Social Determinants of Health

Social determinants of health are conditions in the places where people live, learn, work and play (that) affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. They are the barriers to health upstream from our traditional health care system—things like poor education, low income or lack of transportation, as well as food insecurity and loneliness.

Creating a more equitable health system where social needs do not determine your health outcomes

With community partners and healthcare practices, we are creating evidence-based, scalable and financially-sustainable solutions to improve population health at a local level

Loneliness & Social Isolation Toolkit

Food Insecurity Screening/Referral Toolkit

Tackling food insecurity

Food insecurity is a societal issue that affects 1 in 10 people in the United States.

Addressing loneliness and social isolation

The senior population, one of the highest risk groups for for experiencing loneliness and/or social isolation, is growing as baby boomers age and people live longer.

Improving access to transportation

Transportation for America found that more than half of the U.S. non-driving population age 65 and over stays home on any given day because they don’t have transportation.

Humana is actively addressing loneliness and social isolation, food insecurity and lack of transportation due to their direct impact on clinical outcomes.

Increased risks associated with loneliness or social isolation

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

64%

43%

29%

Developing clinical dementia

Older adults report that they feel lonely

Premature death due to social isolation

Increased risks associated with food-insecure seniors

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

50%

60%

30%

More likely to be diabetic

More likely to have Congestive Heart Failure

Report at least one activity of daily living limitation

For seniors and those with chronic illness, getting around matters

9 M

8 M

7 M

6 M

5 M

4 M

3 M

2 M

1 M

0 M

8.4 M

3.6 M

8.4 million seniors depend on others for their transportation

3.6 million Americans are unable to obtain medical care due to transportation barriers

Improving population health starts with understanding the whole person

60% of health is impacted by our social factors, environmental conditions and lifestyle behaviors.

Considering all factors that influence good health is a driving force to meet our shared goal of improved health outcomes. We work towards health equity and address health-related social needs in all that we do through our clinical capabilities, pharmacy, behavioral health, and home care support, and we aim to help our physicians and partners as they address social health needs of their patients in the clinical setting.

Supporting the physician-patient relationship