In a new post on the n4a Aging and Disability Business Institute blog, LTQA’s Mary Kaschak and Paul Cantrell of Comprehensive Care Connections discuss the potential for Medicare Advantage (MA) to address social determinants of health (SDOH).  

The CHRONIC Care Act of 2018 allowed MA plans to offer special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI), enabling plans to cover services that are not primarily health-related, such as home- and community-based services that address SDOH.  CMS has since provided guidance to plans through the 2020 Final Call Letter, which explains the new flexibility MA plans have in offering SSBCI and considering SDOH as a factor in targeting benefits.  

This blog outlines the rules surrounding SSBCI, and discusses the role of not just MA plans but also community-based organizations (CBOs) in implementing these new benefits.  Over the next several years, CBOs and MA plans will have the opportunity to embrace these policy changes to provide more holistic care for individuals with complex conditions and needs.