HOP was an experimental program that used Medicaid funding for non-medical services like housing, food, transportation, and interpersonal safety initiatives.
A study by the University of North Carolina’s Center for Health Services Research found the program lowered health care costs for participants by 164 dollars per month, or $1,968 per year. A previous study, also from UNC Chapel Hill, showed the program only saved enrollees about $1,000 per year.
The current study found that people using HOP had fewer hospital stays and emergency department visits, with more time spent with less expensive providers like primary care doctors. Participants also had fewer food, housing, and transportation needs. Over 31,000 people took part in the study from March 2022 to November 2024.
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The program started in 2018 and showed promising results and garnered bipartisan support. According to experts, HOP was based on research that showed much of a person’s health depends on where they live and the conditions in which they live. One of the main goals of HOP, operating in 33 counties, was to test whether providing financial support for non-medical services would reduce healthcare costs.
The HOP program was discontinued last July after the North Carolina General Assembly didn’t provide additional funding for it.