government
Family well-being program will save Medicaid money, HHS says
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Aug. 9, 2010
The Dept. of Health and Human Services has announced $88 million in new grants to help states create and support evidence-based home visiting programs focused on improving the health and well-being of families with young children.
Through the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, nurses, social workers and other professionals meet with at-risk families in their homes, conduct evaluations, and link them to nutrition education and other developmental services. According to HHS, research suggests that these programs can improve outcomes for children and families, and also yield Medicaid savings by reducing preterm births and the need for emergency department visits. The grants were announced on July 21.
The new health system reform law provides a total of $1.5 billion for such initiatives during the next five years.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/08/09/gvbf0809.htm.
