Many Commercial Health Plan Enrollees Face Social Risk Factors

March 1

More than half — 52% — of adults covered by commercial insurance deal with social risk factors that can raise health care costs, according to a Feb. 20 white paper from UnitedHealth Group and the Health Action Council (HAC). UnitedHealth and HAC executives say that the report’s findings can help health plans and plan sponsors be more proactive in addressing social determinants of health (SDOH)-related needs in commercial populations.

Some SDOH challenges faced by the commercially insured population include social isolation and problems with finances, food, and housing, per the report. Twenty-six percent of the studied group faced one SDOH risk, 16% faced two SDOH risks and 10% faced three or more.

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Health Plan Weekly

Peter Johnson

Peter has worked as a journalist since 2011 and has covered health care since 2020. At AIS Health, Peter covers trends in finance, business and policy that affect the health insurance and pharma sectors. For Health Plan Weekly, he covers all aspects of the U.S. health insurance sector, including employer-sponsored insurance, Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage and the Affordable Care Act individual marketplaces. In Radar on Drug Benefits, Peter covers the operations of (and conflicts between) pharmacy benefit managers and pharmaceutical manufacturers, with a particular focus on pricing dynamics and market access. Before joining AIS Health, Peter covered transportation, public safety and local government for various outlets in Seattle, his hometown and current place of residence. He graduated with a B.A. from Colby College.