The HAVI Praises New Executive Action Taken by Biden-Harris Administration to Address Gun Violence Crisis 

September 26, 2024 — Today, the Biden-Harris administration announced new executive actions to continue combating the gun violence epidemic in this country, including additional efforts to invest in and support community violence intervention (CVI) strategies and services, improve data collection on firearm injuries, and engage states on incorporating Medicaid benefits into violence prevention programs. The latter is the result of years of advocacy by the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI), which has been the driving force behind a growing movement to use Medicaid as a key source of funding for CVI strategies. 

In response to the newly announced executive actions, the HAVI issued the following statement from Executive Director Fatimah Loren Dreier: 

“The HAVI applauds the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to addressing the gun violence crisis through a public health approach, centering community violence intervention strategies that have a record of decreasing gun violence nationwide. We’re encouraged that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will take an active role with states to expand access to Medicaid reimbursement for critical violence intervention programs. The HAVI is proud to have played an important leadership role in making these reimbursements possible and we are eager to work with CMS as they conduct this outreach. 

“The administration's continued investment in CVI strategies through the Department of Justice’s Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) will make a difference for countless CVI organizations and leaders across the country, ultimately making communities safer and reducing incidents of gun violence from coast to coast. 

“The HAVI has also been a vocal advocate of engaging with health systems and health departments to improve data on gun deaths and injuries at a local level. We commend the Biden-Harris administration for working to improve this data collection to evaluate the effectiveness of programming and enhance identification of individuals at the highest risk of exposure to gun violence so they can receive needed support. 

Championed by the HAVI for nearly 15 years, HVIPs provide services and support to the individuals at the highest risk of violence in the most impacted communities, which are often communities of color that have endured long standing disinvestment. We commend the Biden-Harris administration for working to proactively promote Medicaid reimbursement for CVI work and ensuring this critical initiative has continued investment and ongoing support.  

The HAVI has long advocated for Medicaid reimbursement for critical violence intervention services, such as those provided by HVIPs. In 2015, the HAVI secured recognition by the National Uniform Claim Committee for a new type of health care provider for violence intervention—the Violence Prevention Professional (VPP)—which created a pathway for VPPs to obtain reimbursement through traditional medical financing systems, including Medicaid. In 2021, through the HAVI’s advocacy, the Biden-Harris administration directed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to clarify how states can use Medicaid to reimburse HVIP and other CVI services. As of 2024, eight states have created Medicaid benefits to support violence intervention services — California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, and Oregon. 

Visit the HAVI’s State Medicaid Resource Technical Hub (CVI SMART Hub) to learn more about the current status of Medicaid funding for violence prevention efforts nationwide, including how states have added VPP services to their existing Medicaid benefits packages as well as details on patient eligibility, reimbursement rates, and more.