The role of Medicaid in addressing social drivers of health: MCO community investment requirements

Increasingly, states are using their Medicaid managed care (MMC) contracts to define the role Medicaid and Medicaid managed care plans can play in addressing unmet social needs and promote a “whole person” approach to care. A few leading states are leveraging contracts with Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) to require health plan investment into the community being served. This article describes the context for these requirements and sample approaches for state Medicaid agencies to integrate community investment strategies into MMC contracts.