Aligning for Health is proud to support the bipartisan introduction of the Social Determinants Accelerator Act, which is sponsored by Reps. Bustos (D-IL), Cole (R-OK), McGovern (D-MA), McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and eight additional cosponsors. The Social Determinants Accelerator Act will support state and local officials in developing cross-sector approaches that address the environmental and social factors contributing to health outcomes.
Senate Introduction of the Social Determinants Accelerator Act
Aligning for Health applauds the Senate introduction of the Social Determinants Accelerator Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation introduced by Senators Young (R-IN) and Stabenow (D-MI).
The Social Determinants Accelerator Act will help states and communities devise strategies to leverage existing programs and authorities to address all aspects of health, including food, housing, transportation and workforce.
This bill was previously introduced in the House (H.R. 4004) by Representatives Bustos (D-IL), Cole (R-OK), McGovern (D-MA), and McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA).
HCSC Joins as New Member, NACo Joins Advisory Board for Aligning for Health
Aligning for Health is excited to announce the newest member of the coalition, Health Care Service Corporation. HCSC is the largest customer-owned health insurer in the United States and fourth largest overall, serving more than 16 million members across 5 states.
We are also delighted to welcome the National Association of Counties to our advisory board. NACo is the only national organization that represents county governments in the United States.
We look forward to working with both organizations as we continue to advance policy proposals that test the idea that the health and wellbeing of vulnerable populations can be improved by better aligning programs and services addressing the social determinants of health.
H.R. 4004 Lauded as an Important Opportunity to Advance Social Determinants Efforts by Experts at Alliance for Health Policy Event
The Social Determinants Accelerator Act (SDAA) was praised as an important opportunity to help advance state and local efforts to address social determinants during Alliance for Health Policy’s “What’s Next on Social Determinants of Health” event on the Hill last week. Karen DeSalvo, Len Nichols, Ana Novais, Samuel Ross, Kathy Stack, and William Young spoke at the event.
We applaud the speakers for sharing their leading work on the social determinants of health and the Alliance for Health Policy for helping to raise awareness about social determinants.
Full event video:
Leading D.C.-based Advocacy Group on Social Determinants of Health Announces Establishment of Advisory Board & Addition of New Members
WASHINGTON, DC (July 25, 2018): Aligning for Health, an advocacy coalition focused on the social determinants of health, has established an Advisory Board of leading experts on social determinants and groups representing states and counties, consumers, and housing, nutrition, public health and mental health programs. The Advisory Board will provide advice and recommendations to Aligning for Health as it continues to advance policy proposals that test the idea that the health and wellbeing of vulnerable populations can be improved by better aligning programs and services addressing the social determinants of health.
Advisory Board:
- Nicole Barcliff, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
- Amy Clary, National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP)
- Anne De Biasi, Trust for America’s Health (TFAH)
- Theresa Eagleson, University of Illinois and former Illinois Medicaid Director
- Jason Gromley, The Root Cause Coalition
- Jason Helgerson, Helgerson Solutions Group and Former New York Medicaid Director
- Jerold Mande, Tufts University, former Senior Advisor on Food/Nutrition, USDA
- John McCarthy, Speire Healthcare Strategies, Former Medicaid Director in Ohio and the District of Columbia
- John Rother, National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC)
- Andrew Sperling, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
- Tracy Wareing Evans, American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)
- Ginger Zielinskie, Benefits Data Trust
“In order to advance the health and well-being of all people, we must work together to influence modern approaches to sound policy,” said Tracy Wareing-Evans, president and CEO of the American Public Human Services Association, “Utilizing frameworks like social determinants of health can help us move the health and human services systems upstream to focus on prevention and early interventions that enable all families to live healthy lives and thrive in their communities. I look forward to being a part of the Aligning for Health Advisory Board to help lead these efforts together.”
New Members:
Additionally, Aligning for Health is pleased to announce that the American Hospital Association, Anthem, and Amida Care have joined as members. All three organizations are dedicated to advancing policies and initiatives that help to best serve patients by addressing social determinants of health. AHA, Anthem, and Amida Care join Aligning for Health’s founding members: Alliance for Better Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, CareSource, Humana, Maxim Healthcare Services, Solera Health, UPMC Health Plan, and WellCare.
“Social factors greatly influence patients’ total health and wellbeing, encouraging hospitals and health systems to care for patients outside their four walls,” said Ashley Thompson, senior vice president for public policy at the American Hospital Association. “We are pleased to be supporting this work by joining other Aligning for Health partners in the effort to break down government silos so that federal funds can be used in innovative ways to provide comprehensive care to patients in our communities.”
