Jason Helgerson
Jason Helgerson became New York State’s Medicaid Director in January 2011. We’ve never looked at Medicaid the same way since. Nowhere is this clearer than in the way the healthcare system now interacts with supportive housing.
Mr. Helgerson arrived to New York from Wisconsin, where he had helped that state save millions through reforms to its BadgerCare Plus program. His reputation -- that of a consensus builder who found ways to both cut costs and improve the quality of care -- attracted Governor Andrew Cuomo, who tapped Mr. Helgerson to lead the Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT), an initiative to transform New York’s Medicaid program.
The MRT has led to a total reassessment of how our public health system should care for the most vulnerable. Thanks to Mr. Helgerson, supportive housing is now a central part of this effort.
Through his leadership, New York became the first state to invest in housing to lower costs and improve outcomes for chronically ill and disabled people. Presented with research on supportive housing’s capacity to lower healthcare costs, Mr. Helgerson established an MRT Affordable Housing Workgroup to map out strategies to meet the needs of unstably-housed, high-cost Medicaid recipients. He also designated over $75 million in Medicaid savings that would be invested in housing each year.
Since this commitment, the state has provided over $46 million in capital funds to 483 supportive housing units in 12 new buildings and $28 million for rent subsidies and services for 4,355 of the state’s highest Medicaid users. Seven innovative pilot programs will also launch this year, offering rent subsidies and services to people with a range of needs.
“Jason has brought both vision and transformation to healthcare in New York State, and one significant part of that is his recognition that, for people who are homeless, housing is healthcare,” says Housing Works President and CEO Charles King.
Mr. Helgerson has also led the effort to convince the federal government to partner in this investment. Last year, New York applied for a groundbreaking Medicaid 1115 waiver from the government, which includes a request for $750 million to be reinvested in the state for further supportive housing development.
“Jason gets that housing is a first-line response to personal health, and that the creation of housing is a public health responsibility,” says Services for the UnderServed President & CEO Donna Colonna.
“Jason has taken a thoughtful approach to reducing the State’s deficit through Medicaid costs,” says Steven C. Bussey, Chief Executive Officer of Harlem United.
For his leadership in making supportive housing a central component of the MRT initiative, Mr. Helgerson is the recipient of the Network’s 2013 Government Partner of the Year award.