Aligning for Health is proud to support the Leveraging Integrated Networks in Communities (LINC) to Address Social Needs Act (S. 509/H.R. 6072), which was introduced in Congress by Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) on March 1, 2021 and by Representatives Dan Kildee (D-MI), Jackie Walorski (R-IN), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) and Richard Hudson (R-NC) on November 23, 2021.
LINC to Address Social Needs Act
A lack of coordination and longstanding programmatic siloes between social service organizations and health care organizations make it difficult for states to promote coordinated service delivery and manage public health emergencies. The health care and social services sectors are not generally connected in a sustainable, standardized way, which limits data sharing, shared accountability, and service coordination.
The bipartisan, bicameral Leveraging Integrated Networks in Communities (LINC) to Address Social Needs Act (S. 509/H.R. 6072) will serve as a catalyst to enable states, through public-private partnerships, to leverage local expertise and technology to overcome longstanding challenges in helping to connect people to food, housing, child development, job training, and transportation supports and services.
For more information, see:
- S. 509
- Bill Text, Section-by-section, One Pager and FAQ
- Press releases from Senator Sullivan (R-AK), Senator Murphy (D-CT), and Aligning for Health
- H.R. 6072
- Bill Text
- Press release from Representative Kildee (D-MI), Representative Walorski (R-IN), Representative Hudson (R-NC), and Aligning for Health
Specifically, under LINC:
- The Secretary of HHS will award grants on a competitive basis to states to support public-private partnerships that convene stakeholders and implement networks linking health and social services. These public-private partnerships allow for shared leadership of the model between states, social service networks, and health care providers.
- These networks would facilitate cross-sector referrals, communication, service coordination and outcome tracking between social service providers and health care organizations by establishing or expanding secure, connected technology networks. States will have flexibility to design networks that are responsive to the unique cultures and needs of their state.
- The LINC to Address Social Needs Act would do this by authoring one-time seed funding for states of $150 million in grants to catalyze action and support the engagements needed for this work to be successful. States would be required to design and implement a plan to make the network financially sustainable.
A state can use a grant to carry out activities and services to establish new or enhance existing community integration network infrastructure, including a technology network, connecting associated entities, providing technical assistance and supporting associated entities, and planning for and implementing actions to create a sustainable structure.
The LINC Act’s framework has been successful in practice. Examples can be found here and below:
Supporting Organizations
National Organizations
- Aligning for Health
- American Association of Service Coordinators
- American Association on Health and Disability
- American Health Information Management Association
- American Hospital Association
- American Medical Association
- America’s Health Insurance Plans
- AMGA
- Association of State Public Health Nutritionists
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
- Council on Social Work Education
- Executives for Health Innovation
- Families USA
- Healthcare Leadership Council
- Lakeshore Foundation
- National Alliance to impact the Social Determinants of Health (NASDOH)
- National Association of ACOs
- National Coalition on Health Care
- National Council of Urban Indian Health
- National Council on Aging
- National Health Care for the Homeless Council
- National Kidney Foundation
- National PACE Association
- Population Health Alliance
- Purchaser Business Group on Health
- SNP Alliance
- Social Current
- Society of Student Advocates for Community Health (SSACH)
- The Root Cause Coalition
- Vizient, Inc.
- YMCA of the USA
State/Local & Individual Organizations
- Alaska Children’s Trust
- Alaska Primary Care Association
- Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association
- All Alaska Pediatric Partnership
- Arizona Health Information Management Association
- Bean’s Café
- CommonSpirit Health
- Continual Care Solutions
- Corporation for Supportive Housing
- Covenant House Alaska
- CyncHealth
- Duke Health
- Educational Resolutions
- Food Bank of Alaska
- Georgia Regional Academic Community Health Information Exchange (GRAChIE)
- Greater Flint Health Coalition
- Gryphon Place
- Healthier Colorado
- Healthy Alliance
- HSBlox, Inc.
- Idaho State University Master of Social Work Program
- Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE)
- Indiana Public Health Association
- JNP PopHealth Solutions, LLC
- KidSucceed LLC
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
- Mat-Su Health Foundation
- Michigan 2-1-1
- Michigan Association of United Ways
- Michigan Health Information Network
- Michigan Health and Hospital Association
- Midwest Health Connection
- MultiCare Health System
- Nemours Children’s Health System
- Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation
- PointClickCare
- Private Essential Access Community Hospitals
- Providence Alaska Medical Center
- Recover Alaska
- Revitalize Community Development Corporation
- Signify Health
- Socially Determined
- TransUnion Healthcare
- Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region, Inc.
- Uber Health
- Unite Us
- United Way of Anchorage
- United Way of Mat-Su
- United Way of Southeast Alaska
- UPMC Health Plan
- Velatura Public Benefit Corp.
- Visible Network Labs
- Well-being and Equity (WE) in the World
- Well Being Trust
- Wholesome Wave