In this article, the authors suggest that by setting clear health equity objectives, disaggregating data by REAL, and implementing strategies informed by social context, we may prevent or lessen health inequities and be better positioned to address the underlying contributors to health that require more equitable infrastructure and broad changes in policies.
In the decade leading up to 2030, it will be important for health educators and other public health professionals to overcome the limitations of the ways well-being is incorporated in Healthy People 2030 to bring this broader focus on well-being to policy and programs to improve the nation’s health.
In this commentary, researchers use syndemics to explain why Black men in the United States are dying disproportionately from COVID-19 and to guide a framework for efforts to mitigate their risk of dying from COVID-19.
Researchers examined how partnerships between Medicaid Medicaid managed care organizations and community-based organizations to address social determinants of health have been affected by the pandemic. Several themes emerged, including substantial increases in enrollees’ unmet needs and the demand to find new ways to be responsive, changing funding patterns, disruptions to and evolving modes of communication, and shifting partner relationships. In virtually all areas of impact, COVID-19 has been associated with both negative and positive change.
As states consider expanding or creating health programs that address social needs, this analysis of North Carolina’s COVID-19 Support Services offers considerations such as building the capacity of community-based human service organizations, creating feedback channels for all providers, and more.
This Data Note examines the extent of community health center involvement in systematic efforts to screen patients for the presence of social determinants of health and concludes that targeted grant support and Medicaid performance investments for the costs associated with social risk screening and reporting are needed for universal engagement by community health centers.
Collectively, regulatory pressures, organizational strategy, and market forces influenced Medicaid Managed Care Organization’s efforts to address social determinants of health, leading to a normalization of their role in addressing members' social needs within a medical paradigm.
This national study of the roles and activities of community health workers supported by Medicaid Managed Care Organizations finds that community health workers employed by Managed Care Organizations reported receiving significantly more training and benefits from their employers than community health workers who were contracted through other organizations.
Overall, community health workers roles in Medicaid Managed Care Organizations appear to focus on supporting clinical care and making referrals for social issues, rather than addressing community-level concerns, according to these national, cross-sectional survey results.
This analysis of a rural community’s efforts to address the health and social needs of its low-income residents found that Medicaid members faced resource challenges, including insufficient affordable housing and limited numbers of bilingual providers and behavioral health providers.