The playbook will be accompanied by a Call to Action from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to address health-related social needs as well as a Medicaid and CHIP Health-Related Social Needs Framework.
The White House and HHS, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has announced the first ever U.S. Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health (SDoH).
The playbook aims to support federal agencies, states, and local and tribal governments to better coordinate health care, public health, and social services by compiling the ongoing and new actions federal agencies are taking to address SDoH, including efforts from HHS, Department of Agriculture, Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal agencies.
HHS also plans to release a “Call to Action to Address Health Related Social Needs” to encourage cross-sector collaboration throughout the health care ecosystem, as well as a Medicaid and CHIP Health-Related Social Needs Framework. The framework will provide additional guidance for more states to implement programs that address housing and food insecurity for enrollees in high-need populations. A CMS Informational Bulletin will be included in the guidance.
“It is clear that the health of our people does not exist in a vacuum, but it is affected by our access to stable housing, healthy food, and clean air to breathe,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in a statement. “It is crucial for HHS to tackle health care and public health holistically by addressing patients’ social conditions. Today’s announcement will help to provide opportunities to improve equal access to health care for every American and make progress toward a health system that improves health care outcomes for all Americans instead of advantaged few.”
Editor's note: A White House representative will review the new SDoH playbook at The Social Determinants of Health Policy Forum, held December 4-6 at The Westin Washington, D.C. City Center. Click here to learn more.