Through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 6|18 Initiative, the Rhode Island’s Department of Health and Medicaid agency are partnering to obtain Medicaid reimbursement for the Home Asthma Response Program (HARP). Established in 2010 by the state’s Department of Health in partnership with Hasbro Children’s Hospital and Saint Joseph’s Health Center, HARP is an evidence-based intervention designed to reduce preventable asthma emergency department visits and hospitalizations among high-risk children. Eligible families receive three home-based sessions with an asthma educator and community health worker to: (1) assess asthma knowledge and trigger exposure; (2) provide intensive asthma self-management education; (3) deliver supplies to reduce home asthma triggers; and (4) improve quality and experience of care.
This profile highlights Rhode Island’s work to demonstrate HARP’s effectiveness at improving pediatric asthma outcomes, as well as make the case to Medicaid leadership to reimburse HARP providers.