Congress introduces bill to address social determinants of health
House lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill on July 25 to help state, local, and Tribal governments improve their ability to coordinate social determinants of health (SDoH) services for Medicaid recipients.
The bill, known as the Social Determinants Accelerator Act of 2019, would require CMS to work with an interagency council to award up to $25 million in grants for the development of SDoH programs within Medicaid programs. The interagency council, composed of experts and officials from the public and private sectors as well as community groups, would also provide technical assistance to help grantees implement these SDoH programs.
“States are increasingly looking to deploy social determinants of health interventions to lower costs and improve health outcomes within their Medicaid programs,” Representative Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) said in a one-page summary of the bill. “However, one of the greatest challenges to high-impact interventions is the difficulty in navigating and coordinating fragmented and complex programs aimed at addressing healthcare needs, food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation reliability, among others.”
Bustos introduced the bill with Representatives Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Tom Cole (R-Okla.), and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.).
In addition to bipartisan support, many in the healthcare industry, including hospitals, have backed the bill. American Hospital Association Executive Vice President Tom Nickels said in a statement that the bill “would better align resources to improve outcomes within the Medicaid program by funding planning grants for public and private sector accelerator programs.”
Health insurers also voiced support for the measure. The bill would “strengthen the partnerships between Medicaid Managed Care Plans and community-based organizations to build effective solutions to tackle social barriers, drive value, and improve whole-person care for millions of Americans,” Matt Eyles, president and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans, said in a statement.