Actions speak louder than words.
Several impactful events occurred in the arena of the social determinants of health (SDoH) over these past few weeks. The healthcare industry has clearly been listening to my rant about being on data overload without strategic action; that action is now happening, and in big ways.
First is some important news for Aunt Bertha, the closed-loop social network that leverages every case manager’s, care coordinator’s, and social worker’s favorite website, Findhelp.org.
A total of $27 million in new funding will enable Aunt Bertha to enhance its assorted free and paid offerings, further expand its new marketplace, and provide growing support for professionals and volunteers connecting people to social services. Findhelp.org is already the largest social care network in the country, with over 470,000 program locations and 1,295 vetted listings accessible to people in need in every ZIP code in America.
The new marketplace will allow customers to order social goods and services to immediately meet needs of people seeking help; eligibility screening, outcome tracking, and payments and invoicing for social goods and services ordering will also be available. Some examples of marketplace implementations include powering car seat orders for Medicaid members in Texas, food box delivery orders in Pennsylvania, and Uber rides to vaccination sites managed by one of Michigan’s largest health systems, Beaumont Health.
Next up, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is amplifying action to address health disparities through 20 new grants. The Closing the Gap with Social Determinants of Health Accelerator Plan grants are geared to support plans that involve governments, private businesses, nonprofit and community organizations, and healthcare organizations. Community health assessments and long-range planning to address the SDoH are major program incentives.
Each CDC grant will be in the amount of $125,000. Each of the 10 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regions will be limited to three awards to promote geographic diversity, and at least one U.S. territory and one indigenous American tribe will be funded. Only government entities and tribal organizations can apply. Health systems and hospitals working on an accelerator plan must partner with local or state governmental agencies to obtain and utilize this funding.
Eligible applicants include the following:
Applicants must also be physically located and operate in the state, tribe, locality, or territory in which work is proposed. More information can be found on the CDC website.
Programming Note: Listen to Ellen Fink-Samnick’s live reporting on the SDoH Mondays on Monitor Mondays at 10 Eastern.
In the CY 2026 OPPS/ASC Final Rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) formally finalized the removal of the Screening for Social Drivers
The 2026 Medicare Physician Schedule Final Rule includes several distinct policy changes in which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) modifies how it
Please log in to your account to comment on this article.
Accurately determining the principal diagnosis is critical for compliant billing, appropriate reimbursement, and valid quality reporting — yet it remains one of the most subjective and error-prone areas in inpatient coding. In this expert-led session, Cheryl Ericson, RN, MS, CCDS, CDIP, demystifies the complexities of principal diagnosis assignment, bridging the gap between coding rules and clinical reality. Learn how to strengthen your organization’s coding accuracy, reduce denials, and ensure your documentation supports true medical necessity.
Accurately determining the principal diagnosis is critical for compliant billing, appropriate reimbursement, and valid quality reporting — yet it remains one of the most subjective and error-prone areas in inpatient coding. In this expert-led session, Cheryl Ericson, RN, MS, CCDS, CDIP, demystifies the complexities of principal diagnosis assignment, bridging the gap between coding rules and clinical reality. Learn how to strengthen your organization’s coding accuracy, reduce denials, and ensure your documentation supports true medical necessity.
Denials continue to delay reimbursement, increase administrative burden, and threaten financial stability across healthcare organizations. This essential webcast tackles the root causes—rising payer scrutiny, fragmented workflows, inconsistent documentation, and underused analytics—and offers proven, data-driven strategies to prevent and overturn denials. Attendees will gain practical tools to strengthen documentation and coding accuracy, engage clinicians effectively, and leverage predictive analytics and AI to identify risks before they impact revenue. Through real-world case examples and actionable guidance, this session empowers coding, CDI, and revenue cycle professionals to shift from reactive appeals to proactive denial prevention and revenue protection.
Denials continue to delay reimbursement, increase administrative burden, and threaten financial stability across healthcare organizations. This essential webcast tackles the root causes—rising payer scrutiny, fragmented workflows, inconsistent documentation, and underused analytics—and offers proven, data-driven strategies to prevent and overturn denials. Attendees will gain practical tools to strengthen documentation and coding accuracy, engage clinicians effectively, and leverage predictive analytics and AI to identify risks before they impact revenue. Through real-world case examples and actionable guidance, this session empowers coding, CDI, and revenue cycle professionals to shift from reactive appeals to proactive denial prevention and revenue protection.
Get clear, practical answers to Medicare’s most confusing regulations. Join Dr. Ronald Hirsch as he breaks down real-world compliance challenges and shares guidance your team can apply right away.
Get clear, practical answers to Medicare’s most confusing regulations. Join Dr. Ronald Hirsch as he breaks down real-world compliance challenges and shares guidance your team can apply right away.
Federal auditors are zeroing in on Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) and hospital rehab unit services, with OIG and CERT audits leading to millions in penalties—often due to documentation and administrative errors, not quality of care. Join compliance expert Michael Calahan, PA, MBA, to learn the five clinical “pillars” of IRF-PPS admissions, key documentation requirements, and real-life case lessons to help protect your revenue.
Federal auditors are zeroing in on Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) and hospital rehab unit services, with OIG and CERT audits leading to millions in penalties—often due to documentation and administrative errors, not quality of care. Join compliance expert Michael Calahan, PA, MBA, to learn the five clinical “pillars” of IRF-PPS admissions, key documentation requirements, and real-life case lessons to help protect your revenue.
Happy National Doctor’s Day! Learn how to get a complimentary webcast on ‘Decoding Social Admissions’ as a token of our heartfelt appreciation! Click here to learn more →
CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 1 with code CYBER25
CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 2 with code CYBER24
