The Role of Community Health Needs Assessments in Medicalizing Poverty

• Published in: The Journal of law, medicine & ethics Vol. 46; no. 3; pp. 615 - 621
• Main Authors: Caffrey, Arden, Pointer, Carolyn, Steward, David, Vohra, Sameer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-09-2018; Cambridge University Press
• Subjects: Community; Health; Health Expenditures; Health technology assessment; Hospitals; Hospitals, Community - economics; Humans; Indigent care; Legislation; Medicalization; Needs Assessment; Nonprofit organizations; Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act 2010-US; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Poverty; Social Determinants of Health; Social inequality; Socioeconomic factors; United States; United States; United States > US
• ISSN: 1073-1105; 1748-720X
• DOI: 10.1177/1073110518804212

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), passed in 2010, is considered by many to be the most significant healthcare overhaul since the 1960s, but part of its promise — improvement of population health through requirements for non-profit hospitals to provide “community benefit” — has not been met. This paper examines the history of community benefit legislation, how community benefit dollars are allocated, and innovative practices by a few hospitals and communities that are addressing primarily non-medical factors that influence health such as social disadvantage, attitudes, beliefs, risk exposure, and social inequalities.