The circumstances in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age are known as social determinants of health. In this concise, the socioeconomic determinants of health and new measures to address them are described. It exhibits :
The socioeconomic status, education, physical environment, occupation, social support networks, and access to healthcare are all examples of social determinants of health. Improving health and decreasing persistent gaps in health and healthcare require addressing social determinants of health.
Initiatives to address social determinants of health both inside and outside the health care system are multiplying. Initiatives outside the health care system aim to influence non-health sectors’ policies and practises in ways that advance equity and good health. There are multi-payer federal, state, and Medicaid-specific efforts within the healthcare system that are aimed at solving social concerns. These include proposals to alter the Medicaid delivery system and payment, models from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and Medicaid choices. Identifying and meeting social needs is another goal of managed care plans and providers. For instance, 19 states mandated in 2017 that Medicaid managed care programmes screen for and/or refer to social needs Additionally, a recent survey of Medicaid managed care plans revealed that nearly all (91%) of the responding plans reported engaging in social determinants of health-related activities.
There are still many obstacles to overcome in order to address social determinants of health, and new measures being pursued by the Trump Administration may reduce funding for these efforts. The Trump Administration is exploring a variety of new policies and policy modifications, including enforcing and extending the work requirements associated with public programmes and cutting funding for public health and preventive. The resources available to address socioeconomic determinants of health may be reduced as a result of these changes, which may also limit persons’ access to programmes that provide support for health and other needs.