Dr. Shattuck sees thousands of Tennesseans losing their jobs because of COVID-19, and therefore being unable to access the screenings and preventive care they need to stay healthy.
Dr. Shattuck runs HouseCall Primary Care, a doctor’s office that cares for patients who are unable to travel to a clinic. Their patients are elderly or have severe physical disabilities or chronic conditions that make it impossible for them to go out and seek the care they need.
The majority of Dr. Shattuck’s patients are covered by TennCare Medicaid, which makes it possible for them to access the treatments, medications and services they need through HouseCall Primary Care. “One of the most gratifying parts of our practice is when we get to see a new patient, and the patient is talking about having hope: ‘I’m so glad to see you, thank you for coming out to my house, I don’t know what I would do without you.’”
Dr. Shattuck also sees his patients using the hospital and emergency room less after just a few months of having primary care delivered to their home and knows that Medicaid has made that possible. “If our patients didn’t have TennCare Medicaid, they would not have a provider, and it’s just that simple.”
Dr. Shattuck’s office also gets calls from patients who need these services, but do not qualify for TennCare Medicaid. “That’s one of the most devastating parts of our practice: the calls we get from folks that are in desperate need, that have serious health difficulties, and we can’t serve them because they don’t have TennCare Medicaid. They don’t have any payer source and we simply can’t provide them any care or get them any help.”