For many Medicare patients, getting to medical appointments is one of the biggest barriers to receiving consistent healthcare. If you cannot drive, do not have reliable transportation, or live in an area with limited options, you may find yourself missing important appointments with cardiologists, primary care providers, or specialists.
When transportation difficulties interfere with your medical care, Medicare-covered Community Health Integration, or CHI, may be able to help.
How CHI addresses transportation barriers
If a licensed clinician determines that your transportation barrier significantly limits their ability to diagnose or treat your medical condition, CHI services may include:
- Helping identify transportation options available in your community
- Assisting you in navigating available transportation services
- Coordinating with your care team to ensure appointments are scheduled with transportation in mind
- Following up to determine whether you were able to attend medically necessary appointments
- Identifying alternative resources when an initial option is unavailable
What CHI does not do
Important: CHI does not pay for transportation. It does not provide a free vehicle, guarantee a ride, or guarantee that a specific transportation program will approve you. CHI is a healthcare service that helps you identify and navigate possible community resources connected to your medical care. Each outside organization has its own eligibility rules and makes its own decisions.
An example of how CHI might work
Consider a patient who repeatedly misses cardiology appointments because they cannot drive and do not have reliable transportation. When clinically appropriate, CHI personnel may help identify transportation options, assist the patient in navigating available services, coordinate with the care team, and follow up to determine whether the patient was able to attend medically necessary appointments.
The practitioner remains involved in the patient's care, reviewing progress and evaluating whether the barrier is improving.
How does the process start?
CHI begins with an initiating visit, which may be a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit when performed by the practitioner who will bill for the CHI services. During the visit, the clinician identifies the unmet transportation barrier and determines whether it significantly limits their ability to diagnose or treat the patient.
If CHI is recommended, the patient receives an explanation of the service, cost sharing, voluntary participation, and the one-practitioner-per-month rule. Consent is documented before services begin.
Struggling to get to your appointments? Call our team to learn if CHI might help.
Call (800) 303-1766