In: Nursing
How does a lack of equity in social systems such as housing, employment and other social determinants impact on health? (within 250 words with references)
Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people
are born, grow, live, work and age that shape health. This brief
provides an overview of social determinants of health and emerging
initiatives to address them. It shows:
Social determinants of health include factors like socioeconomic
status, education, neighborhood and physical environment,
employment, and social support networks, as well as access to
health care. Addressing social determinants of health is important
for improving health and reducing longstanding disparities in
health and health care.
There are a growing number of initiatives to address social
determinants of health within and outside of the health care
system. Outside of the health care system, initiatives seek to
shape policies and practices in non-health sectors in ways that
promote health and health equity. Within the health care system,
there are multi-payer federal and state initiatives as well as
Medicaid-specific initiatives focused on addressing social needs.
These include models under the Center for Medicare and Medicaid
Innovation, Medicaid delivery system and payment reform
initiatives, and options under Medicaid. Managed care plans and
providers also are engaged in activities to identify and address
social needs. For example, 19 states required Medicaid managed care
plans to screen for and/or provide referrals for social needs in
2017, and a recent survey of Medicaid managed care plans found that
almost all (91%) responding plans reported activities to address
social determinants of health.