H ealthcare organizations that include home care programs could be facing problems as gasoline prices continue to rise. Many home care technicians and registered nurses such as the Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) typically are responsible for their own transportation costs and rely on government reimbursement during tax time. But when fuel costs are out pacing mileage reimbursement rates the scales of equity tip and likely patients will be the ones to suffer.
With rising fuel costs it is possible that VNA nurses and home care aids could be forced to cut back on the number of home visits they make to compensate for the added expenses in travel. If this is realized it could place some patients in a difficult position when they are in need of regular care. If this happens local emergency departments could see a rise in non-urgent care and increased EMS traffic, to say nothing of the additional costs. For some patients in remote locations that depend on home visits access to care could be a real problem.
Article in
Medical News Today. Follow up article in
The Washington Times.
With rising fuel costs it is possible that VNA nurses and home care aids could be forced to cut back on the number of home visits they make to compensate for the added expenses in travel. If this is realized it could place some patients in a difficult position when they are in need of regular care. If this happens local emergency departments could see a rise in non-urgent care and increased EMS traffic, to say nothing of the additional costs. For some patients in remote locations that depend on home visits access to care could be a real problem.
Article in Medical News Today.
Follow up article in The Washington Times.