Impact of Organizational Health Policies on the Social Determinants of Health

Impact of Organizational Health Policies on the Social Determinants of Health
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Impact of Organizational Health Policies on the Social Determinants of Health
The social determinants of health are the “conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of life (Daniel, Bornstein, & Kane, 2018). These conditions are non-medical and are closely tied to major health disparities. The Federal government has put in significant efforts to address these social determinants through the major healthcare financing policies. Also, these federal policies have influenced organizational policies that also address the social determinants of health among healthcare organizations. This paper focuses on how organizational policies, based on federal healthcare financing policies can influence the social determinants of health and enhance health equity.
Recently, Medicare Advantage plans were expanded to cover even more non-health supplementary benefits that could benefit patients with chronic conditions. This expansion has embraced innovative approaches that address some of the social determinants of health (Sorbero & Kranz, 2019). This expansion also influences organizational health policies that can address the social determinants of health and health disparities as well. There are several ways in which organizational health policies can address social determinants of health and health disparities, based on the expanded Medicare Advantage plans.
One, Medicare Advantage plans expansion allows meal delivery to enrollees. One of the major social determinants of health is access to food (Singh, et al., 2017). Many populations face food insecurity because of a lack of availability and access to food. Delivery of meals as a supplementary benefit of Medicare Advantage plans will ensure an increase in access to food to Medicare enrollees. This is especially important to the elderly who sometimes lack the means to get food from the markets. Food delivery services are often expensive and can limit access to food. Meal delivery will also ensure access to fresh foods. Daniel, Bornstein, and Kane (2018) indicate that lack of access to nutritious and fresh foods is an element of food insecurity. Healthcare organizations can formulate healthcare policies that improve food security. For instance, healthcare organizations can have policies that encourage partnerships with food providers to ensure that patients have access to healthy, affordable food. Instead of patients going to get food in stores away from their homes, healthcare organizations can arrange to visit neighborhoods at least once a week and bring affordable foods. At least 2.3 million Americans live in food deserts where they have to go more than a mile to access food in a supermarket or grocery store (Daniel, Bornstein, & Kane, 2018). This puts them at a greater risk of obesity and other health conditions associated with an unhealthy diet. Also, such a partnership will ensure that patients have access to the types of foods that have been prescribed to them by healthcare practitioners. By providing a...