Advancements Offering Better Access, Care to Rural Populations

Rural populations face special challenges when it comes to health care. Being a rural patient can mean driving at length for appointments, having trouble finding the right clinic for you, and relying on friends and family for assistance.
 
Fortunately, recent health care trends show that more services are beginning to cater to rural areas. From opening new facilities to dedicating special resources, health care service providers are reaching out to rural people more than ever before.
 
Home Health Care
 
As more and more rural Americans turn to home health care because of the additional ease and comfort it provides, companies are stepping up to meet the rising demand. HealthKeeperz is one of the health care providers dedicating more resources to rural care.
 
Home health care attracts many rural folks because it lessens some of the burdens that they otherwise face in getting medical treatment: transportation, logistical difficulties, disruption of day-to-day life. Working with your doctor, companies such as HealthKeeperz send medical professionals, like registered nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and medical social workers, directly to rural homes. This makes life easier for the people who normally struggle to find care that’s convenient, nearby, and accessible.
 
Rural home health brings that care right to your door.
 
Telehealth
 
The term “telehealth,” which is relatively new to the healthcare scene, refers to the use of technology for long-distance clinical health care. It may involve consultation, diagnosis, and/or administration of treatment. Telehealth can be conducted via videoconferencing, web chat, mobile devices, and remote patient monitoring tools. It may be provided in conjunction with home health or hospital care, or by itself.
 
Telehealth has become an increasingly popular choice for rural populations due to its convenience; it significantly reduces or eliminates the need to travel to a clinical provider, and telehealth interactions provide real-time support and feedback to the patient. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has improved coverage of this service in recent months, making telehealth more viable than ever for many rural Americans.
 
Medicaid Expansion
 
Beyond just telehealth, CMS has expanded the scope of its services in general of late. Federal assistance and expanded eligibility have extended Medicaid coverage to thousands of people – many of them living in rural areas – who didn’t previously think it was possible. Some people have a misconception that for older adults, Medicaid covers only nursing home placement, but coverage is much broader than that: Medicaid can help pay for inpatient services, home health care, telehealth, and more.
 
Programs like the Community Alternatives Program (CAP)—which we help administer at HealthKeeperz—provide elderly and disabled adults with home health support services.
 
In conclusion, high-quality and convenient healthcare is no longer out-of-reach for rural populations. Rural access has expanded across different categories – like home health, telehealth and Medicaid – giving folks plenty of options to meet their healthcare needs. In many cases, a combination of these services is the best way to manage your health. HealthKeeperz, working with your doctor, can reduce the need for physician’s visits and help you enjoy a better quality of life.
 
Please contact us at 800-309-3784 to begin a conversation.

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