Medical respite care, also known as recuperative care, provides a range of essential services for people experiencing homelessness who are recovering from illness, injury, or hospitalization. These programs combine short-term housing with access to medical, behavioral, and other critical services, helping to interrupt cycles of homelessness and hospitalization. Evidence indicates medical respite care reduces the likelihood of future hospital visits and leads to lower overall patient costs. Medical respite care also serves as a bridge to interim and permanent housing and sustained connections to physical and behavioral health care providers.

Medical respite care was one of several services highlighted in November 2023 federal guidance on state options to address health-related social needs through Medicaid. Particularly in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, there is significant overlap between people eligible for Medicaid and those impacted by housing insecurity and homelessness. This policy development present a significant opportunity for medical respite providers to access more sustainable funding and for health plans and providers to directly connect more individuals to needed care. This Better Care Playbook Evidence Roundup explores emerging evidence on the effectiveness of medical respite care at improving key patient outcomes, as well as reducing hospital readmissions and emergency department visits.