HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY

[Filed August 28, 2024, 9:01 a.m.]

Title or Subject: Medicaid State Plan Amendment (SPA) 24-0026 Community Health Workers, Community Health Representatives, and Community Health Worker Services.

Effective Date: January 1, 2025.

Description: The health care authority (HCA) intends to submit SPA 24-0026 to add community health workers (CHW) and tribal community health representatives (CHR) as provider types to the medicaid state plan. CHWs and CHRs are frontline public health workers who are trusted members of and/or have a unique understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the worker to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. CHWs and CHRs are supervised by any licensed practitioner within their scope of practice as defined by state law. Services include services such as assessments, care coordination, behavior change facilitation, health education, etc.

SPA 24-0026 is expected to increase annual aggregate expenditures/payments for CHW services by about $2,000,000.

SPA 24-0026 is under development. To request a copy of the draft SPA when it becomes available or return comments, please contact the person named below. Please return comments by September 30, 2024. Please note that all comments are subject to public review and disclosure, as are the names of those who comment.

CONTACT: Nikki Banks, Community Health Integration Program Manager, 626 8th Avenue S.E., Olympia, WA 98501, TRS (TDD/TTY) 711, email HCACHWGrant@hca.wa.gov.