The Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS), MO HealthNet Division (MHD), which administers Missouri’s Medicaid program, announced the approval of a 1915(b) waiver amendment from the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The waiver amendment allows for the full deployment of the Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH) pilot project.
ToRCH, which MHD began designing and developing in late 2021, will address critical social care challenges that compromise individuals’ ability to maintain their health and effectively manage chronic conditions.
DSS Director Robert Knodell has called the project “a groundbreaking initiative that empowers and encourages rural communities to collaborate to address healthcare-related social needs among their Medicaid population, with a focus on driving better health outcomes.”
Healthcare providers across the country recognize the impact of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) on patient outcomes and are seeking ways to address these needs. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, these needs, or SDOH, encompass the environmental conditions where individuals are born, grow, learn, work, play, worship, and age. These factors impact various health outcomes, functioning, and overall quality of life. Some examples of SDOH include safe housing, transportation, access to nutritious foods, and physical activity opportunities.
"For too long, our payment systems have failed to reward hospitals for efforts to address some of the root causes of poor health,” said Kirk Mathews, MHD Chief Transformation Officer, “The ToRCH program allows hospitals to receive payment for proactively addressing issues that contribute to poor health outcomes. Under this model, hospitals are empowered to truly be in the 'healthcare' business in addition to the 'sick care' business.”
