Connecticut has already recognized community health workers as essential to improved health outcomes. The question now is whether the state will fully invest in what works.
Many people assume health is shaped mainly by doctor visits, exercise routines, nutritious eating, and medical care. But a person’s health is influenced by far more than what happens in a clinic. Research shows that the social drivers of health —where people grow, live, work, and play— play a significant role in determining health and well-being. If someone struggles with housing instability, food insecurity, or barriers to employment, their health suffers.
That was true for Luis (not his real name), who experienced severe stomach pain whenever he ate. With limited income and no health insurance, he couldn’t get medical care or afford nutritious food, and his health was worsening. That’s when a community health worker from Thames Valley Council for Community Action stepped in.
Luis’s community health worker worked with him to apply for health coverage through Access Health and for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Once approved, he was able to schedule diagnostic tests with a primary care provider to address his stomach pain. With support, Luis not only gained access to care and relief from pain but also found employment and now maintains both health coverage and food assistance —improving his overall health and stability.
Luis’s story illustrates why community health workers are so important. As trusted messengers in the community, they play a key role in not only facilitating access to care between underserved populations and health providers, but in addressing the “upstream” social drivers of health outcomes such as food, housing, education, and income that significantly impact health disparities. They are not an add-on to the healthcare system; they are an important part of the solution.
Community health workers also help ease the strain on the health care system and save the state money by reducing emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and nursing home admissions, with a return on investment of up to $4 for every $1 spent. Investing in community health workers is sound fiscal policy.
In 2023, Connecticut passed legislation authorizing Medicaid reimbursement for community health work services, enabling communities and providers to place community health workers in more neighborhoods, support more families, and make health care more cost-effective statewide.
Yet almost three years later, this legislation has yet to be implemented. The Connecticut Association for Community Action, Health Equity Solutions, Community Health Center Association of Connecticut, Southwestern AHEC Connecticut, and the Connecticut CHW Coalition urge the General Assembly and Gov. Ned Lamont to begin reimbursing for community health work services – which will only become more important as SNAP and Medicaid changes are put into place this year.
Community healthworkers are integral in helping to ensure everyone has the opportunity to reach their full health potential regardless of their circumstances. Let’s work together to invest in and support them in their work as they continue to advance health equity in our communities.
Rhonda Evans is the Executive Director of the Connecticut Association for Community Action, the state association for Connecticut’s nine Community Action Agencies serving low- and moderate-income people in all 169 cities and towns.