Formerly Homeless People Had Lower Overall Health Care Expenditures After Moving Into Supportive Housing
View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Supportive housing, which provides homes and integrated health services, significantly reduced healthcare costs for formerly homeless individuals. This approach also improved access to care and subjective health outcomes, showing promise for healthcare reform.
Area Of Science
- Public Health Policy
- Health Services Research
- Healthcare Reform
Background
- Homelessness is linked to high healthcare expenditures due to medical complexity and psychosocial factors.
- Supportive housing initiatives aim to mitigate these costs by offering stable residences and integrated health services.
Purpose Of The Study
- To evaluate the impact of supportive housing on healthcare expenditures and quality of care for formerly homeless individuals.
- To assess the association between supportive housing and healthcare utilization and outcomes.
Main Methods
- A pilot study utilizing a mixed-methods approach combining survey data and administrative healthcare claims.
- Analysis covered formerly homeless individuals residing in a supportive housing facility in Oregon from 2010 to 2014.
Main Results
- Claims data analysis revealed significantly lower overall healthcare expenditures post-supportive housing, driven by reduced emergency and inpatient care.
- Survey data indicated improved access to care, stronger primary care relationships, and better self-reported health outcomes.
Conclusions
- Supportive housing is associated with reduced healthcare costs and improved quality of care for formerly homeless populations.
- These findings suggest supportive housing is a viable strategy within broader healthcare reform efforts.