Kevin Mowll’s Post

Today, millions of Americans grapple with critical material hardships, such as food insecurity and unstable housing, which significantly impact their health. However, social service organizations and nonprofits currently reach only a fraction of those in need. For many, the path to essential resources remains obscured, leaving them to navigate crises independently. These unmet health-related social needs constitute a significant portion of an individual's overall health outcomes. Our recent blog post delves into how states are using Medicaid to bridge this gap, providing innovative solutions to connect health and human services more effectively. https://lnkd.in/dWyQr9sw

🏘️ How Medical Practices Are Responding to New Incentives to Meet Patients’ Social Needs The Affordable Care Act’s expansion of Medicaid eligibility to more Americans offers a once-in-a generation opportunity for understanding how poverty and other social risk factors shape a patient's health. The expansion enabled states to begin tying information about social risks like food and housing insecurity to the medical records of some 18 million newly insured people. With vastly different levels of investment, both Massachusetts and Minnesota have made strides in bridging the health and social sectors to achieve better health outcomes at lower costs. In our new feature story, Sarah Klein explores the approaches each state has taken and the impact they’ve had so far. Read about the keys to effectively evaluating patients for their needs, why social psychology matters, and the importance of offering well-defined benefits.

We're excited to share novel findings relating small-area social deprivation and Medicare hospital readmission in an AJMC - The American Journal of Managed Care article featuring the outstanding work of CVP’s Wei Chien and Cal Zemelman alongside esteemed co-authors Andrey Ostrovsky, MD, FAAP, Bob Phillips, MD MSPH, Andrew Bazemore, and Lauren Winstead. Bottom line: Fine-tuning policy and payment according to the Robert Graham Center Social Deprivation Index (SDI)—which quantifies area-level social deprivation—could help reduce hospital readmissions while advancing more equitable health outcomes. Read Association Between Social Deprivation, Race/Ethnicity, and Unplanned 30-Day Hospital Readmissions for Medicare Beneficiaries @ https://lnkd.in/euN52dJH #HealthcareInnovation #SocialDeterminantsOfHealth #CVPCorpPride #AJMCPublication #TeamExcellence #SDI #NextStartsNow

Yesterday with Louise Marshall and Jo Bibby at The Health Foundation, we published a new briefing outlining how prevention can help build a thriving society. Life expectancy gains have stalled and inequalities are widening. More people than ever before are out of work due to ill health and increasing pressures on public services. In this new briefing, we set out a policy roadmap bringing together a range of Health Foundation work over recent years that together can put health and prevention at the heart of government. This includes: - setting an ambitious goal to improve health and narrow inequalities which is independently monitored and where funding mechanisms incentivise long term policy making. - implement a cross-gov strategy to improve the building blocks of health, including reform of welfare and housing policy. - take population level action on the leading risk factors for health, include bold use of tax and regulation on alcohol, unhealthy food and tobacco. - enable and support approaches led by local government and combined authorities, including providing sufficient and sustainable funding that’s allocated fairly based on local needs. - Reorient health services to prevention, both in terms of services provided and their role as anchor organisations. All the detail, including specific policy asks and links to a wide range of related work, can be found here. Really hope you enjoy it. 👇👇👇 https://lnkd.in/eM5SEff7

Did you know addressing housing instability helps improves suboptimal healthcare utilization? Research shows stable housing prevents unnecessary ED admissions and leads to greater health and well-being. It’s exciting to see organizations like CVS Health commit to improving housing conditions in their communities. Taking a close look at the social determinants of health and how they affect health outcomes is essential for meaningful, long-term change in healthcare. Read more: https://hubs.la/Q02nm_Bs0 #SDoH #HealthEquity

ICYMI: CHCS shares - Using In Lieu of Services to Address Health-Related Social Needs: Upshots from the Recent Federal Rule. View the policy cheat sheet ➡️ https://hubs.la/Q02F3S0N0

Grateful to have partnered with Monica Saucedo, PhD on our latest analysis, which shows promising signs that Medi-Cal expansion to undocumented Californians is positively impacting health. While California has led the nation in closing health coverage gaps, there is more work to do. Too many in our communities remain unfairly left out of Covered California. By building on this progress, we can move closer to a future where everyone has the health coverage they need to be healthy thrive. #Health4All #HealthEquity"

A recent study published in JAMA Network Open highlights a concerning disparity in Medicare Advantage (MA) plan ratings based on the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) of counties in the U.S. The SVI assesses factors like socioeconomic status, household characteristics, racial and ethnic minority status, and housing and transportation. Here are some key findings: 1. Star Ratings Variation: 🔸 Least Vulnerable Counties: Average MA star rating is 4.1. 🔸 Most Vulnerable Counties: Average MA star rating is 3.8. 2. Plan Availability: 🔸 Highly-Rated Plans: Most available in counties in the middle of the SVI (third quintile). 🔸 Low-Rated Plans: Highest availability in the most vulnerable areas and lowest in the most advantaged areas. 3. Impact on Bonus Payments: 🔸 Star ratings directly affect the bonus payments MA plans receive from CMS. 🔸 Lower star ratings in disadvantaged areas mean fewer bonus payments. 🔸 This potentially reduces supplemental benefits for beneficiaries in these vulnerable communities. These findings underscore the need for policies that address these disparities to ensure equitable access to high-quality healthcare for all Medicare beneficiaries. https://lnkd.in/e2cSYEVg #MedicareAdvantage #SVI #PayerContracting

A recent Commonwealth Fund report reveals a disturbing gap in health care for Native Americans in Washington. On a 100-point scale, the Washington health system performance was 87 for Whites and 8 for Native Americans. The health care scorecard for Native populations shows: ● limited access to health care services ● shorter life spans ● higher rates of death before 75 from preventable and treatable causes Chronic, systemic underfunding has led to worsening disparities for Native Americans and Alaska Natives, the only ethnic groups of Washingtonians whose average life expectancy has decreased since 2000. Read more about the urgent need for more investment in essential community services and health care reform for Native Americans in Washington and other parts of the Pacific NW: https://bit.ly/3XSxyUX

Data shows that things like food insecurity, affordable housing, and transportation access (aka "social determinants of health") are hugely impactful on health outcomes, sometimes even more than traditional medical care. Our Community Assistance Program acts as a social resource network to provide things like rental assistance, meal delivery, and much more to address these factors and ensure our community has the resources they need to stay healthy. This piece from The Commonwealth Fund details exactly why this work is important and what's happening at the federal level to support it. https://ow.ly/L2EY50QrJoG