Accounting for the Cost of Health-Related Social Needs

In this article, I highlight the Joint Commission’s new mandate for hospitals to screen health-related social needs, revealing the potential costs of addressing these needs in primary care settings. A study by Berkowitz et al. finds that federal funding covers less than half of the estimated $60 monthly cost per person. This article underscores the importance of both federal and community interventions to support individuals with unmet social needs.