WestEd at the 24th Annual National Alliance for Medicaid in Education (NAME) Conference

Join WestEd at the 24th Annual National Alliance for Medicaid in Education (NAME) Conference in Chicago, Illinois, September 22–25, 2026. 

The NAME conference convenes national leaders in special education, mental health, policy, and federal agencies that oversee the school-based services program.

Our sessions Presentations will focus on designing and implementing school medicaid expansion, and medicaid state plan amendment (SPA) implementation efforts in the state of Oregon.

Learn about our NAME sessions below.  

WestEd Presentations

Wednesday, September 23

From Policy to Practice: Designing and Implementing School Medicaid Expansion
Time and Location: 1:15–2:15 p.m. / 193A/B
Speakers: Jenn Smith (Oregon Health Authority) and Lisa Eisenberg (WestEd)

Expanding School Medicaid programs requires thoughtful implementation design. As Oregon advanced multiple state plan amendments (SPAs) to expand access to school-based Medicaid, the state also had to consider how those policy changes would work in practice. This session will walk participants through Oregon’s policy to cover personal care services and how the state navigated challenges that arose during implementation and supported schools with putting policy into practice. Presenters will lead attendees through a facilitated activity to define policy decisions, identify potential challenges, and brainstorm implementation approaches that best support schools and partners. The session will highlight how implementation needs can inform policy decisions and the required coordination across state, local agencies, and partners.

Bringing the Spirit of School Medicaid to Life: Oregon’s SPA Strategy and Implementation Efforts
Time and Location: 2:15–3:15 p.m. / 194B
Speakers: Jeremy Ford (WestEd), Leanne Mixa Bettin (Multnomah Education Service District / Cascade Technology Alliance), and Rusha Grinstead (Oregon Health Authority)

Oregon’s approved state plan amendments have expanded the state’s school Medicaid program to include new provider types, expanding billing for additional LEAs, and adding reimbursement for non-IDEA services. This workshop will provide an update of Oregon’s efforts so far with information about the approved SPAs, implementation efforts and considerations, technical assistance approaches and investments leveraging the CMS state grants, and lessons learned. The workshop will also include opportunities for participants to consider and apply Oregon’s experiences to their own state.