Scaling Social Determinant Interventions

On November 16, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released new guidance detailing the coverage pathways for services and supports to address health-related social needs (HRSN) services, such as housing and nutrition interventions, in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).  This guidance responds to growing nationwide momentum to address negative health outcomes, […]

Challenges navigating the federal patient data privacy law known as HIPAA are often front-and-center in conversations between health care and community-based organizations (CBOs) interested in partnering to address health-related social needs. Many common questions about HIPAA come up: Under what circumstances can a health care organization share patient information with a CBO? Is the CBO […]

For many individuals in the Medicaid program, lack of transportation can be a significant barrier to health care access. As a result, Medicaid transportation benefits are a critical component of effective care. On September 28, 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new, comprehensive guidance on these benefits: Assurance of Transportation: A […]

The Health Law Lab, in partnership with California’s Medically Supportive Food & Nutrition Steering Committee, released the final case studies in a series of five focused on California’s efforts to expand access to and coverage of nutrition interventions and other services for people enrolled in Medicaid.

The Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School offers a deep dive into pathways for supporting Produce Prescriptions via Medicaid Managed Care. 

In a new letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), CHLPI and partner organizations lift up the voices of 35 stakeholders across 19 states.

Insights on new program can advance health equity, improve access to care, help speed adoption of similar policies nationwide. Today, the Health Law Lab at the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation (CHLPI) of Harvard Law School, in partnership with California’s Medically Supportive Food & Nutrition Steering Committee, released new case studies illuminating efforts […]

Last month, CHLPI and 37 institutional and individual signatories sent a letter to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) urging inter-agency collaboration to address policy barriers to Contingency Management, the only evidence-based treatment for stimulant use disorder. Contingency Management (CM) is a behavioral health intervention that rewards participants with incentives for achieving target […]

Several 1115 waivers approved over the past few months further drive the integration of food is medicine into Medicaid. There are many notable developments to reflect on—approval to calculate, under certain circumstances, food supports at the household level in Massachusetts and the seemingly widespread dedication of funding to support critical infrastructure development among others. In […]

Earlier this summer, CHLPI and the Illinois Community Health Worker Association (ILCHWA) released their report, Illinois Community Health Worker Roundtables:  Recommendations for the Community Health Worker Certification and Reimbursement Act. The report was a product of robust community engagement over the past year—a series of five roundtables brought together community health workers (CHWs) and representatives […]

Last week, the United States Preventive Services Taskforce (USPSTF) released its first-ever Draft Research Plan on Preventive Services for Food Insecurity (the “Draft Research Plan”). The Draft Research Plan, available for public comments until March 23, 2022, is an exciting step toward more sustainable coverage of Food is Medicine interventions across the country. This blog […]

A growing number of health care systems are partnering with food banks, food pantries, and other community-based organizations, acknowledging the major role that food plays in impacting health outcomes. Yet, laws designed to protect patients in traditional medical settings have emerged as barriers to these innovative community-clinical partnerships.  A new resource by the Center for […]

Understanding that access to affordable, healthy food is fundamental to the population’s health and wellbeing; and without such access, individuals face greater risk of disease and increased health care costs, experts from three leading organizations came together to offer key strategies to address the challenges to food access and good nutrition in a special report […]

By Daniel Necz, Harvard Law School LL.M Candidate, and Rachel Landauer, Clinical Instructor New research from North Carolina adds to the evidence that participation in nutrition assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has a positive impact on health outcomes. However, the researchers also found that many study participants who were eligible […]

As communities across the country continue to grapple with the consequences of COVID-19, the health care system is called upon to address social determinants of health (SDOH). Some health system entities have concerns about supporting their patients in new ways while continuing to ensure compliance with health care fraud and abuse laws. This blog post […]

Initial research outlines opportunities to increase access to healthy foods during hunger & Covid-19 crises. Today the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School (CHLPI) announced the launch of Mainstreaming Produce Prescription (Rx) Programs, a new initiative to increase access to nutritious food and improve health outcomes for people with diet-related diseases. […]

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shines a harsh and unforgiving spotlight on the impacts of the social determinants of health. New data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that people who are homeless or in congregate living facilities face additional challenges that can exacerbate the spread and severity of COVID-19. CDC […]

Explicit protections under federal health care fraud and abuse laws for arrangements that support social determinants of health have the potential to profoundly impact Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and others, and to help health care providers succeed in achieving value-based care. This is why we were so excited last October, when we wrote about proposed […]

Health care is a highly regulated industry with complex sets of rules put in place to safeguard, among other things, patients and federal health care program dollars. These legal frameworks, while important, were not designed with the current health care system transformation in mind and many stifle its implementation. Advocates working on the integration of […]

Over the years, the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School’s work with community based organizations, health care providers, payers, and government officials has highlighted that health relies on more than a visit to the doctor’s office. Emerging models of community-clinical partnerships address the ways that our homes, food, environment, and […]