Maryland Medicaid Announces Community Health Pilot Selections
Pilot programs in four jurisdictions are now eligible for a Federal match
Baltimore, MD (December 19, 2017) – The Maryland Department of Health announced today award selections for the Home Visiting Services and Assistance in Community Integration Pilot programs. Both pilots are part of the Maryland Medicaid §1115 HealthChoice Waiver. First round funding will be distributed to entities in Harford, Cecil and Montgomery Counties, and Baltimore City. These four programs are now eligible to receive Federal matching Medicaid funds to expand their current services. This is the first time Medicaid matching funds have been available for Home Visiting Services and Assistance in Community Integration programs.
“These pilot initiatives have afforded a unique opportunity to provide much needed expanded services for new mothers and children, and individuals with chronic health conditions at risk for homelessness here in Maryland,” said Dennis Schrader, Secretary of Maryland Department of Health. “The development and implementation of both pilots benefited greatly from the continued inter-department collaboration between Medicaid, Public Health, and the Behavioral Health Administration.”
The Harford County Health Department has been selected for the Home Visiting Services Pilot program. The program is designed to improve maternal and child health outcomes by facilitating regularly scheduled home visits, connecting families with resources, and promoting positive parenting approaches. Through the pilot, the Harford County Health Department will be able to expand evidence-based home visiting services through the Healthy Families America model to the benefit of high-risk pregnant women and children up to two years of age. The program is currently being funded through other non-Medicaid funding sources. Up to 30 families will be eligible to participate during the first year.
The goal of the Assistance in Community Integration Pilot program is to improve health outcomes for Maryland Medicaid beneficiaries at risk for institutional placement or homelessness and who meet specific needs-based health criteria by providing tenancy support services and housing case management services. Cecil County Health Department, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, and the Homeless Services Program in Mayor’s Office of Human Services in Baltimore City have all been selected for this opportunity.
The Cecil County Health Department will provide direct Assistance in Community Integration services. The Homeless Services Program will partner with Health Care for the Homeless, and Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services will partner with the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs, The Coordinating Center, EveryMind, and Family Services, Inc. to provide services. Necessary housing stock and rental assistance will be provided through other funding sources, since Medicaid funds may not be used for these purposes. The three programs combined will serve 190 individuals during the first nine months of the Assistance in Community Integration Pilot.
The Department of Health expects to issue a second funding opportunity for both Home Visiting Services and Assistance in Community Integration Pilots in January 2018.
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