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Maine - Housing Stabilization — Licensing, Medicaid Enrollment and Startup Requirements

Last reviewed: 2026-09-10

Maine funds tenancy support and housing search through Housing Outreach and Member Engagement (HOME) Services under MaineCare Benefits Manual Chapter II, Section 91. Providers must submit a specialized HOME Provider Application to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) before initiating MaineCare enrollment.

Approval mandates a multi-disciplinary team-based model of care, requiring agencies to employ or contract specific roles including a Housing Navigator and a Clinical Supervisor. Applicants are structurally gated by the requirement to possess an operational Electronic Health Record (EHR) system capable of connecting to a Department-designated Health Information Exchange (HIE).

1. Service Definition and Scope

HOME services provide tenancy support, housing search, landlord mediation, and retention planning to MaineCare members experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The service utilizes a multi-disciplinary team approach to address social determinants of health and maintain stable housing.

The model requires coordinated interventions that span from initial housing transition assistance to ongoing tenancy sustaining services.

2. Regulatory and Oversight Agencies

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) oversees HOME services through two primary offices. The Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) manages programmatic approval and waiver operations, while the Office of MaineCare Services (OMS) handles provider enrollment and billing.

The Division of Licensing and Certification (DLC) oversees facility and agency-level compliance where applicable.

3. Gatekeeping Prerequisites: Who Can Even Apply

Maine restricts HOME service enrollment to agencies that can demonstrate existing infrastructure for team-based care and health information exchange. Standalone independent practitioners cannot enroll to provide this service.

Agencies must pass a programmatic readiness review before the state will process a Medicaid enrollment application.

4. Licensure and Certification Requirements

Maine does not issue a distinct Housing Stabilization License. Instead, agencies must be approved as a HOME Provider by DHHS and ensure their individual team members hold the appropriate professional licenses or state certifications.

Each required role on the multi-disciplinary team must meet specific credentialing standards set by the state.

5. Medicaid Provider Enrollment

After receiving DHHS programmatic approval, agencies enroll through the MaineCare Health PAS-OnLine portal. The Office of MaineCare Services (OMS) Provider Enrollment unit completes the final verification.

Enrollment requires submission of the agency's NPI, taxonomy codes, and proof of DHHS approval.

6. Staffing, Training and Background Checks

The HOME team-based model requires specific qualifications for each role. Direct care workers and navigators must complete state-approved curricula and pass comprehensive background checks.

Agencies must maintain documentation of all staff credentials and training completions.

7. Documentation, Policies and Records

Providers must maintain comprehensive policies detailing their team-based care model, grievance procedures, and electronic data sharing. Member records must be kept in the required EHR system.

Service plans must clearly link housing interventions to the member's assessed needs.

8. Billing, Rates and Claims

HOME services are billed to MaineCare using specific HCPCS codes outlined in the Section 91 fee schedule. Claims are submitted electronically through the Health PAS-OnLine portal.

Providers must adhere to strict service limits and caps as defined in the waiver appendices.

9. Approval Sequence and Timeline

The approval process is sequential, starting with team formation and EHR implementation, followed by the DHHS HOME application, and concluding with MaineCare enrollment.

Agencies cannot bill for services provided prior to the official MaineCare enrollment effective date.

10. Common Denials and Survey Findings

Applications are frequently rejected if the agency fails to demonstrate a fully staffed multi-disciplinary team or lacks the required EHR infrastructure. Post-enrollment audits often target documentation gaps.

Surveyors closely examine the linkage between billed tenancy support time and the corresponding progress notes in the EHR.

11. Key Contacts and Resources

Providers should utilize the official DHHS portals and resource pages for the most current application forms, fee schedules, and policy manuals.

The MaineCare Benefits Manual is the definitive source for service rules and billing guidelines.

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