Speakers:

Shao-Chee Sim, PhD – Vice President for Research, Innovation and Evaluation – Episcopal Health Foundation

Laurie Vanhoose – Director of Policy and Government Programs – Texas Association of Health Plans

This panel is designed to provide insights into the major findings of the recent Texas Managed Care Organization (MCO) SDOH survey, a collaborative effort between Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF), Texas Association of Health Plans (TAHP), and Texas Association of Community Health Plans (TACHP). The session is intended to better understand the challenges and opportunities to address Medicaid beneficiaries’ SDOH needs and identify potential alignment areas in policies and regulations to strengthen MCO SDOH investment. Major survey domains are MCO SDOH screening and referral practice; MCO SDOH strategies; challenges and facilitating factors in SDOH investment; practice and policy implications. Finding sustainable funding sources and articulating return on investment of SDOH strategies are two major priorities expressed by health plan leaders. We will also describe how the findings have been used to inform the discussion during the legislative session as well as the SDOH strategy policy development of HHSC.

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