Social Determinants of Health Advocates Take to the Hill

With Congress looking for ways to curb Medicare and Medicaid spending, many health care providers and advocacy organizations are pushing for alternative savings by addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), which are increasingly being referred to as “Non-Medical Drivers of Health” (NMDOH). This month, advocates took to Capitol Hill to discuss opportunities related to housing and workforce development.

The Need for Housing Investment

With a shortage of roughly 7.1 million homes, health care systems have studied the relationship between stable housing and health. Studies have found that those living in unstable housing are 20% more likely to be hospitalized, 60% more likely to be readmitted to hospital, often skip annual health checkups, and experience increased risks of poor child health. Given the strong connection between housing and health, many health care systems – including AHPA member hospitals – are investing in affordable housing initiatives. Below are some key federal recommendations currently being advocated for:

HOME Program: support for $1.5 billion in funding for the HOME program that provides state and local governments with flexible funds to supplement financing for affordable housing developments and rehabilitation for those experiencing homelessness, seniors, veterans and those with disabilities. Since its inception, the HOME program has created more than 1.3 million affordable homes.

The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA) of 2025: The AHCIA expands and bolsters the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). LIHTC is the nation’s most successful program to encourage private investments in affordable rental housing; it has financed the development of more than 4 million apartments, providing affordable homes to approximately 9.8 million low-income families. The development of these apartments has supported 6.6 million jobs for one year and has generated $717 billion in wages and business income and $268 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues.

The Need for Workforce Development

Higher income is consistently associated with better health outcomes, including reduced overall mortality risk and lower rates of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Furthermore, a more-educated and higher-paid workforce also reduces reliance on programs like Medicaid as workers gain access to private, employer-provided health insurance. Below are key health care bills on workforce development:

Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act: The JOBS Act would support today’s students by making high-quality, shorter-term education and training programs (150 clock hours and eight weeks in length) eligible for federal Pell Grants. The Act changes the Pell authorization language so there is no added cost.

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA): WIOA would create a new 21st Century Sector Partnerships Grant program of at least $2 billion to develop a national network of high-performing industry partnerships and to implement career pathways; it also expands outcome metrics and reporting to better assess the quality of skills training programs to measure worker progress.