The health home is a new, holistic approach to coordinating services that address a person’s medical and social needs. As outlined in section 2703 of the Affordable Care Act, states have the option to establish a health home program for Medicaid recipients with chronic conditions.

Patients enrolled in health homes can expect their primary, acute, behavioral, and long-term care to be better coordinated and to be offered linkages to housing, food, transportation, medication, and other support. Health homes systemize this coordination and assistance by providing comprehensive care management, health promotion, transitional and follow-up care, and support referrals. States that implement a health home program are eligible to receive enhanced federal matching dollars to cover these services (the enhanced match doesn’t apply to the underlying medical care provided to patients).

Created in 2013, Washington State’s health home program has already had success integrating multidisciplinary care for its Medicaid members with chronic conditions. Washington also uses the health home program as the foundation for a demonstration project that seeks to integrate Medicare and Medicaid services for people who have both benefits (known as dual eligibles).

The Center for Health Care Strategies has provided technical assistance to many states, including Washington, in the design and implementation of health home programs. This assistance is coordinated through the Health Home Information Resource Center, an initiative of the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Learn more about the national landscape for Medicaid health homes and lessons learned from Washington. Hear from:

• Allison Hamblin, vice president, strategic planning, Center for Health Care Strategies
• Alice Lind, manager, grants and program development, Washington State Health Care Authority

A recording of the webinar and the presentation slides are available below.