– People’s health is affected by their environment, where they live, work and play. These factors are influenced by the distribution of wealth and power at local, national and global levels.

These are the so-called “social determinants of health”This helps doctors identify the root causes of patients’ medical problems and is crucial to whole-person health. These key factors are affecting nearly 90% of doctors’ patients, according to the Physicians Foundation.

These are just a few examples of how social influences can have an impact on your health.

* Loneliness and social isolation. Over 25% of Americans live alone. Poor health outcomes and increased mortality are linked to loneliness and social isolation. Doctors can identify individuals who are at high risk of these conditions and recommend preventive measures to improve the health of their patients.

* Food insecurity. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines “food insecurity” as the lack of sufficient food to sustain a healthy life. Feeding America states that food insecurity is present in all 50 states. Seniors are at high risk for food insecurity due to their fixed income, which can make it difficult to buy food or medication, and the difficulty of obtaining food without reliable transport.

* Transportation Barriers. Transportation barriers can affect an individual’s overall health and well-being, from their ability to access health care services and healthy foods options to their ability maintain social connections. Patients who are unable to travel for their appointments are more likely to miss them. This can result in higher medical care costs, as well as increased emergency room visits.

Many Medicare Advantage plans offered by private insurers like Humana offer members benefits and programs to address social determinants. These include rides to medical appointments and meal benefits. They also provide screening for food insecurity and social interaction.

Humana is striving to address social deprivations of health through its Bold Goal. Humana care team members, physicians, nonprofit organizations and business and government leaders are working together to identify and screen potential patients and to refer them to community resources for long-term support.

Bold Goal is an initiative to improve the population health in the communities we serve by reducing the incidence of disease by 20% by 2020.

Visit www.amazon.com for more information populationhealth.humana.com.

 

1 https://physiciansfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/physicians-survey-results-final-2018.pdf

2 http://www.aha.org/transportation

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