For the third year in a row, RISE, in partnership with Aligning for Health, hosts the only forum gathering state and local governments, leading payers, providers, community-based organizations, and health networks to identify opportunities and advance policies that support stronger communities, better health, and solutions to address health and social needs. The three-day conference takes place December 2-4 in Washington, D.C. Here’s an inside look at the 2024 agenda.
Monday, December 2
The first day of The Social Determinants of Health Policy Forum features a new preconference workshop. This three-hour session serves as an interactive primer on health care policy, focusing on terminology; the interaction between federal, state and local levels; funding streams; and legislative efforts in the SDoH and health equity space.
Workshop participants can expect to:
- Unpack the federal policy landscape as it pertains to addressing SDoH
- Examine the impact of the 2024 election on SDoH policy
- Get an overview of the key bills and legislative initiatives that will be at the forefront of Congressional efforts to address SDoH
- Understand key terms and government sectors, with focus on overview of how they interact with each other and how they impact health equity initiatives
- Examine how Federal policies impact State-level policies with focus on the challenges and opportunities, including use of 1115 waivers and Medicaid contracting, and discuss the trickle-down effects on local-level programs
- Discuss potential funding streams and allocations for SDoH and health equity programs
- Understand how you can stay up-to-date and get involved in advocacy effort
Following the workshop, is a volunteer food-packing event in partnership with U.S. Hunger, where participants help pack meals for the local community. Last year’s food-packing event packed more than 15,000 meals! The event, which is free to attend, requires separate registration.
The day wraps up with a networking cocktail reception in the Exhibit Hall where attendees not only can enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and face-to-face networking with peers but also learn more about the leading health care brands sponsoring the event and their innovative solutions.
Tuesday, December 3
The second day of the conference is a full day of sessions with industry experts broken up with networking breaks, mindfulness moments provided by the Mindful Child Initiative, and a networking lunch.
The day’s sessions include:
A keynote address on the future of SDoH policy in federal programs, including the evolving landscape of health equity policy within federal programs; the current federal efforts to integrate SDoH into health care policy; recent policy developments and future directions in federal health programs; and collaborative efforts between federal agencies, state and local governments, and community organizations.
A panel on 2024 achievements, covers the significant strides made in 2024 towards advancing health equity and addressing SDoH across key federal agencies and the collaborative efforts and groundbreaking initiatives that have shaped the landscape of health equity over the past year.
An in-depth discussion on implementing SDoH, PIN, and CHI services in Medicare and lessons learned, including opportunities to enhance the operationalization of these crucial services in collaboration with community health workers and community-based organizations.
A look at the evolution of HRSN data collection in federal programs and the impact of this data on health care delivery, policymaking, and community health initiatives.
State policymakers at the forefront of designing and implementing innovative state efforts share lessons from the field on the collaborative processes required to make these programs successful.
Industry leaders to discuss state-level policies to address health-related social needs, looking at how states are utilizing 1115 waivers, public health initiatives, and Medicaid managed care organizations to create impactful programs.
Hear from a CBO panel on grassroots efforts and community-based approaches to community-driven SDoH initiatives, featuring success stories and recommended strategies.
Wednesday, December 4
The final day of the forum kicks off with interactive breakfast roundtable discussions. The 10 roundtables, running for 20-minute cycles, focuses on the following topics:
- Women's health
- Children's health initiatives
- Addressing food insecurity
- Combatting the housing crisis
- Ending systemic racism
- Facilitating public/private partnerships
- Veteran's health
- Addressing the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community
- Experiences in data sharing and information exchange
- Tips for health plans navigating Medicaid
After the roundtables is a session back by popular demand— a patient panel comprised of customers sharing their direct feedback on their health care experience.
The remaining sessions, in addition to networking breaks, a networking lunch, and mindfulness moments, include:
A panel discussion with a distinguished Congressional Member and Senator on congressional efforts to address SDoH in 2025.
Leading experts from the Convergence Center for Policy Resolution and the Brookings Institution to discuss systems-based solutions to tackle SDoH, presenting their latest white paper on multi-sector policy opportunities to address SDoH at the federal level.
Industry leaders to share innovative approaches to improve maternal health equity, covering the current state of maternal health equity in the U.S.; critical issues related to disparities in birth outcomes, maternal mortality, and morbidity; and the initiatives aimed at improving health outcomes.
A panel of industry leaders to discuss the role of private sector partnerships to address SDoH, including successful partnerships, policy opportunities, and programs that have led to measurable improvements in health equity.
The last session of the conference looks ahead to 2025 and what to expect regarding the federal and state policy efforts to address SDoH.
RISE, in partnership with Aligning for Health, present The Third Annual Social Determinants of Health Policy Forum on Dec. 2-4, at The Omni Shoreham in Washington D.C. Click here for more information, including the full agenda and registration information.