SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Housing Alignment 
and Coordination of Critical and Effective Supportive 
health Services Act’’ or the ‘‘Housing ACCESS Act’’. 
SEC. 2. GUIDANCE TO STATES ON CONNECTING MEDICAID 
BENEFICIARIES 
WITH 
HOUSING-RELATED 
SERVICES AND SUPPORTS AND OTHER HOUS-
ING RESOURCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretary 
of Housing and Urban Development and the Secretary of 
Treasury, shall issue guidance to State Medicaid agencies, 
public housing agencies, Continuums of Care, and housing 
finance agencies to connect individuals who are receiving 
medical assistance under a State Medicaid program to 
Medicaid housing-related services and supports and other 
housing resources in an integrated manner. 
(b) REQUIRED INFORMATION.—The guidance issued 
pursuant to subsection (a) shall include information on— 
(1) simplifying health care services for housing 
and homelessness service providers and simplifying 
housing support services for health care service pro-
viders to understand the respective sectors; 
(2) developing a memorandum of understanding 
between State Medicaid agencies, public housing 
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agencies, Continuums of Care, and housing finance 
agencies that— 
(A) coordinates housing-related services 
and supports provided under a State Medicaid 
program with other housing resources by align-
ing— 
(i) eligibility criteria; 
(ii) eligibility determination processes; 
and 
(iii) 
outcome 
measures, 
including 
housing stability and health outcomes 
disaggregated by race; 
(B) encourages providers of housing-re-
lated services and supports to seek reimburse-
ment for such services and supports through 
the State Medicaid program, including by— 
(i) explaining how such providers may 
receive such reimbursement; 
(ii) helping such providers understand 
the eligibility determination process for 
housing-related services and supports of-
fered under the State Medicaid program; 
and 
(iii) providing guidance with respect 
to tracking common outcome measures, in-
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cluding housing stability and health out-
comes disaggregated by race; and 
(3) existing authorities under which a State 
Medicaid program may make Federal funds available 
to providers of housing-related services and supports 
to build information technology and financial sys-
tems and establish adequate infrastructure and 
staffing levels to seek Medicaid reimbursement. 
(c) REPORTING.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development and the Secretary of 
Treasury, shall submit a report to Congress that in-
cludes— 
(1) information on the progress of State Med-
icaid agencies, public housing agencies, Continuums 
of Care, and housing finance agencies in aligning eli-
gibility criteria, eligibility determination processes, 
and outcome tracking; 
(2) information on the adoption by such agen-
cies and Continuums of Care of recommendations 
made in the guidance issued pursuant to subsection 
(a); and 
(3) feedback from States on such guidance and 
challenges faced by States in connecting individuals 
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receiving medical assistance under a State Medicaid 
program with housing-related services and supports 
and other housing resources. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) CONTINUUM
OF
CARE.—The term ‘‘Con-
tinuum of Care’’ has the meaning given such term 
in section 578.3 of title 24, Code of Federal Regula-
tions. 
(2) STATE
MEDICAID
PROGRAM.—The term 
‘‘State Medicaid program’’ means a State plan for 
medical assistance under title XIX of the Social Se-
curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.), and includes 
any waiver of such a plan. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL RATE STUDY ON THE COST OF HOUSING- 
RELATED SERVICES AND SUPPORTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall conduct a national rate study on the cost 
of housing-related services and supports to determine ap-
propriate rates for such services and supports that will 
allow providers of such services and supports to pay living 
wages, reduce staff turnover, and ensure a maximum case 
manager-to-client ratio of 1:15 in alignment with the evi-
dence-base for strong supportive housing outcomes. Such 
study shall include an analysis of reimbursement rates for 
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services provided by certified community behavioral health 
clinics (as such term is used in section 223 of the Pro-
tecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (42 U.S.C. 1396a 
note)) and Federally-qualified health centers (as defined 
in section 1905(l)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1396d(l)(2)(B))) that promote integrated care, 
which may include, but is not limited to, housing-related 
supports and services, and serve people with complex con-
ditions. 
(b) PUBLICATION.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish 
the results of the study conducted under this section as 
guidance to State Medicaid agencies. 
Æ 
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