L.A. Care Health Plan to Fund Intensive Case Management for Members
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County’s Department of Health Services (DHS) Housing for Health Division, in partnership with L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest publicly operated health plan in the country, is proud to announce that it has received a $19,958,664 grant from the state of California as part of the state’s Housing for a Healthy California Program (HHC).
Through this grant, Housing for Health (HFH) will be able to offer rental subsidies for five years to more than 250 L.A. Care Medi-Cal members experiencing homelessness in L.A. County. The grant was secured due to L.A. Care’s board-approved commitment of $7 million over the same period to Housing for Health, allowing that organization to provide intensive case management for each of the program members.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant which will allow us to extend our model of helping the most vulnerable in our county,” said Christina Ghaly, MD, L.A. County DHS Director. “Housing for Health has a strong history of partnership with L.A. Care, successfully engaging and housing high-need individuals experiencing homelessness.”
Housing for a Healthy CA is an opportunity to expand Housing for Health's current partnership with L.A. Care to address homelessness and expand housing resources in Los Angeles County. Individuals experiencing homelessness often require intensive case management, an approach that helps individuals maintain their housing and achieve an optimum quality of life by addressing health and mental health needs, while building social and community relations.
This collaboration will allow eligible L.A. Care members to receive necessary health care and supportive services in the appropriate setting, which can reduce unnecessary emergency department visits, inpatient hospital stays and nursing home care. A RAND Corporation study found L.A. County’s Housing for Health program is doing just that, reducing ER visits by 68% and inpatient stays by 77%. Costs dropped by nearly 60% compared to the year before participants entered the program.
“L.A. Care is pleased to know that our resources will support a proven model,” said John Baackes, CEO of L.A. Care. “To date, we have helped secure housing for individuals in 329 households experiencing homeless through a previous $20 million commitment to Brilliant Corners, a housing agency working with Housing for Health, and we look forward to even more success stories with the new Housing for a Healthy California program.”
Collaboration is key to addressing the homelessness crisis. This grant from the HHC program will build on an existing partnership between L.A. Care and Housing for Health and will help ensure that our most vulnerable community members have access to the resources needed to achieve better health outcomes. This partnership aligns with L.A. Care’s commitment to advancing health equity for our members and their communities.
About Housing for Health
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) Housing for Health program provides housing and supportive services to homeless clients with physical and/or behavioral health conditions, high utilizers of county services, and other vulnerable populations. The L.A. County DHS is the second largest municipal health system in the nation. Housing for Health deploys clinical staff and outreach teams with deep expertise to address the complex medical and behavioral needs of people experiencing homelessness, as well as those at risk for experiencing homelessness.