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Incentives & Enablers

Incentives & Enablers

‘Incentives and enablers’ (IEs) are small patient supports that can be used by Local Health Departments to incentivize treatment participation and completion in tuberculosis (TB) patients, or to address barriers to treatment and contact investigation. 

All requests must come from Local Health Departments (LHDs), and be for specific patients. Requests from individuals not affiliated with a health department will not be considered. Patients with active TB disease and drug-resistant forms of TB will be prioritized over individuals with latent TB infection (LTBI). 

Support is available in the following forms: 

Gift cards 
Requests for cash equivalent gift cards (such as visa), or for restaurants that serve alcohol, cannot be approved. 

Housing

  • Housing support is available for the infectious period, or for one month, whichever is longer.
  • Funds cannot be used to pay for expenses incurred prior to diagnosis, late fees, damages, cleaning, room service, or incidentals. MDHHS is tax exempt, and cannot cover hotel/motel room taxes. 
  • LHD will ensure patient understands housing support is contingent on treatment adherence. 
  • Coverage of daily housing in hotels/motels cannot exceed DTMB travel rates. 
  • Patients with established housing can be covered at cost. Those without existing housing being housed in a rental cannot exceed HUD fair market value. 

Support for Social Needs (available by reimbursement only) 
If a patient’s social needs expenses (e.g., utilities) are barriers to treatment or isolation, the local health department can cover these expenses for the patient and then be reimbursed by the MDHHS TB Program. Pre-approval is required. LHDs will be asked to provide a dated, itemized invoice in the patient’s name, explain how the request is related to the patient’s TB treatment, and indicate how they have attempted to meet this need prior to requesting IE funds. 

The MDHHS TB program is supported by federal funds and must be the payer of last resort. IE support cannot be used to cover medical expenses or clear outstanding balances.

 

To request IE support for a TB patient in your care, use the I & E Form. For more information on how incentives and enablers are used in TB management, use the Using Incentives & Enablers for TB Case Management Guide.