Positively impacting social determinants of health: How safety net health plans lead the way
Association for Community Affiliated Plans
This report seeks to follow the five key areas of social determinants as outlined by Healthy People 2020, an initiative by the Department of Health and Human Services. These areas include neighborhood and built environment, economic stability, education, food security, social and community context, as well as health and health care. Medicaid health plans inherently provide the health and health care aspect of social determinants in ensuring access to comprehensive primary care and other health services. This report describes programs in which ACAP health plans are innovatively and positively impacting the other key areas of social determinants to improve health outcomes. Despite operating within fiscal constraints-and including a need for the state to achieve net Medicaid savings through their partnership with each Medicaid health plan-the ACAP plans have demonstrated a commitment and ability to innovate in the social determinants arena.
The Menges Group. Positively Impacting Social Determinants of Health: How Safety Net Health Plans Lead the Way. Washington, DC: Association for Community Affiliated Plans; 2014. Available online.