Payer Housing Partnership Addresses Social Determinants of Health
Health Plan Partners announced a new community partnership to address social determinants of health by connecting homeless individuals with healthcare services.
Source: Thinkstock
By - Health Partners Plans (HPP) and two community programs in Philadelphia announced a partnership to address housing-related social determinants of health by connecting homeless individuals to healthcare services, free clinics, free meals, and social engagement professionals.
HPP is working with Broad Street Ministry (BSM) and Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers to support a satellite clinic that provides social and health services for homeless individuals with chronic conditions.
HPP will also staff a full-time social worker at the FIGHT clinic and connect their mail-based communications with BSM, so that homeless and low-income people can receive updates about available healthcare services. Roughly 500 HPP members use BSM’s mail-in service.
“Finding innovative ways to remove barriers to healthcare and increase access to resources drives every decision we make at HPP,” said Health Partners Plan President and CEO William S. George.
“This groundbreaking partnership reflects each organization’s mission to improve the health and wellbeing of vulnerable populations while providing much-needed comprehensive wrap-around services that many homeless people lack.”
Jane Shull, CEO of Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers, believes that the partnership is a significant step towards improving healthier outcomes for individuals affected by chronic homelessness.
“We see this collaboration as a natural point of synergy,” Shull said. “Through this partnership, we will increase our capacity to meet the needs of Broad Street Ministry guests, who may be our patients or HPP members, to access the medical care and social services they need.”
Mike Dahl, executive director of BSM agreed that partnerships with HPP and BSM can provide individuals with the highest need for basic healthcare services adequate access to services.
“We connect our guests with critical services that many take for granted, like clothing and mail service that provides an address of record for those lacking one,” Dahl said. “Our partnership with HPP and Philadelphia FIGHT will further expand our concierge services, particularly those related to barriers to health care, for our guests.”
Addressing the social determinants of health has become a major priority for payers, who are recognizing the importance of extending care beyond the clinic walls.
A recent survey from Change Healthcare found that 80 percent of payers are currently incorporating interventions around the social determinants of health into their population health management initiatives.
Several payers in California have taken steps to address housing insecurity by making subsidized living spaces available for individuals with chronic homelessness.
Humana has also committed their philanthropic arm, the Humana Foundation, to addressing SDOH of their health plan members with large strategic investments made to community health programs.
Payers may continue to invest in addressing beneficiary social determinants of health because of potential long-term health improvements for members, which can lead a lower volume of costy healthcare utilization.
