Given Medicaid’s role in serving people with complex needs, state Medicaid agencies are uniquely positioned to identify and help address these diverse social challenges. However, little is known about state-based efforts, and there is currently no standardized practices for capturing and using social determinants of health (SDOH) data.
This webinar, made by possible by The Commonwealth Fund, explores emerging state-level approaches to measuring SDOH among beneficiaries of publicly financed care. It addressed: (1) the rationale for collecting SDOH data; (2) various approaches for using SDOH information; and (3) challenges and key considerations for states interested in advancing SDOH measurement efforts. The webinar features promising initiatives in two states — Massachusetts and Oregon — and highlights takeaways from a recently published CHCS environmental scan that examines existing SDOH data collection efforts by Medicaid and other public agencies.
In the full brief, Measuring Social Determinants of Health among Medicaid Beneficiaries: Early State Lessons, you can learn more about existing state-level models and opportunities for state Medicaid and public health agencies to drive the collection and use of standardized SDOH data.
