Health Care Utilization Paper
Shana Richard
HCS/235
November06, 2012
Melynda Boothe

Health Care Utilization Paper John Q. has different obstacles affecting his health care utilization. He works full-time, but still qualifies for Medicaid because his income is low. He has high blood pressure and family history of heart attacks. He does not have a car or his own mean of transportation and the nearest clinic that accepts Medicaid is a 40-minute drive. He has to make an appointment two weeks in advance because of the amount of other people seeking services from the same provider. He may to find ways to schedule his appointments around his job hours and the practice hours, which does not offer weekend or evening hours John is fortunate to have a full-time job and still receives Medicaid services. He is in a situation in which he has to make some major decisions. His decisions or choices or mutable factors because he can make or change things to his own ability, even if it works out in his best interest, or if it does not work out for the best, he can be alter his choice if he needs if needed. There are different tasks John may try or attempt to succeed in his struggle of help for health care. One thing John may try is looking for other means of transportation to and from the doctor. He lives in a rural area and gets a ride to and from work with friends and coworkers; there are health care providers that provide transportation to and from doctors’ appointments, hospitals, and drugstores. This service is free of charge to most Medicaid and Medicare recipients as long as he or she is receiving services through Medicaid. John should contact his local Department of Social Services, or his local Medicaid or Medicare office about this free transportation program. This is a step in helping him with his choices in his health care planning.
In addition to exploring his travel arrangements, John can also try asking his job for a shift later in the day and ask the job early enough that he has time to schedule his appointment for that day. He could also call and make his appointment, talk to his job about the day off or may be working a half of day and getting his transportation ride to pick him up at his job. John can also look into finding other practices in another area that is after hours and can fit into his work schedule. The practice does not offer weekend and evening hour visitation; this allows John the option to make and arrange specific job time, and work time for him to seek medical attention. John may also need to check into some of the local doctor’s office and find if they are specific type of doctors and will they accept his Medical card, as seeing that he may need a regular physician as well as a cardiologist for the family history of heart attack.
Although these factors are mutable because they can be altered or changed by John with some type planning and arrangements, these factors also can be immutable in some cases. One immutable factor can be that John may be on a set work schedule like many working people, as well as me. I begin my work shift early in the morning and when my shift is over almost all doctor offices are no longer accepting patients. There is the option of urgent care clinics, but in some instances they will not accept the Medicaid card. John is still incapable of getting to the doctor because his work schedule is a set schedule, and he may not be able to get a replacement making this choice immutable to his health care utilization. Medicare and Medicaid may only pay for John’s travel to the doctor from his home and may not cover his travel from his place of employment to the doctor. This immutable factor can fall under the cost of travel or the expense for the travel for John to see the doctor.

http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/ombp/medicaid/transportation/index.htm