SLU LAW鈥檚 History with Medicaid Expansion Continues with Student-Built Helpline
08/04/2022
It has been nearly 11 years since Saint Louis University School of Law鈥檚 Health Law, Policy and Advocacy course, founded by Professor Sidney Watson, began working towards Medicaid expansion in Missouri. This year, the effort of countless SLU LAW faculty, students and alumni finally came to fruition.
Professor Watson spoke of the history of Medicaid expansion in the state.
鈥淢issouri [passed] a ballot initiative to make Medicaid expansion a constitutional right," he said. "It passed with 63% of votes statewide to be implemented on July 1, 2021. Except things didn鈥檛 go exactly as planned. It took a lawsuit to force the state to implement the ballot initiative, effective August 10, 2021. That lawsuit was filed by several accomplished, high-profile lawyers and a lot of young lawyers. Three of those key young lawyers were graduates of the course.鈥
With over a decade of student involvement in advocating for Medicaid expansion, the course has created an indelible mark.
Geoffrey Oliver (鈥13) took the first edition of the class. Currently, he is a program director for the Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (LSEM). His experiences in Medicaid span from his time at SLU LAW to across the states. He assisted Colorado with its own version of the health care program. Oliver鈥檚 return this year to co-teach the class was met with nostalgia and the aftermath of success.
鈥淚t was very different,鈥 Oliver explained. 鈥淒uring my 3L year, the class was about advocacy. This time it was about implementation. It was fantastic to see how much had changed.鈥
With Medicaid expansion passed and enrollment open, the work was not over. Professor Watson鈥檚 2021-2022 students knew this well as they took on a new goal: building a Medicaid Expansion HelpLine to assist those applying for coverage.
In total, eight students took the fall 2021 and spring 2022 Health Law, Policy and Advocacy course. Professor Watson explained that the idea for the HelpLine emerged soon after the ballot initiative passed in August 2022 and was the brainchild of St. Louis Regional Health Commission鈥檚 Rosetta Keaton, who works as a patient advisory consultant.
鈥淩osetta Keaton spoke to a group of new students and an LLM health law student asked what they could do ... to help the Regional Health Commission,鈥 Professor Watson said. 鈥淎 few months later, Rosetta came back to me and said she thought we needed a Medicaid Expansion HelpLine. She thought the law students would be perfect to staff that HelpLine. It fell together in this sort of crazy way.
"When the trial judge entered the order requiring the state to implement Medicaid expansion effective August 10, it was like, okay, the first day of class is August 16. Rosetta said, we are going to build a HelpLine. Let鈥檚 go! Class alum Samantha Schrage, who was then a lawyer at LSEM, called and offered to co-teach the class. We just said, Let鈥檚 do it.鈥
With the help of Rosetta Keaton and alumni returning as adjunct professors, Geoffrey Oliver and Samantha Schrage (鈥16), the students created the HelpLine.
Sometimes, we sat back and watched the students problem solve. They were an amazing team. They played to each other鈥檚 strengths and cover each other鈥檚 weaknesses."
Professor and Director of the Center for Health Law Studies, Sidney Watson
鈥淲e knew that we weren鈥檛 going to come into class and tell [the students] how to do things, we were going to learn together," Professor Watson said. "Sometimes, we sat back and watched the students problem solve. They were an amazing team. They played to each other鈥檚 strengths and cover each other鈥檚 weaknesses. The students were coming out of 18 months of being at home. Some who started as first years last year didn鈥檛 know anybody. Now they have a friendship group. They have a really strong team,鈥
Oliver agreed with the benefits of the course鈥檚 education style. With its emphasis on hands-on learning, he said that 鈥渋n this case, we weren鈥檛 learning how to be accurate. We were learning how to take action.鈥
Co-instructor Sami Schrage brought attention to the components of the project.
"Awareness is a really big piece," Schrage said. "The options have changed. Families that were denied two years ago need to know they can re-apply."
Previous course cohort, as both student and faculty fellow, Schrage additionally noted the students' dedication to the HelpLine.
"It was such a team effort," Schrage said. "It was so successful because each student had previous skills they brought to the table."
Among the spring 2022 student group was Caela Camazine. Rising 3L and a College of Public Health and Social Justice dual degree student, Camazine found her passion through the Medicaid Expansion Helpline project.
鈥淚 really foresee myself sticking with this," she said. "I鈥檓 now equipped with knowledge that I can take out to the public. The way that we鈥檝e been empowered to serve our community has luckily been very portable. I keep the Medicaid information card in my phone. I can take the knowledge I have now and use it.鈥
However, the school year has ended, and next year will bring new students and a new project. Despite this, the helpline is a constant need for those working on getting Medicaid.
To ensure no lapse in assistance, the Medicaid Expansion Helpline will be managed by the Regional Health Commission. And there will still be a SLU LAW presence while working on the transition; Camazine has joined on for her summer internship to continue the effort she started in class.
鈥淲hen the opportunity arose, it was absolutely perfect," she said. "I鈥檓 excited to continue to work on the helpline. I really like that it will be a dynamic internship because I think it鈥檚 going to prepare me for real life.鈥
Camazine spoke about the inspirations within the course, both within the subject and the instructors.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so cool to be guided with those who were once sitting where I sat," she said. "It鈥檚 a reminder that the SLU Health Law community is really a community that extends past our days in school. It was comforting and reassuring and, more than that, empowering.鈥