Americans pay more for healthcare than citizens of any other country. And despite higher costs, Americans have shorter life spans and fare worse on many health indicators when compared to other developed countries.
Emerging evidence shows that addressing the social needs of our most vulnerable community members can improve health and well-being while lowering healthcare costs for everyone.
Addressing these social determinants of health, like housing instability, utility needs, food insecurity, interpersonal violence, health behaviors, and transportation needs, requires innovative, comprehensive, and collaborative solutions from both the public and private sectors.