Social determinants of health (SDOH) have been talked about for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has proved beyond a doubt how powerfully they impact patient outcomes. Data shows that socioeconomically disadvantaged populations globally are over-represented among COVID-19 cases and deaths. Yet, such data may only be the tip of the iceberg. Over the past 18 months, the…
Many healthcare workers experience social determinants of health, with new data published in Health Affairs particularly outlining disparities in food insecurity between healthcare support staff and clinical staff. Although food insecurity is lower among the total healthcare worker population than the rest of the United States, healthcare support staff are significantly more likely to experience food insecurity…
Decades in the making, the transition to value-based care may soon be complete. In June, Liz Fowler, the new deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and director of its Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), suggested that CMS may soon require providers to be reimbursed based on patient outcomes. This…
The uncertainty and risk created by pandemic-related disruptions in care have health plans in uncharted water when it comes to relying on claims data and utilization patterns to inform their risk models. But while these disruptions weakened the reliability of traditional risk models, they also created opportunities to deepen and enrich member data by leveraging…
The fast-spreading Delta variant is the dominant strain of a virus many had hoped would be eradicated by now. COVID-19’s Delta variant was first identified in India in December of 2020. Now Delta accounts for 97 percent of new infections in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The growing impact of Delta…
For South Texas Physician’s Alliance, social determinants of health referral has been a learning experience. The organization, which has joined providers across the country in efforts to address social determinants of health, knew the best solution was connecting patients to social services providers. A patient presenting with food insecurity needs a referral to a food…
Is it possible for disparities between population cohorts to be overcome or neutralized through technology? I believe the answer is yes. Over the past year, COVID-19 has magnified the gaps in healthcare on a large scale. We see this in higher rates of the virus in people of color, through the access or lack thereof…
Value-based care is now firmly entrenched in our healthcare system. Payers credit value-based care with lowering costs, improved outcomes, enhanced payer/provider relationships, and improved patient engagement. With the growth of value-based care models, a trend gaining traction is the transition from treatment at a provider’s site to a patient’s home. This shift to home and…
The number of Medicare Advantage plans investing in supplemental benefits to address social determinants of health tripled in a single year, but additional guidance and standards from the Biden administration are needed, a new report said. The report, released Thursday by the Better Medicare Alliance, comes as the Biden administration has made it a priority…
Extensive research and the pandemic have elevated the importance of addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) to improve health and reduce longstanding disparities in health and health care.1 Social determinants of health include factors like socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood and physical environment, employment, and social support networks, as well as access to health care. Prior…