The new Deputy Administrator and Director at the Center for Medicaid and CHIP, Drew Snyder, issued an informational bulletin on March 4th rescinding some Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN) guidance issued during the Biden Administration. The first of the two rescinded documents was
was named Coverage of Services and Supports to Address Health-Related Social Needs in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and it outlined opportunities for addressing HRSN in the Medicaid and CHIP programs. The second rescinded document refined the original guidance.
As CMS assesses their path forward and evaluates policy alternatives, what is the impact on states with initiatives underway? The March 4rth 2025 bulletin notes that “CMS will consider states’ applications to cover these services and supports on a case-by-case basis to determine whether they satisfy federal requirements for approval under the applicable provisions of the Social Security Act and implementing federal regulations, without reference to the November 2023 and December 2024 informational bulletin or the HRSN Framework.”
It is helpful to remember that SDoH guidance was issued under the first Trump Administration and that this document is still active. This guidance aimed to “describe opportunities under Medicaid and CHIP to better address social determinants of health (SDOH) and to support states with designing programs, benefits, and services that can more effectively improve population health, reduce disability, and lower overall health care costs in the Medicaid and CHIP programs by addressing SDOH.”
In the last ten years, the quality and quantity of literature assessing SDoH and HRSN interventions has grown. Additionally, the transition from fee for service (FFS) to value-based care has become more imperative. This makes addressing SDoH and HRSN even more pressing. We are eager to watch for the new policies as they are unveiled.
Michigan Multipayer Initiatives 