Why Your ZIP Code Matters More Than Your Genetic Code: Promoting Healthy Outcomes from Mother to Child

Health equity has long been the dominant theme in the work of the Aetna Foundation. Recent data have focused on disparities through another lens, particularly the correlation between where people live (i.e., ZIP code) and their quality-and length-of life. In various cities across America, average life expectancies in certain communities are 20-30 years shorter than those mere miles away. In general, health disparities are founded on a complex interplay of racial, economic, educational, and other social factors. For example, breastfeeding rates in the United States differ significantly depending upon the race and income of the mother. Government policy makers are acutely aware of these disparities, but recent health system reforms have focused predominately on the processes used to administer, finance, and deliver care. What is needed is an approach that considers the health and wellness of all people in a geographic area, beyond established patients, and that measures more than clinical factors-such as genetics, environmental health, social circumstances, and individual behaviors. Solutions also must extend beyond the traditional healthcare arena. In particular, novel technological innovations show promise to bridge gaps between our healthcare capabilities and the needs of underserved populations. Digital tools are poised to revolutionize measurement, diagnostics, treatment, and global aspect of our healthcare system. The Aetna Foundation views technology as a core strategy in reducing health inequities through an approach that addresses both clinical and social factors in populations to dismantle the persistent paradigm of ZIP code as personal health destiny.