Primary Care

Grantee Name

Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc.

Funding Area

Primary Care

Publication Date

March 2016

Grant Amount

$25,000

Grant Date:

March 2015 – February 2016

Individuals experiencing chronic homelessness have higher rates of severe mental illness, substance use, disabilities, and chronic medical conditions than the general population.

Homeless individuals have greater rates of emergency department use and hospitalizations than the average person, contributing to a significant increase of costs to the health care system. State and federal policymakers are increasingly searching for cost-effective strategies to care for this population, including supportive housing. One promising approach is the expansion of Medicaid care management through supportive housing, which could reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and emergency room use and lower costs.

In 2015, the New York Health Foundation awarded Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) a grant to bring together policymakers and experts to develop strategies and recommendations for cost-effective supportive housing models.

Outcomes and Lessons Learned

  • Gathered senior Medicaid officials, federal policymakers, and experts on managed care, housing, and homelessness to discuss strategies for increasing access to housing and related supports for Medicaid beneficiaries who are chronically homeless;
  • Reviewed models for supportive housing, outlining challenges to and opportunities for Medicaid financing mechanisms;
  • Developed further analysis, financing strategies, and potential policy solutions for supportive housing as a critical element of health care for Medicaid programs and policymakers; and
  • Developed the report, “Supportive Housing for Chronically Homeless Medicaid Enrollees: State Strategies,” which highlighted key findings and was widely distributed.