UnitedHealthcare, AMA partner to launch new diagnostic coding for social determinants of health

UnitedHealthcare is teaming up with the American Medical Association to grow its work using diagnostic codes for the social determinants of health. The two organizations will work together to launch about two dozen new ICD-10 codes that will be used to refer patients to social and government supports that can meet their non-clinical needs, UHC and AMA announced Tuesday. The codes will use a mix of traditional clinical data and patients’ self-reported information, according to the announcement. “UnitedHealthcare and the AMA share a common goal of expanding the healthcare system’s perspective to consider the whole person—not just medical care—by placing as much emphasis on people’s social needs as their clinical needs,” Bill Hagan, president of clinical services at UHC, said in the announcement.