Medicaid provides health care coverage for families and disabled individuals who lack the financial resources needed to participate in America’s health care system. The program is vital to the provision of homeless health care services. In 2007, 22% of patients receiving care at Health Care for the Homeless Health Centers were insured through Medicaid (HRSA, 2008). It is the largest source of third-party payments to community health centers accounting for over one-third of their operating revenue as well as the largest source of public funding for mental health care (KFF, 2009).

This toolkit provides you with the resources to better understand the Medicaid program and how it can be used to cover the health care needs of people who are homeless.