Arizona will test Medicaid program initiatives to address housing insecurity, CMS said Oct. 14.
The agency approved a Medicaid waiver program to help fund a housing and health opportunities program. According to a news release, the program will incorporate services to help people remain stably housed and support for community housing for beneficiaries with unique needs or those who are transitioning out of institutional care.
The program will also include six months of rent or temporary housing for people transitioning out of homeless shelters or the child welfare system.
"We applaud Arizona for using every tool available to protect, expand and test high-quality, comprehensive, whole-person models of care," CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a news release.
Arizona joins other states in incorporating social determinants of health test programs into Medicaid.
HHS on Sept. 28 approved Medicaid waivers to test coverage of medically tailored meals and other nutritional services in Massachusetts and Oregon.
Oregon received $1.1 billion from CMS to add continuous Medicaid coverage for children under six and address social determinants of health, including the effects of climate change.