Aligning for Health is made up of stakeholders who recognize that health is connected to more than just access to medical services. Studies estimate that social factors such as access to nutritious food, safe housing, and financial security account for nearly 70 percent of all health outcomes, and that addressing such social factors can have positive effects on health outcomes, healthcare costs and utilization.
Important safety-net programs meant to promote well-being are often fragmented, hindering holistic and innovative approaches to addressing consumers’ needs, and resulting in complex consumer experiences. Therefore, Aligning for Health (AFH) is seeking to improve health outcomes and lower the cost of care by developing a path forward for more effective and coordinated health and human service programs.
New National Group Seeks to Promote Cross-Sector Solutions to Health
Supports Allowing Communities to Pursue Demonstrations that Test Whether the Enhanced Alignment of Social and Health Care Programs
Can Improve Wellbeing and the Reduce Cost of Care
WASHINGTON, DC (March 28, 2018): A group of leading healthcare organizations have joined together to form Aligning for Health (AFH), a coalition seeking to improve health outcomes and lower the cost of care by developing a path forward for more effective and coordinated health and human service programs.
Aligning for Health is made up of stakeholders who recognize that health is connected to more than just access to medical services. Studies estimate that social factors such as access to nutritious food, safe housing, and financial security account for nearly 70 percent of all health outcomes, and that addressing such social factors can have positive effects on health outcomes, healthcare costs and utilization.
Important safety-net programs meant to promote well-being are often fragmented, hindering holistic and innovative approaches to addressing consumers’ needs, and resulting in complex consumer experiences.
Through a combination of research, direct advocacy, coalition building, and media outreach, AFH seeks to energize stakeholders and policymakers around the need to test the impact of greater integration at the local level, specifically whether it leads to more effective leveraging of federal poverty and healthcare programs to improve well-being and to lower cost of care.
Our primary goal is to develop a consensus-based, bipartisan policy proposal that will allow communities to apply for demonstration programs that permit, with guardrails, the blending and braiding of funds to address social determinants of health.
Aligning for Health has also launched a website, AligningforHealth.org, where we have compiled a number of resources and examples of current innovative efforts to better coordinate and integrate health and human service programs to address social determinants.
AFH members include Alliance for Better Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, CareSource, Humana, Maxim Healthcare Services, Solera Health, UPMC Health Plan, WellCare.
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“As a nonprofit health care company, CareSource has long been committed to helping our members achieve self-sufficiency,” said Karin VanZant, Vice President, Life Services at CareSource. “We are proud to be a member of Aligning for Health and to work with the organization to develop policy that effectively addresses the social determinants of health.”
“Every day, Americans find themselves without access to critical medical care, healthy foods and safe housing, which leads to significant health risks,” said Kim Holland, vice president, state affairs for Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. “That’s why we’re proud to work with Aligning for Health to enact real change that will improve the overall well-being and health of our citizens while ensuring the efficient use of resources.”
“For many of us, health happens outside of the doctor’s office. After all, it’s difficult to prioritize your health when you don’t have access to healthy food, safe housing or transportation to and from medical appointments,” said Rhonda Mims, Senior Vice President and Chief Public Affairs Officer, WellCare Health Plans. “Addressing the social determinants of health that limit access to affordable, quality healthcare requires collaboration from all stakeholders. We look forward to working with Aligning for Health and our government partners to develop and promote innovative solutions at both the state and federal level to help our members, their families and the communities we serve live better, healthier lives.”
“During my tenure as Colorado’s Medicaid director, I was struck by the complex interdependence between poverty, health status, built environment, education, behaviors, stress, economic opportunity, food, and housing,” said Sandeep Wadhwa, MD, chief health and medical officer of Solera Health. “I support this effort to link complementary initiatives to measurably improve health and self-sufficiency.”
“For many years, UPMC Health Plan has worked to address the factors outside of health care that have such a huge impact on the overall well-being of those we serve,” said John Lovelace, president of government programs at UPMC Health Plan. “Our programs such as Cultivating Health for Success, that provides disabled and homeless individuals with stable housing and an assigned medical home with intensive care management, have shown a positive impact on individuals and in our communities. We look forward to collaborating with colleagues to achieve an even greater impact, one that resonates with our mission and the people we serve.”
At Maxim Healthcare Services, we are prioritizing community-based care and social determinant solutions for our patients and clients. In fact, we have effectively used these tools to help reduce readmissions by over 65% for high risk patients. Since this has been a focus for our organization, membership in the Aligning for Health group was a perfect complement to the work that we were already doing to better serve these more vulnerable patient populations.” -Andy Friedell, Senior Vice President of Strategic Solutions & Government Affairs