Health plans and providers are increasingly realizing that addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) involves more than just making referrals; it requires building trust, fostering relationships, and maintaining ongoing community engagement, according to Medicaid Health Plans of America (MHPA).

During a webinar hosted by MHPA on March 4, leaders from Highmark Health Options of West Virginia and Wider Circle discussed how peer-driven, community-based social support is transforming member engagement, improving quality outcomes, and strengthening retention—particularly in rural and underserved communities.

Speakers discussed how Wider Circle’s Connect for Life program fits into managed care operations while staying flexible enough to meet members where they are—through phone outreach, in-person events, community activities, and peer-led support.

William Friedman, VP of Payer Engagement at Wider Circle, remarked that traditional models focus solely on clinical outcomes, sometimes falling short of addressing the full picture of what drives health and what's happening in members' day-to-day lives, especially amid current regulatory changes and economic pressures.

Wider Circle’s Connect for Life Program builds community through peer support, trusted engagement, and meaningful relationships, Friedman explained. “It's really about how we can help a member solve a problem.” Once trust with a member is built, Friedman added, “we can help them take healthier actions.” This could involve assisting a member in selecting a primary care provider, obtaining preventive care, and providing education. Friedman underscored that the program, with its health equity outcomes, has been peer reviewed.

Jason Landers, market president with Highmark Health Options in West Virginia, shared that his state has an economically challenged population and limited access to services. Landers stated that his organization wanted to learn its members’ needs when it partnered with Wider Circle.

“I think the boots on the ground perspective really allows us to see and feel the challenges that our members are facing every day,” Crystal Belisky, community engagement specialist with Highmark Health Options, observed. She mentioned food insecurity as a challenge and housing insecurity as one of the more difficult challenges to overcome.

Jocelyn Williams, a senior community engagement specialist with Wider Circle, emphasized that connecting members helps combat the isolation some may experience. To address food insecurity, she explained, her organization has arranged events for members to meet at the grocery store to buy food. Additionally, she said, food box donations from churches and other organizations would be distributed among members.

“We're both building relationships in the community, so that we know what resources are available,” Belisky added about her working relationship with Williams. “This really gives us a strong network of support.”

“I think our regulator really wants us to create these value-added services that go beyond the traditional Medicaid benefits,” Landers noted. We’ve got engagement, he said, and engagement is one of the challenges in the Medicaid space. The program, he mentioned, made economic sense to his organization.