Adopting a nurse-led model of care to advance whole-person health and health equity within Medicaid

Background: Medicaid payment reforms and delivery model innovations are needed to fully transform U.S. healthcare structuring and provision. Purpose: To synthesize nurse -led models of care and their implications for improving health care access, quality, and reducing costs for Medicaid recipients. Methods: A critical review of the literature regarding nurse -led models and implications for addressing social determinants of health (SDOH), adopting population health approaches, managing complex care, and integrating behavioral and physical health care within Medicaid. Discussion: Three interrelated findings emerged (a) investing in dynamic nurse -led models is important for mitigating SDOH and adopting value -based care, (b) regulations preventing nurses from practicing at the fullest extent of their training and licensure limit clinical impact and value, and (c) directed payments can establish value -based expectations for Medicaid managed care. Conclusion: Adoption of a nurse -led model of care has the potential to advance the goals of reducing inequity and promoting whole -person health within Medicaid and nationally. (c) 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY -NC -ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).