Engaging directly with people served by Medicaid helps inform more effective policy and program design, resulting in higher quality, more equitable care. Medicaid stakeholders at the federal, state, and local levels increasingly recognize that Medicaid members should be part of the decision-making processes behind the care they receive. As such, state agencies, managed care organizations, and health care providers need information on how to best partner with community members.

This resource center offers practical guidance to help Medicaid stakeholders, including community-based organizations, engage community members in policy and program design development, especially as a means of increasing health equity. It describes the critical value of community member engagement and what it looks like in practice. It features best practices as well as examples of an array of successful community engagement strategies — from informal channels to structured governing bodies like community advisory committees. This resource center includes CHCS-developed resources as well as select external resources.

Community engagement is an evolving practice. As it grows, this resource center will grow with it to incorporate new findings and resources.

Explore resources in the following four areas: