Green & Healthy Homes Initiative Awards Five Sites with Asthma Reimbursement Support Technical Assistance
GHHI will provide pro bono technical assistance to assist organizations and partnerships in seeking reimbursement from healthcare for operational asthma home visiting programs that provide comprehensive environmental health services
Baltimore, MD May 27, 2020—The Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI), following a national competition, has awarded pro bono technical assistance to help the following five programs build upon existing asthma programs and partnerships between service providers and local healthcare entities to achieve reimbursement for comprehensive environmental health services. GHHI is providing this technical assistance through an award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Contra Costa Health Plan of Contra Costa County, CA – Contra Costa Health Plan is honored to have been accepted to receive technical assistance for our asthma home visiting program from the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative. We are dedicated to relieving the health burden and improving the quality of life of our Medicaid members with asthma. Expertise from GHHI will be invaluable in our efforts to create an effective program to help these vulnerable members. – Sharron Mackey, CEO Contra Costa Health Plan
San Antonio Metropolitan Health (Metro Health) District, San Antonio, TX – Metro Health is honored to be working with the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative again! We are grateful to have received a second technical assistance award from GHHI to support our asthma home visiting program, SA Kids B.R.E.A.T.H.E. This award will provide us with invaluable national expertise to research and develop a sustainable plan for reimbursement with managed care organizations. We are working closely with Community First Health Plans (CFHP) on this effort. Through this collaboration with both GHHI and CFHP, we expect to be able to improve the quality of life for the children of Bexar County with uncontrolled asthma for a long time to come. – Dawn Emerick, EdD, Director of Metro Health.
Richmond City Health District (VA Dept. Of Health) of Richmond, VA – Over the past several years, the Richmond City Health District has partnered with Bon Secours Richmond Health System, HCA Virginia Health System, and VCU Health System to develop RVA Childhood Asthma Collaborative. In partnership with numerous community partners, the collaborative has developed innovative service delivery and financing strategies focused on how to best serve children across the region who have asthma. Dr. Danny Avula, Director of the Richmond City and Henrico County Health Districts states, “Green & Healthy Homes Initiative has been a valuable partner that provides a national perspective for our efforts. Because of GHHI’s support, we can make highly informed decisions focused on creating the greatest impact. We are thankful for GHHI’s continued guidance and support.”
Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin of Milwaukee, WI – Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin is leading a collaborative project that aims to secure a sustainable reimbursement model for comprehensive in-home asthma services that is designed specifically for the unique needs of Wisconsinites. Creating a workable model for Wisconsin is key for improving the health outcomes of children and adults with asthma. This project includes key asthma stakeholders, including: Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ Asthma Program; Children’s Wisconsin, the state’s largest pediatric health system; and Children’s Community Health Plan, a Wisconsin-based HMO with over 140,000 members. Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin has led the Wisconsin Asthma Coalition as well as many critical asthma initiatives since 2001. All project participants are members of the Wisconsin Asthma Coalition and are excited to help ensure Wisconsin becomes the next state to reimburse for comprehensive in-home asthma services.
The Institute for Public Health Innovation of Washington, DC – Convened by the Institute for Public Health Innovation, the DC Healthy Housing Collaborative (DCHHC) is made up of a broad range of partners representing government agencies, healthcare, public health, health insurance providers, housing services, legal services, policy advocacy groups, financial institutions, and many others, united in pursuit of policy and systems changes that will lead to healthier housing conditions in Washington, DC. DCHHC seeks reimbursement for services to improve the health outcomes for children with asthma. The initiative combines existing resources to identify pediatric patients with asthma by IMPACT DC at Children’s National Medical Center and refers them to an evidence-based, virtual or in-person, in-home environmental assessment and education intervention targeting asthma triggers and other health risks by the Breathe Easy Home visiting Program and adds the services of home remediation managed by the non-profit YACHAD. The goal of the initiative is to work with managed care companies and other payers to identify strategies to sustainably finance this effective comprehensive home assessment (including both telehealth and in-person assessment), education, referral, and home remediation program. The Collaborative also aims to coordinate healthy housing services in the District of Columbia so that the experience for families seeking remedy for healthy housing issues is streamlined, and efficient.
GHHI’s technical assistance seeks to secure active reimbursement contracts for each program to provide services through existing health plans or healthcare systems. Each of the projects will focus on providing comprehensive services to people with asthma living in low–income communities. These services include home-based care and education as well as environmental remediation to address asthma triggers such as pests and mold. The goal of each program is to achieve better health and quality of life outcomes for families while also lowering healthcare costs through the reduction of asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
This work is one part of GHHI’s National Initiative for Asthma Reimbursement, which seeks to increase the number of quality comprehensive asthma programs while simultaneously working to increase the number of health plans serving Medicaid populations and/or state Medicaid programs that reimburse for these services.
Ruth Ann Norton, President and CEO of GHHI, stated, “We are delighted to welcome these organizations into our important work to build the path for reimbursement for evidenced-based housing interventions that improve health outcomes and are an integral part of health care.”
Official Partners
California: Contra Costa Health Plan
- Contra Costa Health Services
- Contra Costa Department of Conservation and Development
- MCE Clean Energy
Texas: San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, SA Kids BREATHE (SAKB) Programs
- Community First Health Plans
Virginia: Richmond City Health District (VA Dept. of Health)
- VCU Health System
- Bon Secours Richmond Health System
- HCA Virginia Health System
Wisconsin: Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Dept. of Health Services
- Children’s Wisconsin
- Children’s Community Health Plan
DC: The Institute for Public Health Innovation
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC
- Impact DC of Children’s National Hospital
- YACHAD
- Breathe Easy Home Visiting Program
About the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative – The Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI) is a national nonprofit dedicated to breaking the link between unhealthy housing and unhealthy families. Formerly known as the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning, GHHI provides evidence-based direct services and technical assistance to create healthy, safe, and energy efficient homes. GHHI’s end goal is to improve health, economic, and social outcomes for low-income families while reducing public and private healthcare costs. To learn more, please visit ghhi.org and follow us @HealthyHousing.