Financing Diabetes Care in the U.S. Health System: Payment Innovations for Addressing the Medical and Social Determinants of Health

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Review innovations in health care financing promoting health system investments in addressing medical and social determinants of health (SDH) for patients with diabetes. RECENT FINDINGS: Particular payment models implemented in the public and private sectors increasingly offer flexibility in health care organizations (HCOs) to allocate resources towards helping patients with diabetes overcome the medical and socioeconomic problems driving poor population and individual health. SUMMARY: The barriers imposed by the traditional fee-for-service (FFS) payment model to incorporating SDH into health care delivery across the health system are being overcome with new payment approaches rewarding the quality of care provided rather than strictly the volume of health services rendered. Evidence suggests health care financing changes will facilitate the realization of health reform goals to provide the right care to the right people at the right time through the expansion of the role of integrated care teams that can address patients’ medical and health-related social needs.