We know from research* and intuition that people are healthier when they have safe housing, access to healthy food and steady employment. Despite this reality, there has been a historical lack of funding for organizations addressing these social determinants of health in communities.
“We’re seeing the healthcare system recognize the power community organizations have to improve health and address health equity in a way clinical care alone can’t,” said Melissa Sherry, Vice President of Social Care Integration at Unite Us. “Funders and managed care organizations want to work with community groups to help their members and improve outcomes, and the Social Care Payments solution will make it easier for them to do that.”
Policy changes — including The American Rescue Plan, the CARES Act, and changes to State Medicaid 1115 Waivers — have provided CBOs with much-needed funding; however, there’s never been a simple model to fund, track and manage payment for the work they do within communities. Unite Us’ Social Care Payments solution solves this problem by introducing a new industry standard, elevating social care to the same priority level as clinical care.
Until now, governments, health plans, providers and foundations have struggled to identify and partner with CBOs, contract with them, coordinate care and collect the data they need to prove the value of social care. The Social Care Payments solution allows all stakeholders to access and pay for social care through an integrated process and technology platform. The solution offers payers the ability to partner effectively with social care providers, manage programs for efficiency and increase program impact.
They can:
- Access a contracted network of community-based organizations
- Streamline eligibility and authorization processes
- Simplify invoicing and billing to reimburse community partners for services
- Measure the effectiveness of social care funding and reduce preventable medical costs with robust data and improved visibility
With early Q1 2022 launches by Healthy Opportunities in North Carolina and others, the Social Care Payments solution is uniquely positioned to provide the necessary infrastructure across the country for Medicaid programs looking to fund social care.
CBOs and not-for-profit social service agencies that provide important, nonclinical services spend their days serving communities, and should not dedicate their limited resources to navigating the complex medical billing ecosystem. Among the obstacles these groups face are unfamiliarity with medical coding and billing and the inability to collect data health plans need to demonstrate the value of their interventions. The Social Care Payments solution was designed so CBOs can tap sustainable funding streams without changing the way they operate. This frees them up to do what they do best — help people.
The Unite Us Payments solution also includes technology to track local government funding, grants and philanthropic investments, as well as hospital community benefits dollars. To find out more about the full scope of offerings, visit uniteus.com/invest.
