Colorado seeks federal waivers to use Medicaid to help those who are homeless and hungry

Colorado could become the last state to use Medicaid — the government-funded health insurance — for non-healthcare expenses.

The Biden administration recently began approving waivers that allow Medicaid dollars to be used for food and housing assistance, and Colorado is among a growing number of states seeking a waiver.

Healthier Colorado CEO Jake Williams says where you live and what you eat affect your health.

“Having access to health insurance is important, but many other factors affect our ability to be healthy. How we live our lives outside of the doctor’s office, including having a safe and affordable place to called at home, as well as our access to healthy food, are important predictors of positive and negative health outcomes,” said Williams.

The waiver would help provide more funding for organizations like Project Angel Heart. Each week, approximately 300 volunteers at the nonprofit prepare and deliver more than 770,000 meals to nearly 5,000 Coloradans with chronic health conditions.

“Many of our clients are living with diagnoses of cancer and heart failure and COPD, things where the food they eat really plays a role,” said Nic Soucy, Director of Government Affairs for the Angel Heart Project.

She says dietitians medically tailor each meal to the client’s needs. All meals are prepared, packed and distributed for free, mostly thanks to donations. The program not only saves customers money, but also the health care system. Research shows that giving people access to medically tailored meals can save millions of dollars in fewer hospital readmissions.

A new law, sponsored by state Sen. Robert Rodriguez and state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer and state Rep. Kyle Brown and state Rep. Shannon Bird, could help more people have not only healthy food, but also shelter. It directs the Colorado Office of Health Care Policy and Financing to apply for a waiver that allows Medicaid to be used for food and housing assistance. The department will conduct a study to determine exactly what type of housing assistance Medicaid will cover.

“Not only does it help us attract additional federal dollars, but it helps us leverage existing state dollars to use as a match so we can get credit for the work that we’re basically already doing and amplify that and to continually scale it up,” Brown said.

Nearly 20 states have already received a waiver, and Colorado could join them next year.

Soucy says it would allow Project Angel Heart to help even more Coloradans in need.

“It’s going to help people stay out of the hospital, it’s going to keep them at home, and it’s going to save taxpayers money,” Soucy said.