Health-Related Social Needs Following Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Oregon

Efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic to address the health-related social needs (HRSN) of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, such as food and housing, were insufficient. We examined HRSN data from the Accountable Health Communities study collected in Oregon to understand changes in these needs at the onset and during the first 2 years of the pandemic.

We conducted an interrupted time series analysis with data from 21,522 Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries screened for overall HRSN between May 13, 2019 and December 24, 2021. Secondary interrupted time series analyses were conducted for each type of HRSN assessed with the Accountable Health Communities screening tool: food, housing, transportation, utilities, and interpersonal safety.

The interrupted time series analysis indicated an abrupt 17.7-percentage point increase in overall HRSN around March 23, 2020, which did not significantly decline during the subsequent 2 years. Food, housing, and interpersonal safety needs increased by 16.5, 15.9, and 4.4 percentage points, respectively, with no significant decline thereafter. Transportation and utility needs increased by 7.2 and 7.5 percentage points, respectively, but decreased significantly after the start of the pandemic (decreasing by 0.2 and 0.1 percentage points each week, respectively).

The jump in HRSN following the start of the pandemic and the persistence of need, particularly in food and housing, highlight the importance of research to better understand which public health and health care interventions, investments, and policies effectively address HRSN.