Evaluation of the Iowa Medicaid Health Home Program

As part of the ongoing quality assurance activities of Iowa's Medicaid Programs, the Iowa Department of Human Services (IDHS) has contracted with researchers at The University of Iowa Public Policy Center to evaluate the Iowa Medicaid Health Home program. A Health Home is a specific designation under section 2703 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and is a model of care that provides patient-centered, whole person, coordinated care for all stages of life and transitions of care specifically for individuals with chronic illnesses. The Medicaid Health Home program enables health care providers in Iowa to offer additional services for their Medicaid patients who have specific chronic conditions. The Iowa Health Home model was authorized under a state plan amendment approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and providers began enrolling eligible Medicaid members into the program beginning on July 1, 2012.

The PPC evaluation of this program consists of three parts: 1) evaluation of pre- and post-enrollment consumer surveys, 2) a comparison of the outcomes of care for Health Home enrollees, and 3) a comparison of the costs of care for Health Home enrollees.  The pre-enrollment (baseline) consumer survey was conducted during the period of December 2012 – August 2013 with the first post-enrollment consumer survey to be fielded in January – March, 2014 and the second in October-November 2015. Outcomes of care and cost comparisons will be analyzed from the enrollment, claims, and encounter data provided by the IDHS.

Results of these evaluations will help IDHS to identify areas of need, providing direction for program planning and improvement. Reports and publications from these evaluations are available below.