In this episode of Insights Beyond the Counter, hosts Shane Hallengren and Amit Patel unpack the rapidly evolving world of health risk assessments (HRAs) and social determinants of health (SDOH) across Medicaid and Medicare. Fresh off the Medicaid Innovations Forum, Amit shares insights from health plan leaders navigating a post–Public Health Emergency landscape defined by redeterminations, workforce shortages, and persistent challenges with member contactability.

Shane reflects on his years supporting Medicare performance programs and draws parallels between the two sectors—especially around how HRAs have shifted from simple “check‑the‑box” tasks to powerful tools that uncover transportation barriers, food insecurity, medication access challenges, utility instability, and more.

Together, they explore:

• Why SDOH data is only valuable when it leads to meaningful action
• How community pharmacies—as trusted, accessible care touchpoints—are uniquely positioned to conduct sensitive assessments
• The growing importance of rural health transformation and how pharmacies can close engagement and adherence gaps
• How Outcomes is supporting pharmacies with technology, workflows, and scalable programs that enable efficient, person-to-person care
• What the future may hold as Medicaid and Medicare strategies continue to evolve

If you’re passionate about healthcare innovation, population health, or the expanding role of pharmacy, this conversation is packed with real-world insights you won’t want to miss.