Aligning for Health, a coalition of which the AHA is a founding member, this week voiced support for the Utilizing National Data, Effectively Reforming Standards and Tools, to Address Negative Determinates of Health Act (S. 1323), which would improve the collection of data related to the social determinants of health for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. “There is a significant body of evidence indicating that economic and social conditions such as safe and affordable housing, sufficient nutrition, access to transportation, and others, have a powerful impact on individual and population health outcomes, as well as medical costs,” the group said in a letter to Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Bob Casey, D-Pa., the bill’s sponsors. “We agree that encouraging providers to screen for and identify non-health factors that may contribute to wellbeing will help to enable more holistic and well-informed care. Additionally, the collection of such data at the federal level will help to illuminate health care disparities in the Medicare and Medicaid population, providing actionable data to policymakers to better target resources and support.”

Related News Articles

Headline
The AHA Sept. 4 expressed support for the Hospitals As Naloxone Distribution Sites Act (H.R. 5120), legislation that would require Medicare and Medicaid to…
Blog
In this insightful conversation hosted by Nancy Myers of the American Hospital Association, we explore how Owensboro Health (Ky.) and CredibleMind are…
Headline
The AHA will accept applications through Oct. 14 for the 2026 AHA Dick Davidson NOVA Award. This award recognizes hospitals and health systems that demonstrate…
Headline
The Senate Appropriations Committee July 31 advanced the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,…
Chairperson's File
Public
The recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act will bring big changes to health care. AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack joined me for a Leadership Dialogue…
Headline
The AHA July 16 announced five winners of the 2025 AHA Dick Davidson NOVA Award for their hospital-led collaborative efforts to improve community…