The Biden administration’s Medicaid guidelines expanded the ability for states to use a portion of their budgets to provide rent assistance and utility payments to recipients.
New guidelines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recommend that at least 3% of Medicaid spending can go toward experimental grants, as long as states add their own funds and evaluate outcomes.
President Biden’s new CMS guidelines state that any service a state chooses to include must be based solely on evidence proving it makes a difference. washington post I got it.
Much of the guidance comes from the Biden administration. America’s Handbook for Addressing Social Determinants of Healthhousing security, food security, access to education, and a “healthy environment” are cited as key causes of unequal outcomes.
So far, Arizona and Oregon are the first states to begin using the new guidelines, which reportedly target homeless people, people at risk of losing housing, and the mentally ill.
of daily mail They reported that the rental assistance program comes in the form of a security deposit or a one-time payment of money to pay rent and utilities for six months or more.
Arizona is expected to spend more than $550 million of Medicaid funds on experimental programs.
Arizona’s program reportedly also includes housing vouchers that can cover between 70% and 100% of a person’s rent, depending on income.
Oregon will reportedly spend $1 billion on housing assistance programs. Those with behavioral health crises, long-term health conditions or who are pregnant will be eligible, the report said.
Similarly, people at risk of homelessness may also be eligible.
“Obviously, no one said Medicaid was there to solve all of the nation’s housing and nutrition needs, and we’re here to take over other agencies,” said Daniel Tsai, director of Medicaid. Not really,” he said. “Does Medicaid play a role in social needs? The answer is yes. … It’s exciting. It’s groundbreaking. It’s not an open check.”
The U.S. handbook, released in November 2023, states that the United States is “committed to advancing health equity, expanding health coverage, and improving health outcomes.”
The document argues that health disparities have arisen over time due to “structural inequalities” that often disproportionately impact “historically underserved populations.” There is. The long list of people underserved by the government includes Black people, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and other people of color, transgender people, and queer people. LGBTQ+) people” were included.
This included people with disabilities, the elderly, women, the homeless, and people living in rural areas. But the document also adds a category for people “living in communities concerned about environmental justice.”
The federal government also promoted the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which declared that housing is a right, not a privilege, and is “guided by a commitment to racial equity.”
Do you like Blaze News? Avoid censorship and sign up for our newsletter to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. Please register here!
