Health Insurance & Medical Costs · Surprise rank #360
Get Medicaid to Pay for Food, Housing and Transportation Problems—Not Just Doctors
Social Care Networks screen eligible Medicaid members for funded assistance with certain health-related social needs.
Who
Medicaid members in eligible populations and regions who meet service-specific criteria.
Where: Statewide through regional networks, including NYC and Long Island.
What to do
Start here: Ask the Medicaid plan or regional Social Care Network for a health-related social-needs screening.
Eligibility: Medicaid enrollment, regional network and service-specific screening criteria.
What you get
Eligible Medicaid members can be screened and connected to funded help for health-related social needs such as food, housing and transportation.
Benefit: Navigation and, when criteria are met, covered social-care services through regional networks.
Possible value: Varies; can prevent food, housing or transportation crises and reduce substantial household costs.
Good to know
Important: A referral is not a guarantee of every service; benefits are targeted and depend on eligibility and network capacity.
Availability: Rolling; current regional implementation.
Why people miss it: It is a new Medicaid delivery system and many members do not know nonmedical help can be covered.
Sources reviewed: Aug 2, 2026