Healthier United cheers North Carolina lawmakers for restoring some funding for the Healthy Opportunities Pilot in their new state budget.

The Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) is a common-sense investment in people’s health across North Carolina, especially in rural areas.

The new state budget passing today allocates $9 million in state funding this year, paired with $16 million in federal Medicaid dollars (see pages 152 and 158) to connect people with healthy food, safer housing (including mold remediation that improves the air they breathe) and transportation to medical appointments. These aren’t traditionally considered “health care," but they shape health. Overall, social determinants of health drive an estimated 80% of a person’s health outcomes.

The return on investment is real, and it's growing. One study found HOP lowered health care costs by $1,000 per participant per year. A more recent study found even greater savings - $1,968 per participant per year. 

"We fought to restore funding for HOP because it addresses something obvious: the conditions people live in shape their health, and improving those conditions improves their health," said Kate Stigberg, Chief of Staff at Healthier United. "This funding is temporary, and not enough to power the program to its full potential, but this is an excellent start to delivering health and value for North Carolina taxpayers.”

Legislative budget writers and key health leaders made a great case for HOP this week, and we appreciate their work to partially restore the program:

"The data are clear: when we address the real-life challenges that affect health, we achieve better outcomes and reduce costs. The Health Opportunities Program is delivering measurable results for North Carolina residents " - Senator Ralph Hise (R - District 47)

"This budget investment ensures North Carolina can continue supporting the Health Opportunities Program in a fiscally responsible way, helping address the underlying factors that improve health outcomes, strengthen communities, and make better use of taxpayer dollars" - Representative Donny Lambeth (R- District 75)

“The Health Opportunities Program is proving that investing in people’s basic needs - like healthy food, safe housing, and reliable transportation - can improve health outcomes while making our healthcare system more effective. This budget investment reflects our commitment to building healthier communities across North Carolina” - Senator Gale Adcock (D - District 16)