A Health Podyssey Podcast – Quantifying Social Determinants of Health Spending

Social determinants of health, like income inequality and transportation access, have appreciable effects on health outcomes and spending. In the latest episode of A Health Podyssey, Seth Berkowitz, MD, MPH, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, discusses the impact of providing transportation for non-emergency impacted patients, providers, and payers.

According to Health Affairs, “Berkowitz and colleagues published a paper in the March 2022 issue of Health Affairs assessing the effects of a non-medical transportation benefit offered to members of a Medicare accountable care organization. Enrollees had very positive reactions to the program, but it was also associated with more outpatient visits per person per year and thousands of dollars more in outpatient spending.”

Click here to listen to the podcast.

(Source: Health Affairs, March 29^th, 2022)