Which statement best describes typical strategies to address social determinants of health within managed care?

• A. Screenings, risk stratification, community partnerships, and services addressing housing, transportation, food, and social support.
• B. Eliminating social services
• C. Focusing only on pharmaceutical interventions
• D. Relying solely on ED interventions

Answer: (A)

Addressing social determinants of health within managed care means identifying nonmedical barriers that affect access to care and health outcomes, then connecting members to the right supports. Screenings in care settings help uncover issues like housing instability, food insecurity, transportation gaps, and weak social support. Risk stratification uses data to pinpoint individuals with high social needs who are at greater risk for expensive care, so resources can be targeted where they’ll have the most impact. Building strong community partnerships with housing programs, food assistance, transportation services, and social support organizations enables seamless referrals and action. Services that address housing, transportation, food, and social support remove practical barriers to care, support treatment adherence, and can reduce hospitalizations and costs. In managed care, these components are implemented through care management processes, with referrals, coordinators, and follow-up to monitor outcomes. Options that focus only on eliminating social services, on pharmaceuticals alone, or on emergency department interventions miss these upstream, proactive strategies and tend to be less effective and more costly.