Empowering Communities
For Lasting Change

The Waiver 1115 Opportunity

Waiver 1115 is a national game changer for community members with Medicaid and for the Community Based Organizations (CBOs) that support them.

Waiver 1115 initiatives across the country will deploy billions of dollars to support infrastructure development and pay Community Based Organizations for services that address Health Related Social Needs (HRSN) such as housing, nutrition and others (more about HRSN below).

This is a paradigm shift for how government, health systems, and community based organizations partner together to advance health equity and reduce health disparities for people with Medicaid health coverage. 

The paradigm shift requires partnerships with Community Based Organizations and health systems.  The partnerships will require development of new systems, workflows, technology and other capacities to communicate, coordinate, collaborate, and be compensated.

Unlocking the Potential of CBOs

Community Clinical Advances supports success in accessing sustainable resources, developing capacity, and increasing community impact. We support partners to

• Develop strategic and sustainability planning informed by Waiver 1115 opportunities for funding, partnerships, and community impact.

• Apply for and receive funding. 

• Develop and implement plans for capacity building as HRSN providers around a) technology, b) workforce development, c) business and operational practices, and d) outreach, education and partner convening.

• Improve systems for connection, coordination, and collaboration across Community Care Hubs and partnership networks of community and clinical agencies.

For the 1115 Waiver to be successful, health care and social organizations must learn how to work together. Health care organizations and community-based organizations have traditionally worked in very different ways, with different systems, and in their own silos. 

I am excited to bring my experience developing and directing Waiver 1115 programs to support partners working together in groundbreaking Waiver 1115 opportunities - opportunities that will advance equity and address health disparities, change how community and clinical systems operate and work together, and shift billions of dollars to community based solutions that address health related social needs.

Health-Related Social Needs

Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN) are the framework for shifting Medicaid funding to community based organizations to advance health equity. HRSN refers to the social and economic needs that individuals experience that affect their ability to maintain their health and well-being. They include things such as housing instability, housing quality, food insecurity, employment, personal safety, lack of transportation and affordable utilities, and more. Current Waiver 1115 HRSN priorities focus  on housing, nutrition, climate impact, and outreach & education.