Addressing Social Factors that Affect Health: Trends and Leading Edge Practices in Medicaid

This issue brief explores the “next generation” practices that states are deploying to address social factors using Medicaid 1115 waivers and managed care contracts, as well as the specific steps states can take to implement these practices.

While states historically have had some experience tackling such issues for specialized, high-need populations, they are now confronting whether, and how, Medicaid should address social determinants of health for a broader population of Medicaid enrollees in order to achieve better health outcomes.