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Home » Exercise Programs » Aetna aims to address health effects of loneliness among older people – Journal Inquirer

Aetna this month became the latest managed health care firm to take aim at social influences on health with a new line of programs meant to measure and combat the effects of loneliness and isolation among Medicare recipients.

The Hartford-based insurer, now a subsidiary of CVS Health, is rolling out a social isolation index it says can gauge customers likelihood of becoming solitary and cut off from family, friends, and society at large. The index, which is based on data from insurance claims and research into social health, will help identify particularly high risk Medicare beneficiaries, who can then be connected to specialized programs and community resources, Aetna officials said.

Social connection is a critical determinant of health for most people, but particularly for the Medicare population, said Robert Mirsky, chief medical officer for Aetna Medicare. We want our Medicare beneficiaries to be able to care for themselves or have reliable support, to be safe in their homes and communities, and to lead fulfilling lives.

This not only improves their quality of life, he said, but can also delay the development and progression of chronic conditions.

Aetnas newly unveiled Resources for Living initiative, available to all Aetna Medicare Advantage plan members and their caregivers, uses information gathered from the social isolation index to recommend opportunities for interaction. Those early intervention options include clubs, support groups, fitness classes, home visit programs, and transportation services, among other resources.

Mirsky said Resources for Living will tailor its support to customers level of independence, mobility, and overall health. More active members, for instance, may be referred to a senior travel group, while those who depend on frequent assistance from aides might receive information on home modification options and nursing home placement.

In addition, the company plans to add home visit options via Papa, an agency that connects college students with older adults who need assistance with transportation, house chores, and modern technology, as well as basic companionship.

Aetna also plans to continue its Silver Sneakers exercise program, which has locations at over 15,000 locations across the U.S., including gyms, community centers, and parks.

Aetnas new push to address the social and emotional toll of isolation and lonesomeness arrives on the heels of a company-commissioned study from 2018 that reported relatively high levels of solitude among Americans 65 or older. The report found that 24 percent of that population has no friends or family nearby, and 27 percent dont know where to go to meet new people.

Those statistics are particularly worrisome because an emerging body of research suggests loneliness has a measurable effect on the human body.

A 2017 meta-analysis of hundreds of loneliness-related studies by researchers at Brigham Young University found that social isolation was a stronger indicator of early death than obesity. A prior study from the same institution equated the cumulative impact of loneliness to smoking 15 cigarettes per day.

Aetna is hardly the first player in the insurance field to take a more critical look at loneliness.

Last year, Bloomfield-based Cigna launched a free, 10-question version of a social interaction index developed at the University of California at Los Angeles. That questionnaire is also being used to direct potential clients to activities that promote socializing, as well as mental and behavioral health resources.

A Cigna-backed survey launched in conjunction with the index made headlines at the time for reporting that one in five American adults polled rarely or never feel close to other people and that only 53 percent have meaningful, in-person social interactions, such as extended conversations, on a daily basis.

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Aetna aims to address health effects of loneliness among older people - Journal Inquirer

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Home » Exercise Programs » Aetna aims to address health effects of loneliness among older people – Journal Inquirer