The HAVI Applauds New York’s Enactment of Legislation to Cover Violence Prevention Services Under Medicaid

October 18, 2023 — Today New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law legislation to ensure that violence prevention services are a covered benefit under the state’s Medicaid program. The legislation (S.580A/A.2893A) directs New York’s health commissioner to amend the state Medicaid plan to include coverage for community violence prevention services provided by a qualified violence prevention professional to any Medicaid beneficiary who has received medical treatment for an injury resulting from community violence.

The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI)—an organization that fosters a nationwide network of HVIPs—is proud to have worked alongside a broad coalition of groups to develop and secure passage of this important legislation. The HAVI applauds the New York State Legislature and Governor Hochul for their enactment of S.580A/A.2893A, which makes New York the seventh state in the nation—alongside California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Oregon, and Illinois—to ensure its Medicaid program serves as a sustainable funding source for violence intervention programs.

“This critical legislation will provide a stable source of funding for the state’s hospital-based violence intervention programs, which provide wraparound services to violently injured patients while they’re recovering from their injuries and are an essential component of a comprehensive community violence intervention ecosystem,” said Fatimah Loren Dreier, Executive Director of the HAVI. “The enactment of this law is an important step toward ensuring that individuals at the highest risk of violent reinjury can receive the trauma-informed care they need and the opportunity to thrive they deserve.”

Championed by the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI) for nearly 15 years, HVIPs and connected community-based organizations treat violence as a public health crisis. These programs provide services and support to the individuals at highest risk of violence in the most impacted communities, which are often communities of color that have endured longstanding disinvestment. This reality plays out clearly in New York, where homicide is the leading cause of death for young Black people ages 15-19.

The HAVI has been the driving force behind a growing movement to use Medicaid as a key funding component of the community violence intervention (CVI) ecosystem. In 2015, the HAVI secured recognition by the National Uniform Claim Committee for a new type of health care provider for violence intervention—the Violence Prevention Professional (VPP)—which created a pathway for VPPs to obtain reimbursement through traditional medical financing systems, including Medicaid. In 2021, through HAVI’s advocacy, the Biden-Harris Administration directed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to issue guidance on how states can use Medicaid to reimburse HVIP services.