11/19/2014
November 19, 2014
Today, the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) and the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University released Healthcare Financing of Healthy Homes Services: Findings from a 2014 Survey of State Reimbursement Policies, a report documenting current Medicaid reimbursement practices for environmental health services in the homes of lead-exposed children and people with asthma and highlighting opportunities for increasing access to these benefits.
“ASTHO applauds NCHH and the Milken Institute School of Public Health for undertaking this effort,” said Dr. Paul E. Jarris, executive director at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. “This report provides critical information to help policymakers understand where reimbursement policies are in place for vulnerable populations and the challenges that states face in implementing them. This is the first step toward ensuring that Americans have access to the high quality, evidence-based care they deserve.”
The report shows that while 27 states have some Medicaid reimbursement policy in place for either home-based asthma services or follow-up services for children with lead exposure, these important services are not mandatory in most states.
The survey showed that although follow-up services are required by Medicaid’s Early Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment benefit for children with lead exposure, only 18 states require provision of these services for Medicaid beneficiaries with elevated blood lead levels. Similarly, despite recommendations by the Community Guide to Preventive Services and the Clinical Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma (EPR-3), only 13 states have any reimbursement in place for home-based asthma trigger control services, such as asthma education and environmental assessments.
Click here to read the full release.