Community health workers (CHWs), also referred to as community health representatives, promotores, and peer navigators, bridge health and social care by performing roles such as care coordination, care transitions support, and connection to social services. CHWs often share life experiences with the communities they serve, which helps them to understand and help to address health-related social needs.

CHW programs have been funded through a range of sources that vary widely by state and region, including grants and reimbursement for services, with approximately half of states financing CHW services through Medicaid. Recent Medicare billing and coding changes, however, create a new financing mechanism for CHW programs that serve Medicare enrollees and offer a new potential pathway to establish and sustain these programs.

This Better Care Playbook Evidence Roundup can support states and health plans focused on engaging and sustaining the CHW workforce can use this blog post to understand emerging evidence around CHW programs for older adults. It includes resources and implementation tools that can benefit those interested in supporting CHW programs.