{"id":23885,"date":"2017-11-15T16:00:47","date_gmt":"2017-11-15T21:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/the-impact-of-climate-change-on-u-s-health-is-aetna-planning-appropriately\/"},"modified":"2017-11-15T16:00:47","modified_gmt":"2017-11-15T21:00:47","slug":"the-impact-of-climate-change-on-u-s-health-is-aetna-planning-appropriately","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/the-impact-of-climate-change-on-u-s-health-is-aetna-planning-appropriately\/","title":{"rendered":"The Impact of Climate Change on U.S. Health: Is Aetna Planning Appropriately?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recent analysis of health outcomes in the U.S. has highlighted that factors outside of the traditional provision of health care \u2013 such as housing, education, employment, and access to healthy food \u2013 contribute heavily to the health equity of individuals and communities [1<\/a>].\u00a0 While the consideration of these factors, often referred to as the \u00a8social determinants of health\u00a8, has been embraced by the payers of healthcare (namely, the U.S. government and private health insurers), one determinant has remained largely out of the focus of the payer community: the impact of climate change on population health<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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However, an increase in climate-induced threats to health, such as vector-borne disease and temperature-related deaths, has encouraged government-sponsored research into the arena, and the findings suggest that the payer community should begin to think harder about the efforts they are taking to mitigate and adapt to climate change [2<\/a>].\u00a0 Aetna, one of the five largest private insurers in the U.S., has made small steps in the right direction but should consider more drastic measures to incorporate climate change in its comprehensive patient care protocols.<\/p>\n

The Impact of Climate Change on U.S. Population Health<\/strong><\/p>\n

While many consider themselves insulated from climate change if they do not live in a coastal region prone to flooding or hurricanes, or an arid region subjected to fires, a 2016 publication by the U.S. National Science and Technology Council [2<\/a>] explains that climate change driven by greenhouse gas emissions is presently having far reaching, and intense effects on U.S. public health, in a variety of ways, including:<\/p>\n