Health-Related Social Needs
Medicaid Innovation Collaborative's third cohort seeks to find tech-enabled solutions to address unmet health-related social needs for Medicaid beneficiaries in Colorado, New Mexico, and Virginia.
Overview
The Medicaid Innovation Collaborative (MIC) aims to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals on Medicaid by connecting the ecosystem to tech-enabled innovations. The 2025 cohort empowers state Medicaid programs, health plans, and other key stakeholders to identify and implement solutions to address the health-related social needs of Medicaid beneficiaries. Those selected during the application review process have the opportunity to pitch their solution directly to Medicaid leaders, health plans, community members, and other stakeholders for potential funded pilot opportunities.
About the 2025 Health-Related Social Needs Focus
Innovative strategies and solutions are needed to successfully address the health-related social needs of Medicaid beneficiaries. As disparities have remained unchanged over decades, solutions must overcome the social, economic, and environmental disadvantages outlined in the research, with the goal of equitable access and outcomes. MIC partners with states, health plans, and entrepreneurs to identify, evaluate, and pilot solutions that effectively address beneficiary social needs, including:
- Food and Nutrition Security
- Housing Affordability and Quality
- Transportation Services
Our Approach
Addressing social needs is important for improving health outcomes and reducing longstanding inequity in health and health care. The participating MIC states prioritized focusing on food, housing, and transportation gaps, with the objective of finding innovative and scalable solutions that can demonstrate a positive impact in addressing at least one of the social needs outlined in the RFI below.
Read the 2025 HRSN Request for Information (RFI)
Research Insights
Addressing health-related social needs in Colorado, New Mexico, and Virginia requires multiple strategies and approaches to address the variety of challenges faced by Medicaid beneficiaries. In partnership with the three 2025 cohort states, MIC conducted research with Medicaid beneficiaries to inform this process. These insights uncovered that individuals on Medicaid typically have multiple, interrelated social needs, which are risk factors for poor health outcomes. More detail on insights from our research can be found in the report linked here.
2025 HRSN Applicants
MIC has developed a sourcing and selection process that engages state, health plan, and community stakeholders in defining a health equity goal, identifying and assessing vendors that support these goals, and supporting the consideration and implementation of these vendors to ensure these solutions are sticky, scalable, and deliver impact.
Over 60 HRSN solutions applied to MIC's 2025 RFI
Read the full roster of HRSN applicants.
Our Partners: States and Health Plans
The following three states and their health plans have partnered with MIC in this effort.
Colorado
New Mexico
Virginia
