Episode 10: Healthy Opportunities: Worth the Investment? (Social Drivers of Health)

In Episode 10 of the WNC Health Policy Initiative Podcast, we hear about a recent evaluation of the Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) — a Medicaid initiative designed to improve health by addressing upstream needs like food security, housing, transportation, and safety.

As state lawmakers debate funding in the budget and pilot programs face shutdown, we talk with Dr. Seth Berkowitz, a lead evaluator of HOP, about what the data show: improved health outcomes, reduced emergency care use, and potential cost savings. The episode explores what North Carolina gains — and risks losing — by investing in this innovative approach to better health.

Find the publication here: "Medicaid Spending and Health-Related Social Needs in the North Carolina Healthy Opportunities Pilots Program"