Leveraging Medicaid to support housing and nutrition in Ohio

In recognition of the health impacts and costs of unmet socials needs, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2023 began offering additional opportunities to state Medicaid programs to pay for a discrete set of housing and nutrition services. 

The purpose of the new HPIO report (and 4-page executive summary) is to provide state and local partners across Ohio with:

• An overview of the Ohio Medicaid program, a description of the federal Medicaid health-related social needs (HRSN) framework and examples of the relevant programs operating in Ohio
• Information about options for covering clinically appropriate, evidence-based housing and nutrition services through the Medicaid program
• Opportunities and challenges associated with financing housing and nutrition services through the Medicaid program
• Next steps for policymakers, health sector leaders, community-based organizations and philanthropic funders to support the financing of HRSN services through Medicaid 

To inform this report, HPIO collected information about potentially Medicaid-reimbursable housing and nutrition services in Ohio and conducted a series of 10 key informant interviews with state and national experts. The report lays a foundation for considering the opportunities for Ohio to leverage Medicaid reimbursement for services that address unmet housing and nutrition needs.