In a New Infographic, Manatt Shares Highlights From Our Just-Released National Survey on How States Are Leveraging Their Medicaid Managed Care Contracts and 1115 Waivers to Address Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). Click Here to Download Your Free Copy and Find Out Which Practices Have Become Common Across the Country and Which Are Leading Edge.

As the COVID-19 crisis has shown, the ability to lead a healthy life is influenced by a multitude of factors beyond medical care. Access to stable housing, healthy food, safe neighborhoods, reliable transportation, educational resources and other nonmedical drivers of health—often called social determinants of health (SDOH)—has a profound impact on health and longevity, driving as much as 80% of health outcomes.

Medicaid, which currently provides health coverage for 1 in 7 adults and 2 in 5 children across the country, is the largest payer of healthcare for low-income populations. Because Medicaid by definition serves low-income populations who are disproportionately impacted by social and economic challenges, state Medicaid programs and their federal partners have a particularly strong imperative to address SDOH for the individuals and families the programs serve. States’ ability to pay for nonmedical services—such as food and housing—is limited by federal statute. However, states have a variety of tools to support the health-related social needs of their Medicaid beneficiaries, including Medicaid managed care contracts and 1115 waivers.

In a new report, Manatt reveals how states are using two key tools—Medicaid managed care contracts and 1115 waivers—to address unmet social needs, support whole-person health and drive innovation. The findings have important implications for Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs), providers, patients, community-based organizations (CBOs) and other healthcare stakeholders.

The report tracks SDOH interventions across six key areas of focus: care management; workforce; data development, collection and evaluation; quality metrics and strategy; financing; and community initiatives.  The report also provides:

• A summary of key trends in SDOH-related interventions across the country, including which practices are now commonplace, which are emerging and which are leading edge
• The implications of these trends for people with Medicaid, CBOs, MCOs, state Medicaid programs and other stakeholders, as well as insights into anticipated developments in the pursuit of whole-person care for people with Medicaid, over the next months and years
• Comprehensive state profiles, including pertinent contract language
• An interactive map that gives you the ability to filter information by area of focus and intervention, domain, and target population (only available through an Manatt on Health subscription)

The report and state profiles are available in two formats:

• As a stand-alone PDF.
• Through a subscription to Manatt on Health, which gives you access to the report, an interactive map and state profiles, as well as ongoing access to our premium content information service. Manatt on Health leverages Manatt Health’s knowledge in the Medicaid, Medicare, Marketplace, life sciences, litigation, digital health and privacy arenas to bring you a roundup of each week’s federal and state policy changes; detailed regulatory and subregulatory guidance summaries; and 50-state surveys across a range of topics, including 1115 waivers, 340B policies and telehealth. 

Click here to download our free infographic—drawn from the report’s findings—sharing how states are leveraging their Medicaid managed care contracts and 1115 waivers to address SDOH. For more information or an Manatt on Health demonstration, please contact Barret Jefferds at bjefferds@manatt.com.