SDoH & Health Equity in the News
Inside Health Policy: Site-Neutral Proponents Float Rural Exemption as Hospitals Flag Risks (02/13) - Negotiations over hospital reform provisions, including site-neutral policies, remain uncertain as Congress approaches the March 8 deadline. The debate surrounding potential exemptions for rural hospitals within site-neutral hospital policies notes the intricate balance between healthcare access, financial sustainability, and policy decisions. These exemptions, if implemented, could mitigate the adverse effects of reforms on rural hospitals, but stakeholders remain uncertain about the specifics and their broader implications for healthcare financing and access in rural communities.
Modern Healthcare: Medicare is Booming, and Providers are Bracing Themselves (02/12) - Tampa General Hospital implemented a command center powered by predictive AI analytics to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. The command center is closely tied to social determinants of health as it addresses barriers to healthcare access and quality, such as transportation, by implementing programs like nurse navigators and expanding outpatient facilities. By proactively managing patients' social needs and improving access to care, Tampa General aims to mitigate disparities in health outcomes that arise from social and economic factors, ultimately promoting health equity.
The Washington Post: Medicaid’s Prescription for Health Includes Food and Housing in Some States (02/12) - The article focused on how Medicaid is expanding its scope to address social needs, such as housing, transportation, and food insecurity. The article also discussed the challenges and uncertainties associated with integrating social services into Medicaid, including issues of funding, effectiveness, and logistical hurdles.
USA Today: Is Housing Health Care? State Medicaid Programs Increasingly Say "Yes" (02/11) - States are using Medicaid funds to address homelessness and health issues, with initiatives ranging from housing assistance to social service integration. While some see positive outcomes, others argue that Medicaid's primary focus should remain on medical care, cautioning against potential mission creep in healthcare.
Inside Health Policy: HHS, HUD Partner with Eight States, DC to Address Homelessness (02/09) - The Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator, launched by the Biden Administration, aims to strengthen partnerships across housing, disability, and health sectors in eight states and the District of Columbia to address health-related social needs and fight homelessness. By providing technical assistance and promoting Medicaid-covered housing supports, states can enhance access to healthcare and connect individuals to housing programs, with intensive federal support offered over the next year.
National Governors Association: State Strategies to Address the Impact of COVID-19 on Maternal and Child Populations: COVID-19 Response and Recovery (01/31) - This series explores COVID-19's impact on maternal and child health programs in the U.S., focusing on areas like healthcare access, racial disparities, and pandemic response strategies. It highlighted concerning statistics on maternal mortality rates, emphasizing the need for improved data collection and surveillance, and outlined state actions to address healthcare disparities and extend postpartum Medicaid coverage.
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