How States Can Help Medicaid Managed Care Plans Invest in Social Supports
<p>Social factors like unstable housing, poor nutrition, and unsafe neighborhoods can have a big impact on health and health care spending, particularly in poor communities. And, increasingly, states are looking for sustainable ways to cover Medicaid managed care enrollees for nonmedical interventions that have been shown to improve health outcomes and well-being.</p><p>In a new Commonwealth Fund report, Medicaid policy expert Deborah Bachrach and colleagues detail six practical strategies for supporting the capacity of Medicaid plans and their network providers to address social issues. For example, the report explores how states can classify selected social services as covered Medicaid benefits; use value-based payments to support provider investment in effective interventions; and financially reward Medicaid plans that are responsive to clients’ social needs.</p>
<p>“It almost surely will take a broad array of strategies to significantly increase the role of Medicaid managed care in addressing the social factors that affect health,” the authors say. “We have outlined several options available to states to send clear signals that they value investments in social interventions and want them to continue over time.”</p>