In the Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Model, community bridge organizations are funded to collaborate with clinical delivery sites and community service providers to address identified health-related social needs (HRSNs) among participating Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. These HRSNs include food insecurity, lack of transportation, and housing instability. For more than a year, AHC bridge organizations have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic, all while starting to plan for sustainability since CMS funding of the model is set to end in April 2022. To highlight promising approaches and strategies for implementing AHC within the post-COVID-19 health care landscape and sustainability planning, CMS recently released two spotlights:
You’ve Got Mail! A Spotlight on Using Email to Screen for Health-Related Social Needs describes the Denver Regional Council of Governments’ innovative email campaign to remotely screen beneficiaries during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Learn more.
Aligning Provider and Payer Activities to Address Social Determinants of Health features Allina Health’s partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, which builds on the accomplishments of the Accountable Health Communities Model, to create sustainable strategies to address social determinants of health. Learn more.