Online Program

Oral

Housing-related illnesses, including asthma and childhood lead poisoning, are significant problems for our healthcare system and society. Over 25 million Americans have asthma, a leading cause of school absenteeism, and an estimated 24 million homes have lead-based paint hazards that put children at risk for decreased cognitive function, developmental delays, and behavior problems. The economic burden of housing-related illness and injury in the U.S. is estimated at $53 billion annually, and many low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by housing-related illness. These costs and disparities can be mitigated by a range of programs and services that can improve housing conditions and health outcomes, and provide savings to the healthcare sector. While access to these evidence-based strategies has been limited in scale, an increasing number of states are now exploring opportunities to scale up existing programs and ensure sustainable financing for preventive services. Healthcare financing, including Medicaid coverage, can play a key role in ensuring access to these critical services, and a growing number of healthcare payers are interested in increasing their investments in housing. While these investments have the potential to dramatically reduce the burden of housing-related illness, additional action is needed to pave the way for healthcare financing in most states. This session will provide an overview of the evidence-base for healthy homes services, review findings from a recent national assessment of state Medicaid reimbursement policies for home-based asthma and lead poisoning follow-up services and present selected case studies and lessons learned from states where policies are already in place.

Session Objectives: Demonstrate knowledge of Healthcare Financing of Healthy Homes Services

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)