The social determinants of health contribute a lot in individual’s health statuses. They are the economic and social factors that affect people’s access to health services. The social determinants of health may also include demographic and political factors. Income distribution, working, and living conditions are also among the social determinants of health. In most cases, the social determinants of health are influenced by political ideologies and public policies in the regions. CVS Pharmacy, a healthcare and retail company in Woonsocket in Rhode Island in conjunction with Aetna Foundation, has recently made some initiatives which target the social determinants of health.
Some of CVS and Aetna’s ideas include new partnership as well as investments and tools aimed at dealing with factors that influence health. For instance, Aetna will merge with Unite Us, which is a platform that coordinates for social care. The Vice president of community health at CVS Health, Dr. Garth Graham, says that the purpose of the amalgamation is to enable access to social aids for dual-eligible members. The project from the merger will be made available for dual-eligible individuals in Florida and the members of Aetna Medicaid in Kentucky (Fierce Healthcare).
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CVS and Aetna initiative’s focus is allowing the employers to gain insights on their employee’s health. The project will as well be significant to CVS to establish the most strategic programs for implementation in various populations. According to Dr. Graham, the ultimate focus is finding ways of handling the needs of low-income earners. Funding for affordable housing is also another initiative of CVS an Aetna. The reason why they concentrate on the house is because of the impact of housing on health. Habitation has a considerable impact on families in making health decisions. Poor housing is among the reasons for the increase in chronic diseases. Physical conditions affect an individual’s health, thus necessitating for the housing programs ( Artiga & Hinton, 2018).
Poor housing also has other effects, such as affecting child development. It is also among the factors that contribute to mental problems because of poor air quality. Very cold houses are also associated with increased cases of cardiovascular illnesses. Extreme high and low temperatures are also among the causes of increased mortality rates among the elderly. Tuberculosis is also rampant in overcrowded neighborhoods. CVS and Aetna have from the beginning of the year 2019 set aside $40.5 million towards renovation and construction of over 1600 units in nineteen states. One hundred houses among them will be dedicated to victims of mental disorders. They will also include homeless people with long term illness such as HIV/AIDS ( Minemyer, 2019) .
Eating habits are also among the social determinants of health. Healthy eating lowers risks for diseases such as diabetes and heart illnesses. Health experts assert that healthy eating entails having balanced diet meals, which include proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins. Eating habits affect health. Aetna Foundation, the insurer, will be conducting a tour aimed at educating the populations on healthy living habits such as maintaining healthy diets. The program will also equip citizens with financial management education and health information. CVS and Aetna say that their initiatives focus mostly on housing and healthy habits since personal life influences health. The everyday life activities and the environment have a significant impact on health. CVS and Aetna initiatives of dealing with the common determinants of health are likely to succeed because of the networks created. Minemyer (2019) states that while CVS and Aetna are made up of a team of doctors and physicians, Unite Us, on the other hand, is a link to community organizers such as nutritionists.
CVS and Aetna aim at connecting families and individuals in the United States to their preferred services in collaboration with social service providers. They also seek to eliminate the chronic sicknesses brought about by poor housing and sanitation through its housing program. Research findings establish that working on the housing project will work best to reduce the causes of chronic illnesses. Despite housing and eating habits, the World Health Organization (WHO) has considered various factors as the social determinants of health, which should be addressed in the cities. Their lists contain other factors such as early life, social gradient, unemployment, transportation, and addiction. Aetna and CVS also include housing for individuals suffering from addictions in their initiatives because they are likely to suffer from numerous health problems ( Artiga & Hinton, 2018).
Conclusion
The Fierce healthcare article suggests that the social determinants of health have a significant impact on determining an individual’s access to healthcare services. Work and social status quo differentiate the health status of individuals in the community. The Aetna Foundation and CVS focuses on partnership with other groups for the success of its programs. Such groups include Unite Us to effectively address the common determinants of health that affects the population’s healthcare in the United States. Their energy is mostly directed towards housing and access to affordable healthcare. Getting social support is CVS and Aetna’s strategy of addressing the social factors influencing health. The success is of the initiatives is dependent on partnership.
References
Artiga, S., & Hinton, E. (2018). Beyond health care: the role of social determinants in promoting health and health equity. Health , 20 , 1-10.
Minemyer, P. (2019, July 24). CVS announces new initiatives targeting the social determinants of health . Retrieved from https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payer/cvs-announces-new-initiatives-targeted-social-determinants-health
