{"id":22,"date":"2016-01-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-01-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eccovia.com\/index.php\/2016\/01\/14\/cms-addresses-social-determinants-of-health\/"},"modified":"2024-03-19T18:24:53","modified_gmt":"2024-03-19T18:24:53","slug":"cms-addresses-social-determinants-of-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eccovia.com\/blog\/cms-addresses-social-determinants-of-health\/","title":{"rendered":"CMS Addresses Social Determinants of Health"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The recent announcement by CMS that it has initiated the Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Model to explicitly address\u00a0social determinants of health\u00a0establishes an important new front in achieving better health outcomes. AHC recognizes that social factors outside the purview of the traditional healthcare encounter often significantly impact health outcomes, perhaps even more than the quality of medical care provided.<\/p>\n

The AHC model is based on emerging evidence that addressing health-related social needs can improve health outcomes and reduce costs. Unmet health-related social needs, such as food insecurity and inadequate or unstable housing, may increase the risk of developing chronic conditions, reduce an individual\u2019s ability to manage these conditions, increase health care costs, and lead to avoidable health care utilization, which in turn reduces costs. This evidence has led to an emerging trend for healthcare providers and insurers to address social issues previously considered beyond the scope of healthcare.<\/p>\n

CARE COORDINATION ON A GRAND SCALE<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The AHC program will initially target the following core areas:<\/p>\n