November 1, 2022
© 2022 – Don Gerdts. All rights reserved.
Social determinants of health (SDoH) are the conditions in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, and age — factors outside the confines of clinical delivery systems — which have a profound impact on health outcomes. These factors include food, shelter, transportation, health care, and social support, which have a direct impact on our ability to survive and thrive.
Social determinants of health can contribute to health disparities and inequities when there are challenges with regard to the accessibility and availability of nutritious food, safe housing, reliable transportation, and quality health care.
AmeriHealth Caritas makes a strong values statement that “promoting healthy choices and lifestyles is not enough to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations. We must address the socioeconomic conditions creating barriers to life-sustaining resources.”
Now, AmeriHealth Caritas is referring to SDoH as the Social Determinants of Life® (SDOL) and developing an entire strategy around addressing SDOL. AmeriHealth Caritas is implementing their SDOL strategy through screening for key social determinants of health and be creating a new company focused on addressing those needs.
As part of their standard member engagement, AmeriHealth Caritas screens for SDoH challenges, which allows them to quickly identify a member’s status as in crisis, vulnerable, or stable, and then take appropriate action, such as:
- Alerting our Community Care Management teams (CCMTs), including licensed nurses, licensed social workers, and Community Health Navigators, to assist members with complex care needs
- Making connections to local food banks or homeless shelters
- Coordinating transportation for health care visits
- Offering health literacy support
In addition, to continue addressing all of the social and environmental factors that can impact wellness and opportunity, AmeriHealth Caritas has created a new company: Social Determinants of Life, Inc. A wholly owned subsidiary of AmeriHealth Caritas, this company will invest in, support, and implement solutions to help people improve their life outcomes. Social Determinants of Life, Inc. has invested in neighborhood health programs and peer-to-peer social support networks by leading a Series B funding round for a company called WiderCircle.
Click here to learn more about AmeriHealth Caritas’ Social Determinants of Life strategy.
Next Steps
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic! What is the ideal role of managed care organizations in addressing social determinants of health? Should screening for and addressing key social determinants of health be part of essential health plan benefits and operations?
TripleAim Strategy Advisors can help stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem by providing insights and develop strategies to advance equitable, value-based care.
Contact us to discuss this important topic or see additional ways we can help!
