Health-Related social needs in Medicaid: State checklist for screening

State Medicaid agencies increasingly recognize the importance of addressing health-related social needs (HRSN) to improve health outcomes and advance health equity for their members. Social needs screening and follow-up are crucial for identifying and responding to unmet HRSN and are often critical components of broader state-level health equity strategies. Screenings can promote individual- and population-level health by connecting enrollees to resources, enhancing care quality, integrating social services with health care, and providing insights into community needs.

This tool, developed by the Center for Health Care Strategies in partnership with HealthBegins and the Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network, outlines decision points for developing or improving screening policies and provides state examples to illustrate implementation. These approaches can help state Medicaid agencies advance social needs screening policies and programs. The insights offered within the tool are informed by the experience of states participating in the Medicaid Health-Related Social Needs Implementation Learning Series, made possible by Kaiser Permanente through its National Community Benefit Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation.