WHI Impact Spotlight: New York

This 2024 county snapshot map of New York members in a subset of our commercial health plan membership shows how physical, behavioral, and social factors affect the overall health of the people we serve.

Hover over or click a specific county on the map to display WHI information about that county. Higher numbers indicate better health.

The pop-up for each county shows the average WHI. Two counties can have a similar average WHI, but their physical (PD) and social (SD) drivers may be different, so these numbers are also included to give a better understanding of what is affecting health in that county. A lower physical driver assessment may indicate that more people in that county have illnesses or lack access to quality healthcare, while a lower social driver assessment may indicate more significant health-related social needs (whether for individuals or their community) such as greater transportation challenges. 

For example, counties that are experiencing an increase in substance use disorders within their population may show a lower physical driver assessment even if their overall WHI is in the average range. Rural counties may show a lower social driver assessment due to transportation barriers or lack of access to nutritious food.

For privacy purposes, any areas or filters containing fewer than 30 members are not displayed and shown in white.

The WHI measures the overall health of a state’s residents.  It can numerically validate information that may be only anecdotally known about social drivers of health, and as a result, identify actions that may be taken to improve health. For example:

• The Whole Health Index in New York State shows WHI physical drivers are above the national average in New York City. WHI social drivers are also among the best in the country in downstate suburbs (Statewide average WHI 58, PD* 55, SD 61).
• New York City’s average Whole Health Index shows similar physical and social driver values and a cumulative WHI above the national average (WHI 56, PD* 57, SD 55).
• Downstate New York counties surrounding New York City show similar physical driver values compared to the city, but better social driver values. The social driver values in these counties rank among the highest in the country (WHI 64, PD* 55, SD 73).
• Upstate New York counties show lower WHI compared to downstate New York, on average, particularly with lower social drivers (WHI 53, PD* 50, SD 56).

Elevance Health-affiliated plans can also use the WHI at a more granular level to improve member health outcomes in New York. Leaning on established partnerships with our network of community-based organizations, we can support our members’ health more holistically.

*“PD” stands for physical drivers of health, and it encompasses the factors that typically go into measuring health, such as presence of illness, whether a person has access to and uses the healthcare system, care for chronic illnesses, and whether a person gets regularly tested for illnesses. The “SD” stands for the social drivers of health that have traditionally been left out of health measurement or given less importance, such as where someone lives, their employment situation, the ability to get nutritious food, and whether they have transportation. These factors make up the Whole Health Index and work together to gauge overall health.

The WHI uses more than 90 data points that fall into the broad categories of physical, behavioral, and social health. These data points range from financial strain, transportation accessibility, and housing instability to preventive dental exams, immunizations, and medication for mental health conditions.

The WHI includes not only members who live in the displayed state and receive health benefits coverage from an Elevance Health-affiliated health plan, but also members who live in the displayed state and who receive health benefits coverage through employers headquartered in other states in which Elevance Health-affiliated health plans are offered.