Green & Healthy Homes Initiative Awards Asthma Reimbursement Technical Assistance
Pro bono technical assistance for two comprehensive asthma programs benefitting low-income families across the U.S.
April 4, 2018 Baltimore, MD – The Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI), following a national competition, has awarded pro bono technical assistance to:
– Integra Community Care Network, LLC. of Rhode Island. Integra is an Accountable Entity serving Rhode Island’s Medicaid population. Integra is joined in this initiative by the State of Rhode Island Department of Health’s Home Asthma Response Program – a Centers for Disease Control and Environmental Protection Agency recognized leader in asthma services.
– Healthy Homes Des Moines. Healthy Homes Des Moines, Iowa is the convener of a collaborative effort between three area hospital systems – Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines, UnityPoint Health – Des Moines, and Broadlawns Medical Center, as well as Des Moines Public Schools, Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa, the Polk County Health Department, the Child and Family Policy Center, Polk County Housing Trust Fund, Polk County Public Works, Rebuilding Together Greater Des Moines, Mid-Iowa Health Foundation, and Telligen Community Initiatives.
The project seeks to secure active reimbursement contracts for each program to provide services through existing health plans or healthcare systems.
GHHI and the Center for Health Care Strategies is providing technical assistance through an award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), Indoor Environments Division (IED) for the National Indoor Environments Program: Reducing Public Exposure to Indoor.
Each project will focus on securing reimbursement for comprehensive asthma services that address environmental factors for asthmatics 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 the programs is to achieve better health and quality of life outcomes for families while also lowering health care costs through the reduction of asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
This opportunity 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. Similar opportunities for technical assistance may be made available by the EPA in subsequent years.
Green & Healthy Homes Initiative is delighted to partner with the Integra Community Care Network, LLC. of Rhode Island and Healthy Homes Des Moines, Iowa. Healthy Homes Des Moines, Iowa is made possible by a unique collaboration that in 2016 organized around a BUILD Health Challenge grant – a national grant opportunity developed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the de Beaumont Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Advisory Board, and the Colorado Health Foundation.
These two fine organizations share our vision to improve the social determinants of health through healthier homes and to align the efforts of the health and housing sectors to improve outcomes for families.