Health care doesn’t end with doctors

“Health starts where we live, learn, work and play.” This quote from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation seems obvious It’s so straightforward that most people wouldn’t think twice about it.

However, thousands of hardworking Texans don’t have that luxury. They know that certain social barriers impact their health and quality of life. Virtually everything about their environment — how much money they earn, where they live, their education, their physical environment, their race, their gender — has an impact on health outcomes. Health insurance providers are increasingly aware of these external factors and they are using them to improve wellness among their consumers.

For example, those who earn more have an easier time accessing nutrition, housing and recreation than those who earn less. The point is, the conditions in which we live can help explain why some Texans are healthier than others. In fact, studies have shown that more than 70 percent of a person’s health can be linked to factors other than clinical care. In a recent survey, 68 percent of Americans identified having challenges in at least one risk category that might qualify as a social barrier to health.

As professionals in the health care industry, it’s up to us to create social and physical environments that promote better health for all Americans. And in recent years, reducing social barriers to health has become a top priority for both public and private institutions. Today, health insurance providers are working to facilitate housing, transportation, and educational opportunities as complements to traditional health care services.

We’ve seen a change in policies at the federal level, too. For example, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently announced more flexibility for health care companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans to provide benefits that aren’t traditional medical services, including transportation to a doctor’s appointment, home-delivered meals, and allowances to purchase assistive devices at home.

Health insurance providers have moved swiftly in response, and our company is an example of that. Amerigroup Texas Medicare believes that removing social barriers to better overall health is critical for everyone in our state. We recently announced that individuals enrolled in some of Amerigroup’s 2019 Medicare Advantage plans can select one of six services that best fits their health care needs at no additional cost. These include services that address key areas such as nutrition, transportation, social isolation, and home safety — services that play a vital role in ensuring the health of individuals,

especially seniors.

Those members who use the transportation benefit, for example, have access to up to 60 oneway trips per year to health-related appointments. There is also a benefit for up to 124 hours annually of an in-home health aide for respite care, home-based chores and assistance with activities of daily living.

Insurance companies like ours have embraced the idea that good health takes more than just the care received at the doctor’s office. Healthy living starts in our families, in our schools and workplaces, in our playgrounds and parks, and in the air we breathe. All Texans deserve equal opportunity to make choices that lead to good health, and that means providing access to opportunities to improve their health and well-being both inside and outside of care facilities.

If the health care industry is going to continue to improve, all of us must look for solutions that expand access to high-quality, affordable health care services, including those that go beyond clinical care. This means ensuring comprehensive, whole-person care, while also improving the overall health of our communities.

Across Texas, and across the country, we deserve a system that not only recognizes the social barriers to health, but charts a path to overcome them as well.

Satrom serves as regional vice president and president, Texas Medicare with Amerigroup, an affiliated health plan aligned to the Medicare West Region for Anthem, Inc.

As professionals in the health care industry, it’s up to us to create social and physical environments that promote better health for all Americans.