Estimating Cost Reductions from MassHealth Homeless Support Programs

The Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute, a program of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, and Pine Street Inn held an event to present the findings of a study analyzing the impact of the Community Support Program for Persons Experiencing Chronic Homelessness (CSPECH) on the utilization and cost of health care services. CSPECH is an innovative program through which MassHealth reimburses community-based support services provided to chronically homeless individuals residing in permanent supportive housing. Findings show that coupling supportive services like the type provided by CSPECH with permanent housing can lead to substantial improvements in housing stability and significant reductions in the utilization of acute health care services. The event also featured a former CSPECH client who shared how the program resulted in significant improvements to his life.