163% average annual Medicaid ROI
Since 2017, the National Office has conducted multiple return on investment (ROI) analyses in partnership with Manatt Health at state, health system, and site levels with well-established and new sites.
HealthySteps has a strong commitment to serving children with Medicaid health coverage and explicitly targets areas of health inequity. Due to the program’s ability to impact both child and caregiver health trajectories, HealthySteps drives significant Medicaid cost savings, even when evaluated against a short-term (12-month) horizon.
For every $1 invested in HealthySteps, an estimated $2.63 in annual savings is realized by state Medicaid agencies.
Child-focused interventions
- Oral health
- Asthma*
- Appropriate use of care for ambulatory sensitive conditions
- Flu vaccine
*Recently added cost savings intervention; not captured in the 163% ROI calculation
Adult-focused interventions
- Breastfeeding
- Postpartum maternal depression
- Intimate partner violence
- Healthy birth spacing
- Smoking cessation
Explore our ROI calculator
HealthySteps sites can easily determine their annual savings to Medicaid.
Long-Term Cost Savings Across Sectors
PHYSICAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Direct relationship between the number of adverse childhood events (ACEs) and the likelihood of having heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions
SCHOOL READINESS AND EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Strongly linked to healthy social and emotional development, and for children who experience ACEs, school readiness and educational attainment are often negatively impacted
JUVENILE JUSTICE INVOLVEMENT
ACEs contribute to juvenile delinquency, increasing children’s risk of juvenile arrests and felony charges
STATE SPENDING
Failing to address infant and childhood mental health disorders in early childhood increases the need for intervention across multiple state programs over the life of a child and into adulthood
