human Services and Health Professions on a space-available basis. The Onondaga County Legislative Chambers is located on the fourth floor of the County Courthouse Building, 401 Montgomery St., Syracuse.

Parking is available at the garage across from the OnCenter.

For more information or to inquire about seating availability, contact Jill Joseph at jijoseph@syr.edu or Eric Kingson at (315) 443-1838 or erkingso@syr.edu.