A BILL to direct the Department of Medical Assistance Services to evaluate and report on a statewide strategy for integrating certified community health workers into Medicaid managed care and related health and human services programs; report.
HB337 directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), working with several other state agencies, to study and recommend a statewide strategy for integrating certified community health workers into Medicaid managed care and related health and human services programs. The bill requires DMAS to examine whether Virginia should adopt Medicaid reimbursement for community health worker services, whether managed care organizations should be required to include community health workers in care coordination, and how these workers could support chronic disease management, behavioral health, aging services, disability services, and navigation of social needs.
The bill also asks DMAS to evaluate workforce pathways for training community health workers, including opportunities for Medicaid and SNAP recipients who may be subject to work or community engagement requirements. In addition, DMAS must assess how community health workers could help improve eligibility accuracy, reduce coverage churn, and assist high-need Medicaid populations, such as people with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, disabilities, chronic conditions, or complex social needs. A report with findings and any recommended statutory or regulatory changes is due by December 1, 2026.
HB337 does not itself change Medicaid eligibility, reimbursement, or managed care requirements, but it would require DMAS to conduct a formal policy evaluation and deliver recommendations that could lead to future legislative or regulatory action. The bill would affect DMAS and partner agencies, including the Department of Health, Department of Social Services, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, Virginia Works, the Virginia Community College System, and the Department of Education, as well as Medicaid managed care organizations and community health worker stakeholders.
The available record suggests generally supportive or exploratory sentiment, as the bill is framed as a study and reporting measure rather than an immediate mandate. There are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided materials, and the bill was left in the Committee on Rules, indicating it did not advance from that stage. The absence of recorded opposition in the materials makes it difficult to identify a formal debate, but the bill’s focus on care coordination, workforce development, and access to services suggests a policy interest in expanding community-based support within Medicaid.
The main policy questions raised by the bill are whether Virginia should create Medicaid reimbursement for community health worker services, whether managed care plans should be required to embed certified community health workers, and how such a program would be financed and administered. Potential points of contention include fiscal impact, the scope of managed care mandates, and the interaction between community health worker training pathways and federal work or documentation requirements for Medicaid and SNAP recipients. Stakeholders likely to have differing views include DMAS, Medicaid managed care organizations, workforce and education agencies, and community health worker advocates.