3/06/25 –
A first of its kind, state-run pilot program called the Healthy Opportunity Pilots (HOP) decreased Medicaid spending by addressing health-related social needs, according to a study recently published in JAMA.
Data showed that healthcare spending for HOP enrollees increased during the first month, but spending averaged out to be $85 less per enrollee per month, compared with other Medicaid enrollees. By about eight months, healthcare spending for those in the program was about what it would have been had HOP not existed and continued to drop. Emergency room visits also dropped for HOP enrollees, with an average of 6 fewer visits per person per month when compared with other Medicaid enrollees, the evaluation shows…
