Social risk factor screening in Medicaid Managed Care

The past two years have seen a sharp increase in state Medicaid program interest in how social determinants of health (SDOH) influence Medicaid enrollee health status and spending. This brief provides an introduction to the first step most states are taking in response through their Medicaid managed care programs—screening members for social risk factors (SRFs). It explains why Medicaid managed care members should be screened for SRFs, identifies screening design decisions, identifies common SRFs, and reviews options for screening tool selection.

As a companion to this issue brief, State Health and Value Strategies is hosting a webinar series that will profile the findings from this issue brief, and a second issue brief Developing a Social Risk Factor Screening Measure.