Happy Medicaid Monday! This is the third of five blog posts each focusing on Medicaid and what you need to know to maximize the benefits of this mainstream resource for people experiencing homelessness. Check out our previous posts on Getting Started and What You Should Know.
After reading through, make sure to look out our new resource on Medicaid that outlines basic steps Continuum of Care (CoC) leads can take to advance their efforts with securing Medicaid as a resource as part of the local system of services. Using Medicaid to Pay for Services in PSH: Steps for CoC Leads to Get Started was created by the Alliance in conjunction with Techinal Assistance Collaborative (TAC) and CSH.
Using Data to make your Case
- Why do I need to share data to make my case? Healthcare payers need to see how cost savings through supportive services will directly impact their budgets. They also want to see what impact the programs they will be working with will have before getting involved. To demonstrate these savings and outcomes you will need to share data showing how people are crossing over between emergency and health care systems, and what changes for people once they are in housing.
- What do I need to know about sharing data? First, you will need to know what data is available to share and who controls that data. The hardest parts of sharing data are getting people to agree to share, and knowing if you have permission to share data. The technical process of sharing the data is relatively easy. Second, you will need to identify how to share the data, including how to structure an agreement, what elements to share and how to report the results.
- How do I get started? Start by identifying who has the authority to share data and set up a meeting to discuss the purpose of data sharing. Treat these discussions as a way to build long-term relationships between homeless and health systems.
Stay tuned for next steps!