Health Plans Make Sure You'll Never Walk Alone
Madeleine Richter-Atkinson, Jamie Dudensing
Social isolation,?defined?as having few relationships or infrequent social contact, was a common experience in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis. But even now, many Texans, including?around 25%?of the elderly, experience social isolation as a barrier to staying healthy.
Experts agree that as much as?80% of a person’s health?is determined by factors outside of direct medical care including conditions in which people are born, grow, live, and work. To encourage better outcomes, health plans are working in communities to help address these factors, including the need for social connection.
More than 630,000 Texans over age 50 don’t have a spouse, partner, or living child — people who often constitute close social connections. But social isolation is not unique to the elderly. Overall, Americans report a 61% rate of loneliness, an experience that includes social isolation. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, 62% of working mothers reported feeling isolated. And?younger adults?reported feeling lonely at even higher rates — between 71 and 79% — in 2020. It even affects millions of children and can be a?precursor to bullying, self-harm, and community violence.
With few people to talk to every day or during major life events, social isolation can take a significant toll on mental health,?potentially leading?to such mental illnesses as depression. Reliance on alcohol has grown with increased mental stress related to and resulting from social isolation. Additionally, pregnant women who experienced depression due to social isolation were at greater risk for postpartum depression and “impaired mother-infant bonding.”
Due to mental illness and other factors relating to social isolation, such as having no assistance getting to medical appointments or no one to voice concerns about health, those who are isolated experience?increased risk?for heart disease, stroke, and weakened immune systems — even dementia and?inability to recover from cancer. In fact, people between the ages of 45 and 64 who are isolated are 91% more likely to develop dementia than their peers. Additionally, the isolated elderly are more likely to use medications that put them “at risk for cognitive impairment, accidents and drug dependency.”
In a time when we rely significantly on internet services such as video chat, email, and social media to stay connected to those we love, inadequate broadband can be a?risk factor for social isolation. That is one of many reasons — including access to telehealth, social services, and critical information — the 87th Texas Legislature opted to expanding broadband throughout the state via legislation backed by TAHP and our members.
Health plans are hard at work to help isolated Texans. In addition to supporting legislation expanding broadband access, health insurance providers reach out to their members and provide benefits that keep them connected to the social support and care they need to stay healthy.
Aetna partners with?Papa Pals, a service that helps seniors at home while reducing social isolation. The Pals do a variety of things for seniors. They drive, help around the house, and teach seniors how to use technology. Ultimately, Pals bring isolated seniors into the community through an intergenerational connection that doesn't feel like being cared for.
To increase social connectivity among its Medicare Advantage members,?Cigna launched a pilot program?to reach out to them. Through the program, Cigna monitors their general health and well-being as well as their daily needs, including food, housing and transportation. Customers can further opt in to receive follow-up calls from a Cigna representative to help cultivate meaningful connections.
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Humana is a member of the Coalition to End Social Isolation and Loneliness, which works to engage diverse stakeholders, increase public awareness, promote innovative research and advocate for policy change that combats the adverse consequences of social isolation and loneliness for all Americans. One of the Coalition’s recent significant accomplishments is establishing the Foundation for Social Connection to spur the development and implementation of evidence-based models for addressing social isolation and loneliness. The Foundation has collaborated with Social Health Labs to launch a thought leadership series – Connect+Conversations – to answer the question: “How can we make society less lonely?” Humana’s contributions include co-chairing the Coalition’s communications committee to advance our collective vision for “all Americans to have the opportunities and supports necessary to be socially engaged in society.” In this role, Humana also helps to lead the Action Forum. This annual conference brings together member organizations and stakeholders from around the world to raise the visibility of the crisis of social isolation and loneliness, identify key innovations, promote policy solutions and spur commitments to action.
Working alongside Pyx Health, Parkland’s Social Isolation program operates through a mobile app that provides expecting mothers with a digital “friend” who can give insight into the mother’s mood and degree of wellness with humor, health tips, and companionship. The app can also identify urgent needs, in turn triggering a call from a Pyx Health professional who can check in and offer help. The app further acts as an easily accessible platform for health plan resources and critical services when intervention can have the greatest positive health impact.
Community representatives from Centene's health plans?partnered with schools across the country?to organize virtual No One Eats Alone Day assemblies, reaching more than 23,500 children in 47 schools. The virtual assemblies taught children about social isolation and the negative impact it can have on a student's health and academic performance. The children were given several ice-breaker topics to discuss with each other and encouraged to create new friendships with each other online.
This July, United Healthcare dedicated?$11.4 million in Empowering Health grants?across 18 states and D.C to assist individuals and families facing social barriers to care, including social isolation.
The plan also awarded $500,000 in grants to five community-based organizations in Texas to expand access to care and address social barriers to health care for uninsured individuals and underserved communities. Mental Health America of Greater Houston, one of these organizations, received $40,000 to implement evidence-based mental health training programs and curriculum in school districts in El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley in response to increased behavioral health challenges that may relate to social isolation from the COVID-19 crisis.
This article is part of a series on several categories of social determinants of health. Learn more about SDOH and?read our articles?on other SDOH to learn more about how each category affects overall health.