Jessica Bylander Reports on Innovative Approaches to Health Equity in the US
TL/DR –
Healthcare leaders in the US are developing innovative methods to address social determinants of health issues, according to a report by Jessica Bylander in Health Affairs. One initiative in particular, called Nutrition Solution, is a partnership of health systems, insurers, and foundations that provides tailored meals to individual patients’ nutritional needs, aiming to reduce hospital readmissions, lower healthcare costs, and tackle food insecurity and social isolation among Medicaid-eligible patients with chronic conditions. The program has documented cost savings of $1,532 per participant per month, leading to an expansion of the number of patients served.
US Healthcare System’s Innovative Approaches Towards Health Equity
US healthcare leaders are developing unique strategies to address the social determinants of health, a key issue impacting patient and community wellbeing. Jessica Bylander, deputy editor at Health Affairs, covers this in her recent article, detailing these innovative approaches.
In the January issue of Health Affairs, Bylander discusses several noteworthy initiatives. One example is the Nutrition Solution in Cleveland, a unique program involving a partnership between various health systems, insurers, foundations, and the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging. It provides customized meals based on individual patients’ nutritional needs. The Collaborative Approach to Public Goods Investing (CAPGI) model supports this initiative, funding health equity interventions across the US, from COVID-19 vaccine access to complex case management for families with behavioral health needs.
Lauren Taylor, assistant professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and co-creator of the CAPGI model, is quoted saying, “This was a way to take seriously what we all know, which is that many players benefit simultaneously, and as a result, many players should pay some minority amount.”
Nutrition Solution focuses on Medicaid-eligible individuals with heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease, or a combination of these, who are food insecure and have been hospitalized. Participants receive ten meals a week, specially designed by a dietitian for their medical condition, alongside nutrition education and optional wellness calls. The program’s aim is to decrease hospital readmissions, cut health care costs, and address food insecurity and social isolation.
Bylander’s article further discusses why Nutrition Solution has been successful as a health equity tool. It targets patients with chronic conditions and has resulted in significant cost savings, such as $1,532 per participant per month for MetroHealth patients. Health system leaders are considering doubling the number of patients served in the next cycle of the program and establishing it as a permanent offering.
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