Social determinants of health

Little Progress So Far on Health Inequity, Report Says

The past 20 years have seen little progress in addressing health care inequity, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. According to the report, Despite spending the most on health care among high-income countries, the U.S. has some of the worst population health outcomes… The U.S. health care system is highly influenced by societal factors, and delivers different outcomes for different populations by its very design. The system’s inadequacies disproportionately affect minoritized populations, with stark racial and ethnic inequities in life expectancy, maternal and infant mortality, and many chronic diseases. The report goes [...]

joe2024-06-27T21:10:37-04:00June 28, 2024|health equity|

Federal Health Policy Update for May 17

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for May 10-17. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has announced a further extension of deadlines for fulfilling certain Medicaid unwinding requirements. Some current deadlines will be extended to December 31, 2024 and others through June 30, 2025. States also may seek to extend selected COVID-19-related flexibilities through June 30, 2025. Among the deadlines affected by this announcement are those for using ex parte information to determine eligibility; permitting Medicaid managed care organizations to help [...]

joe2024-05-17T20:18:34-04:00May 17, 2024|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, health equity, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicaid regulations, Medicare, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, social determinants of health|

“Drivers of Health” Drive Most Health Outcomes

A recent analysis has found that newly coined “drivers of health” are the primary drivers of health outcomes. According to a Commonwealth Fund report, Research indicates that an estimated 20 percent of health outcomes are linked to medical care; the remaining 80 percent stem from socioeconomic, environmental, and behavioral factors referred to as social drivers of health (DOH). These factors – such as homelessness, food insecurity, and exposure to intimate partner violence – are associated with chronic illness, mental health issues, acute hospitalizations, and high health care costs and disproportionately impact communities of color. In its proposed 2023 Medicare physician [...]

joe2024-01-09T16:28:39-05:00January 9, 2024|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, health equity, social determinants of health|

Federal Health Policy Update for December 7

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for December 1-7. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress While Congress has more than a month before the next federal funding deadline of January 19, committees are working to prepare and pass health care legislation. On the House calendar for floor votes next week is H.R. 5378, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. This bill would eliminate the pending cuts to Medicaid DSH for two years (those cuts are temporarily suspended through January 19); introduce site-neutral payments for drug administration services [...]

joe2023-12-07T21:50:17-05:00December 7, 2023|340b, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, COVID-19, health equity, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicaid disproportionate share, Medicaid DSH, Medicaid DSH allotments, Medicaid regulations, Medicare, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy|

Federal Health Policy Update for November 16

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for November 10-16. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress This week Congress passed another continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government beyond Friday, when the current CR expires. This bill establishes two separate deadlines for lawmakers to pass certain spending bills so they can avoid an omnibus bill that includes all 12 appropriations bills. Congress must pass four of the spending bills by January 19 and the other bills by February 2. The Labor, HHS, and Education bill, one of [...]

Survey Looks at Work of Hospital Equity Officers

With more and more hospitals hiring equity officers to lead their efforts to address social determinants of health and the health care disparities that often result, a new survey examines the obstacles those health equity officials are encountering in their work. The survey and follow-up interviews of some of the respondents explore the degree of support the health equity officers believe they have from different officials throughout their hospitals and health systems, the obstacles they have encountered, the differences expressed by respondents based on the type of hospital in which they work, and the limits of pursuing their objectives strictly [...]

iqtsupport2023-10-12T06:00:09-04:00October 12, 2023|health equity, social determinants of health|

Federal Health Policy Update for August 24

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for August 11-24. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services After suspending the No Surprises Act-created Independent Dispute Resolution process in the wake of a court ruling striking down a recent increase in fees for that process, CMS has established a new rate structure for initiating the adjudication of payment disagreements between providers and payers. It explains the new rate structure in this new FAQ, which nevertheless notes that despite the creation of new rates, the Independent [...]

The Emergence of “Food as Medicine”

In both the public and private sectors, a growing movement is working to integrate food as part of medical treatment – and have health care payers foot the bill. From the administration’s granting of Medicaid waivers to Arkansas, Massachusetts, and Oregon to use state and federal money to pay for food for some beneficiaries to Congress tucking $2 million into an appropriations bill for a “food is medicine pilot program” to the NIH developing a $140 million grant program that will lead to the designation of “food is medicine centers of excellence,” providers and policy-makers are showing unprecedented interest in [...]

iqtsupport2023-02-27T06:00:08-05:00February 27, 2023|health equity, Medicaid, Medicare, social determinants of health|

Federal Health Policy Update for February 23

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for February 17-23. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS has issued an informational bulletin to states reiterating certain federal requirements that pertain to health care-related taxes. Recently, CMS became aware that some health care-related tax programs appear to involve agreements among providers to redistribute their Medicaid payments to hold taxpayers harmless for the cost of the tax. The bulletin reminds states that such arrangements are prohibited. Find the CMS bulletin here. CMS has posted a [...]

iqtsupport2023-02-23T15:53:32-05:00February 23, 2023|Accountable Care Organization, ACO, Alternative payment models, COVID-19, Medicaid, Medicare, Telehealth|

COVID Drugs Experiencing Arguably Inequitable Distribution

The distribution of COVID-19 drugs could be exhibit A in the argument that inadequate access to care is a major social determinant of health. At least that’s a conclusion that might be drawn based on a new CDC study. According to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis, the rate at which COVID-19 drug therapies are being distributed “…were lowest in high vulnerability zip codes, despite these zip codes having the largest number of dispensing sites.” The study observes that “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated long-standing inequities in the social determinants of health.” Despite this, federal [...]

iqtsupport2022-06-23T06:00:43-04:00June 23, 2022|COVID-19, social determinants of health|