Community Health Workers Bridging the Gap: Connecting Medicaid Members with Providers, Managed Care, and Community-Based Organizations

CHWs as MCO staff embedded in communities could help improve its members' health care continuity, care coordination, and HRSN access. Our study demonstrates that CHWs are instrumental in bridging the gap between different systems for Medicaid MCO members. They play a crucial role in connecting the members to primary care providers, specialists, prescription drugs, MCO benefits, case management, and addressing their HRSN such as food, childcare, and housing. Future research should focus on program effectiveness by measuring member experience, health care utilization, health outcomes, and costs in Medicaid managed care settings.