Asthma Program Manager

Effective January 1, 2014, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services is changing Medicaid regulations regarding which types of providers can be reimbursed for providing preventative services to Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries. This Question & Answer document explains how this important Medicaid change will impact coverage of the community-based interventions for low-income children with asthma.

The Boston Asthma Home Visit Collaborative provides free home visits to help families with asthma. During these home visits, they help families improve their living situations and the entire family's understanding of asthma.

For more information visit www.bphc.org/BAHVC

Posted with permission from the Journal of Environmental Health, a publication of the National Environmental Health Association, www.neha.org.  Further posting of this article is restricted. For permission, contact jeh@neha.org. 

This article will appear in the January/February 2014 issue of the Journal of Environmental Health.

Abstract: Asthma, the most significant cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality, is exacerbated by adverse environmental conditions, especially substandard housing. The clinical care provider is often unable to address housing and environmental trigger issues. In Boston, Massachusetts, a web-based referral system called Breathe Easy At Home has been put in place, through which clinicians can refer patients to have their homes inspected for housing code violations that may be contributing to their asthma. Violations will then be brought to the attention of the landlord, who then has the option of redressing the issue or be taken to housing court. By bringing the local public health department, the city’s inspectional services department, and the clinical care provider together with the help of a program coordinator, Breathe Easy At Home is able to provide comprehensive care to asthma patients. This program also serves as a replicable model for other cities and jurisdictions to follow.