Early Impacts of the Medicaid Expansion for the Homeless Population
Introduction
Kaiser Family Foundation. (September 2012.) Medicaid Coverage and Care for the Homeless Population: Key Lessons to Consider for the 2014 Medicaid Expansion. Available at: https://www.kff.org/health-reform/report/medicaid-coverage-and-care-for-the-homeless/.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Community Planning and Development. (September 2013.) The 2012 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. Available at: https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/2012-AHAR-Volume-2.pdf.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). (November 2013.) The 2013 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, Part 1, Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness. Available at: https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/AHAR-2013-Part1.pdf.
U.S. Department of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (July 2011.) Current Statistics on the Prevalence and Characteristics of People Experiencing Homelessness in the United States. Available at: http://homeless.samhsa.gov/ResourceFiles/hrc_factsheet.pdf.
Fazel, S., Geddes, JR, Kushel, M. (October 2104.) "The health of homeless people in high-income countries: descriptive epidemiology, health consequences, and clinical and policy recommendations." The Lancet 384 (9953), 1529 - 1540. Available at: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)61132-6/abstract
O’Connell, J.J. (Ed.) (2004.) “The health care of homeless persons: A manual of communicable diseases and common problems in shelters and on the streets.” The Boston Heath Care for the Homeless Program. Available at: http://www.bhchp.org/BHCHP%20Manual/pages/chapters_sections.html.
Morrison, D.S. (2009.) “Homelessness as an independent risk factor for mortality: Results from a retrospective cohort study.” International Journal of Epidemiology, 28(3), 877-883.
Ku. B, et al. (May-June 2010.) Factors Associated with Use of Urban Emergency Departments by the U.S. Homeless Population. Public Health Reports 125: 398-405. Available at: http://www.publichealthreports.org/issueopen.cfm?articleID=2402.
Known as “Health Care for the Homeless” grantees, these health centers are a special populations category of the health center program, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). More information about HCH grantees can be found at http://bphc.hrsa.gov/about/specialpopulations/index.html.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. (2013.) Table 4: Selected Patient Characteristics, 2013 National Homeless Data. Available at: http://bphc.hrsa.gov/uds/datacenter.aspx?q=t4&year=2013&state=&fd=ho.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. (2013.) Table 4: Selected Patient Characteristics, 2013 National Data. Available at: http://bphc.hrsa.gov/uds/datacenter.aspx?q=t4&year=2013&state.
Key Findings
Medical respite care is acute and post-acute medical care for homeless persons who are too ill or frail to recover on the street from a physical illness or injury. Unlike “respite” for caregivers, “medical respite” is short-term residential care that allows homeless individuals the opportunity to rest in a safe environment while accessing medical care and other supportive services. Medical respite care is offered in a variety of settings, to include freestanding facilities, homeless shelters, nursing homes and transitional housing. More information is available at https://www.nhchc.org/resources/clinical/medical-respite/.
