22 Jan Social Determinants of Health Accelerator Act Gaining Support

Introduced by a bipartisan group in Congress in July 2019, the Social Determinants of Health Accelerator Act aims to provide funding and support for state Medicaid agencies working to implement community outreach interventions to address the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH).

The goal of the legislation is to have CMS, HHS, and other federal agencies work to support community-based health programs through a series of $25 million Medicaid grants.

Earlier this month, members of the health leader coalition called Aligning for Health sent a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, stating that the legislation would be a good step forward for community-based care efforts.

In addition, last week, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) urged House leaders to hold a hearing to discuss how the Social Determinants of Health Accelerator Act might help the healthcare industry’s fight against social determinants of health barriers.

“We believe that the Social Determinants Accelerator Act is a critical step to overcome these challenges and move the ball forward,” the AHIP letter read. “It will provide state, local and tribal governments with additional capacity and support to incubate innovative strategies – and the entire nation will benefit from the results of their effort.”

Here’s a breakdown of what the legislation proposes:
• Provide federal assistance to state and local governments to build effective health and social services programs.

• Calls on state and local governments to distinguish any federal barriers to addressing Social Determinants of Health.

• Establish these policies and strategies while not overlooking vulnerable populations and limiting their access to care.

Clearly, this is a sign that SDOH is rising in prominence in the payer arena. As this legislation continues to gain traction, it reinforces the need for the right health data management solutions for payers.

For example, IMAT Solutions’ robust health data management platform helps payers to better align claims and clinical systems to inform and drive new SDOH and population health initiatives, as well as help to measure the outcomes of these efforts. Learn more here.

For more information on how payers can best harness their data for improved analytics, interoperability and outcomes, please click here.