Analysis of Transportation Barriers to Utilization of Medicare Services by American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Medicare Beneficiaries

The purpose of this task order is to design a protocol and instrument to perform the analysis of transportation barriers to utilization of Medicare services by American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) beneficiaries. Subsequently, the protocol and instrument would be implemented in remote locations to collect data on the impact of transportation on Medicare beneficiaries' behavior in utilizing non-emergency services. The goal behind this research project is to provide baseline data on the access to and quality of health care for AI/AN Medicare beneficiaries residing in tribal communities, as a consequence of transportation. Tribal Affairs Group (TAG) anticipates such knowledge will be of great value to policy makers, CMS, IHS, tribes, and states; and will also provide information that may be of value to other rural and isolated communities and populations. As both health disparities and health care reform are increasingly topics of national interest, assessing the impact of transportation related barriers to access for health care services may be a critical component in those discussions and policy decisions. Proposals for research will be assessed according to the extent that results will realistically approach the goal.