Soros Advocacy Fellowship for Physicians Guidelines | Grantee List | Case Studies
Chicago, IL
2003
Fellowship Partnering Organization:Interfaith House
Home Institution: John Stroger Hospital of Cook County/Rush University
Homeless people experience morbidity and mortality rates that mirror those of the poorest developing countries. Respite care provides a place for homeless people to finish recovering from an illness after hospital discharge, providing a key link in improving the effectiveness of medical services. Unfortunately, respite care is funded through Medicaid or other insurance providers only in Massachusetts. This project advocated for the Illinois Medicaid program to support respite care for homeless clients, and to organize respite care providers across the nation in support of this issue.
Fellowship Successes
- Educated respite care centers across the country about Medicaid funding issues;
- Successfully advocated for respite funding by Medicaid to be added to the National Health Care for the Homeless Council’s advocacy agenda and position papers;
- Provided evidence of the effectiveness of respite care to advocates in Washington State in support of their successful effort to sustain Medicaid funding for respite care in Washington State;
- Submitted a policy brief to the Illinois governor’s transition team which lead to the inclusion of the recommendation for Medicaid funding for respite to be added to Medicaid Committee’s recommendations to the Governor;
- Met with the Regional Director for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to discuss funding strategies;
- Met with the Illinois Medicaid Director to discuss strategies for reimbursing Medicaid in Illinois.
