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Social isolation and loneliness are contributing to a growing public health crisis. TheU.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community found that social isolation and loneliness increase the risk of premature death as much as smoking 15 cigarettes daily. They can also increase the risk of conditions like heart disease, stroke, dementia, anxiety, and depression.

Taking a small step toward better health can be as simple as answering the phone. As part of our in-home health evaluation program, Signify Health partners with leading health plans to offer their plan members a no-cost visit by a licensed Signify Health clinician.

For example, a Medicare Advantage plan will identify members who might benefit most from an in-home visit. Once they are identified, Signify Health team members contact them to schedule an appointment.

These no-cost annual check-ins function as a supplement to a person’s annual primary care check-up and happen in the comfort of their home. According to a recent Signify Health survey, these in-home visits are well-received by the people we serve, with results showing:

Last week, JAMA published a study that found few physician practices and hospitals screen patients for key social needs. Specifically, the researchers found that only about 24% of hospitals and 16% of physician practices reported screening for the five key social determinants of health outlined by CMS' Accountable Health Communities model: food insecurity, housing instability, utility needs, transportation needs and interpersonal violence.

Even as the summer winds down, the topic of using supplemental benefits to address social determinants of health (SDOH) in Medicare Advantage is getting hotter.

Last month, several hundred people congregated in Washington DC for RISE’s National Summit on Social Determinants. It proved to be a rich, dynamic conference, jam-packed with education, discussion, and debate from diverse set of cross-sector attendees.