A new study reinforces the impact social needs may have on seniors’ health and the overall healthcare system.
In the new JAMA Health study of 56,000 seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, those with higher health-related social needs used acute care services at a higher rate than those with lower needs. Unreliable transportation had the largest association with more frequent hospital stays and emergency room visits.
The study drew from MA plan beneficiaries who responded to a survey between mid-October 2019 through the end of February 2020. Researchers looked at seven health-related social needs: food insecurity, financial strain, loneliness, reliable transportation, utility insecurity, housing insecurity and poor housing quality.
Approximately half of the respondents reported having at least one social need. Financial strain and unreliable transportation were each associated with all-cause and avoidable hospital stays. Loneliness was found to have a large and statistically significant association with emergency department visits.
The report called the findings “especially salient” as Congress and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have given MA plans increased flexibility in recent years to include a number of supplemental benefits, such as home care, which address social needs. A recent report from ATI Advisory found that a quarter of MA plans now include benefits that address social needs. Food, delivered meals and transportation were among the top HRSNs included in those plans.
