Resolving transportation barriers to accessing care for patients remains challenging and not just for helicopter transport.
Poor and other transportation impaired patients often can’t access or are delayed in accessing care because of diffculties in getting there. Patients that can’t reliably get to sources of care experience greater complications and tend to be less compliant. These and other transportation challenges have a real negative impact on the quality, effectiveness and cost of treating these patients. However, finding solutions isn’t always easy.
The current system throws up many barriers to resolving transportation barriers to access of care.
Patients and their families for reasons of finance or other practical reasons often cannot seslf-solve their own transportation challenges. Sometimes it’s a question of money. Sometimes it’s a question of the physical ability to transport themselves due to medical or other capacity limitations.
Systemic tools also often are not adequate.
Medicare/ Medicaid rules often restrict providers from supplying free or discounted transportation.
Goverment program funded care is narrowly restricted and highly regulated. Until better solutioms can be developed, this is a great area of need for church and community groups and volunteers to provide solutions. Overcoming transportation barrier issues is critical for the success of the medical home and other provider and plan strategies to promote quality, affordable care. What kinds of solutions are happening in your community that could be used elsewhere? Join the discussion about these and other health care challenges at http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Coalition-Responsible-Health-Care-Policy-2017652?trk=myg_ugrp_ovr.
Project COPE: Coalition On Patient Empowerment & Coalition For Responsible Health Care Quality
Project COPE: Coalition on Patient Empowerment & the Coalition for Responsible Health Care Quality are coalitions of individuals and organizations that share the belief that every American and American organization has a stake, and something to contribute to our ability to find and implement the best options for ensuring that the U.S. health care system provides quality, affordable health care.
Health care impacts every individual and every organization in America. Consequently, every American citizen and organization including but not limited to health care providers, employers, insurer, and community organizations should take part. The government, health care providers, insurers and community organizations can help by providing education and resources to make understanding and dealing with the realities of illness, disability or aging easier for a patient and their family, the affected employers and others. At the end of the day, however, caring for people requires the human touch. Americans can best improve health care by not waiting for someone else to step up or speak up.
Project COPE urges and invites each individual and organization speak up to help communicate and act to make health care work for themselves, their families and others when you can and share your input to help preserve and continue to develop real meaningful improvements to our health care system by joining Project COPE: Coalition for Patient Empowerment here by sharing ideas, tools and other solutions and other resources.
Other Helpful Resources & Other Information
We hope that this information is useful to you. If you found these updates of interest, you also be interested in one or more of the following other recent articles published on the Coalition for Responsible Health Care Reform electronic publication available here, our electronic Solutions Law Press Health Care Update publication available here, or our HR & Benefits Update electronic publication available here . You also can access information about how you can arrange for training on “Building Your Family’s Health Care Toolkit,” using the “PlayForLife” resources to organize low cost wellness programs in your workplace, school, church or other communities, and other process improvement, compliance and other training and other resources for health care providers, employers, health plans, community leaders and others here. If you or someone else you know would like to receive future updates about developments on these and other concerns, please be sure that we have your current contact information – including your preferred e-mail by creating or updating your profile here. You can access other recent updates and other informative publications and resources
For important information about this communication click here.
©2011 Solutions Law Press. All rights reserved.