To tackle the gun violence problem, more states are allowing Medicaid dollars to fund community-based violence programs intended to stop shootings, KFF Health News reports. The idea is to boost resources for prevention efforts, which have been overwhelmed in some cities by a spike in violent crime since the COVID-19 pandemic. An infusion of reliable funding, advocates say, could allow nonprofits to expand their reach to more residents most at risk of being shot, or of shooting someone. That’s the plan in Chicago, where Arne Duncan, the former U.S. education secretary, leads the violence prevention group Chicago CRED. “We’re trying to build a public health infrastructure to combat gun violence,” Duncan said. “Having Medicaid start to be a player in this space and create those opportunities could be a game changer.” In 2020, many cities confronted a rise in shootings and homicides after officials responding to the pandemic shut down schools, businesses, and critical social services. While the pandemic has receded, gun violence has surged in some cities. Gun ownership is at a historic high in the U.S., which is estimated to have more guns than people.
Gun violence brings a hefty price tag. Studies from the Government Accountability Office and Harvard Medical School have shown that the total cost of caring for gunshot survivors ranges from $1 billion in initial treatments to $2.5 billion over 12 months. It’s not only gunshot victims who need medical help. “The patients that we see, there’s a lot of grief. Parents losing their children, grandparents losing their grandchildren. That impacts people’s health tremendously,” said Noha Aboelata, founding CEO of Roots Community Health Center in Oakland, Calif.. “Entire neighborhoods have ongoing stress and trauma.” With new gun-control legislation stalled in Congress, the Biden administration has opened up federal Medicaid dollars to violence prevention. The process to unlock the funding has been lengthy, and it’s unclear how much money will ultimately be spent on these programs. Because Medicaid is a state-federal program intended to provide health care for low-income residents, states must approve spending the money on violence prevention. So far, only California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Oregon have passed laws. “Medicaid is reliable,” said Kyle Fischer of The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention. “If you’re doing the work, you’re qualified for it, and you are taking care of patients. You get reimbursed for the work that you do.”