State Levers to Advance Accountable Communities for Health

States are testing a myriad of models that strive to achieve the Triple Aim objectives of improved care, reduced health care costs, and better health. Though several statewide health care delivery and payment system reforms have been shown to help slow the growth of health care expenditures and improve methods for delivering health care, taken alone they are not enough to fully attain the Triple Aim goals. In an effort to improve the overall health of populations while further reducing healthcare costs, many state and federal health policymakers are partnering with communities to implement population health initiatives that engage new community partners to address the social factors influencing health such as housing, food, work, and community life. Among the models for implementing community-based interventions, Accountable Communities for Health (ACHs) are surfacing as a promising state strategy to integrate and align state health care delivery system transformation with community-based social services to create communities that promote health and well-being.
This brief and the accompanying state profiles identify state levers that advance ACHs by examining the ACH programs in California, Minnesota, Vermont, and Washington State. Specifically, this brief weighs the roles states and communities have played in establishing core ACH components including governance structures, geographic boundaries, financing mechanisms, priority conditions and target populations. It also considers state-level resources that can be leveraged to support and sustain ACH models going forward.
Full Brief
California State Profile
Minnesota State Profile
Vermont State Profile
Washington State Profile