Want to Improve the Health of Medicare/Medicaid Members? Meet Their Socioeconomic Needs | Deloitte US has been saved
By Sarah Thomas, managing director, Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, Deloitte Services LP
Consumers are driving change across all industries, and health care is no exception. To keep up, many health plans and health systems are looking beyond the immediate health needs of their members and patients and are taking steps to address issues related to where they work, where they live, what they eat, how they get around, and other factors that can affect their health. Health care organizations that understand how social determinants of health (SDoH) affect consumers could gain an advantage over their competitors—especially when competing for Medicaid contracts—while also working to drive down health care spending and improving the health of individuals and their communities.
A focus on SDoH can help health plans and health systems become proactive (rather than reactive) when serving their members and patients. Screening and directing people to community resources is where many health plans (and health systems for that matter) are starting. But some are figuring out ways to offer services. A Medicaid managed care plan, for example, could create a low-cost meal service that delivers healthy food to its members with diabetes. A local hospital might connect its elderly patients to ride-sharing services to ensure they don’t miss important appointments, or to prevent them from relying on ambulances for non-emergency care.
Work on SDoH has evolved a lot in just two years
It has been two years since we surveyed hospitals to find out how they were identifying and reaching out to people who could benefit from services that connect them to housing, healthy food options, and reliable transportation. This year, we interviewed executives and leaders from 14 managed care organizations and Medicare Advantage plans to learn what they were doing to address social needs among their Medicaid and Medicare members. We also interviewed leaders from four states to find out how they are supporting SDoH efforts.
Since we published our first SDoH paper, a number of startups and technology vendors have emerged to help health systems and health plans identify people who could benefit from SDoH services and/or help connect them to a network of service providers, and then evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions. Meanwhile, the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), along with some advocacy groups, are offering new tools to screen for SDoH. For example:
Some states require SDoH for Medicaid participation
While a growing number of states are using Medicaid Section 1115 waivers to implement work requirements, that same waiver authority can be used to address a wide range of social needs for Medicaid beneficiaries. States also could add SDoH requirements to their requests for proposal. Massachusetts, for example, now requires accountable care organizations (ACOs) to screen for SDoH needs and measure their performance on a host of related quality measures. Under the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program (a mechanism within the broader 1115 waiver), Massachusetts covers services related to housing and nutrition for Medicaid members who meet its health needs-based criteria.
Similarly, North Carolina requires contracted Medicaid managed care plans to screen all members to assess SDoH needs (e.g., food insecurity, lack of stable housing and transportation, and exposure to interpersonal violence). Health plans are required to connect those members to resources in the community that can provide help. The state is implementing a multi-directional, cloud-based resource and referral platform to help connect health and community resource providers, and to evaluate how addressing social determinants can reduce costs and improve health.
While technology is making it possible to extend the reach of community services to the people who need them, some health care organizations are working to overcome two significant hurdles:
Four elements health plans should consider including in their SDoH efforts
According to our interviews, health plans are using the following strategies to address the social needs of their Medicare and Medicaid members:
What’s next?
Most health plan executives told us that when it comes to SDoH interventions, they are still learning. However, they know that now is the time to experiment with new approaches that can contribute to the SDoH evidence base and hone their business cases. Some are considering experimenting with technologies—such as mobile apps and virtual care—while maintaining one-on-one support programs for high-need and high-risk members. Many executives said they are interested in adopting data platforms to share information and evaluate interventions more easily. But they also agree that they need to overcome significant technological and operational challenges before they can get there.
As SDoH innovation and maturity continues, health care stakeholders should continue to coordinate efforts, keep abreast of new evidence and tools to incorporate into programs, and ensure that SDoH efforts remain patient-centered and integrated into patient care. Two years from now, I hope that we have great evidence that guides more investment into this important area.
Endnotes
1. US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), The Accountable Health Communities Health-Related Social Needs Screening Tool
2. National Association of Community Health Centers, Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks, and Experiences (PRAPARE)
3. “Standardizing Social Determinants of Health Assessments,” Health Affairs Blog, March 18, 2019