Millions of Medicare Advantage and Medicaid health plan members depend on non-emergency medical transportation to get to and from their healthcare appointments. This service helps reduce costly hospital readmissions and improves health outcomes.
According to Around the Sound, several ride-hailing and technology companies are partnering with healthcare and insurance providers to make getting rides to and from their medical appointments easier. Here are a few trailblazers.
Personalized Services
Many elderly and disabled individuals find transportation to their medical appointments challenging. Finding a way to get to these appointments is vital to their overall health and can be a source of stress, especially if they are dependent on family or other sources for assistance. Fortunately, there are new services that help those with limited mobility or chronic illnesses get to their medical appointments safely and on time.
Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) is an important service for seniors and people with disabilities who have trouble traveling on their own. It is often provided through Medicaid and requires that patients provide an attestation in person or electronically so that they have no other transportation options.
NEMT services can be expensive and difficult to coordinate, but some companies offer more affordable and convenient solutions. One example is Roundtrip, which allows healthcare providers to schedule rides for their clients using an online tool. These rides can be scheduled on-demand or months in advance to coincide with an appointment. The company’s 24-7 navigation center monitors the rides and ensures the patient gets to their destination. Their partners report that no-show rates are less than 4%, five times better than the national average.
Another innovative option is Heal, which brings a doctor to patients at their homes. This service is available through a partnership with insurance providers and costs $159 per visit, but nearly 20 insurers cover it. This service eliminates the need for patients to travel to an office and avoids the spread of contagious diseases like the flu. It also helps those who are too sick to go to the doctor and must stay home instead.
In addition to medical appointment transportation, some companies offer non-emergency transport for people who need to go out and shop or run errands. For example, Express Medical Transporters offers a fleet of 350 non-emergency vehicles, including wheelchair and stretcher assistance vans. They also have a dedicated van for cancer and dialysis patients.
Uber’s rideshare app has recently expanded to include a feature for medical appointments. Healthcare professionals can use the Uber Health dashboard or API to request rides for their patients on demand or for a future date. They can even select specific vehicles and options, including if the driver is wheelchair accessible.
Flexibility
In many areas, non-emergency medical transportation services (NEMT) are offered through Medicaid programs and private health insurance. This transportation can be provided directly by the provider or through a transport broker.
The benefits of these services include convenience and safety. They can help those with mobility challenges get to appointments on time without having to rely on friends or family for rides. In addition, they can be very affordable. A database analysis found that NEMT reduced monthly per-person expenditures for a chronic condition by an average of $18. This is a significant saving for patients who must pay out-of-pocket for these services.
NEMT services are available for emergency and routine needs, including doctor’s visits, medical tests, and vaccinations. The service providers work with local communities to provide flexibility and options, such as scheduling rides on a regular basis or offering a schedule that can be booked on demand. Often, NEMT services also have access to vehicles that can accommodate wheelchairs and other medical devices.
The state runs some NEMT services; others are contracted with rideshare or taxi companies. This is especially common in rural areas where the availability of public transportation can be limited. Some states and health insurance companies partner with local companies to offer cost savings and various transportation options.
For example, Hunter EMS in Missouri offers a service called HealthTran. This program is a partnership between the hospital, community, transit agency, and ride-sourcing companies to deliver transportation solutions that address a patient’s needs. It was profiled in a 2016 Rural Monitor article.
Then there are services like Roundtrip, which provides an online tool for health administrators to order rides for their patients. These rides can be scheduled on-demand or months in advance to coincide with the appointment and are tracked by a 24/7 navigation center. They can even include a note about whether the client needs a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. They report no-show rates of less than 4%, five times better than the national average.
Medical appointment transport is essential for people with disabilities or chronic conditions to make it to their doctor’s appointments. It helps them maintain their independence and avoid missing important appointments, which could significantly impact their health.
Safety
Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) is offered to patients who face extraordinary barriers getting to and from healthcare appointments. The services are often reimbursed by Medicaid and Medicare as long as the transport meets the medical necessity criteria.
With the help of reliable medical appointment transport, seniors and disabled people are able to go where they need to be without worrying about how they will get there. Whether they are going to their doctor’s office for an appointment or need to be picked up from a hospital after discharge, the transport company will provide a safe and comfortable ride to their destination.
In addition, some of these companies offer GPS tracking safety and random curbside checks for added security. Moreover, they are available round-the-clock to pick up and drop off patients. In addition, they offer private-pay and Medicaid billing solutions. They are known for their professional and compassionate services to the elderly and disabled communities. They also communicate with families to keep them updated about their loved one’s transportation status.
Reliability
Medical appointments are a regular part of life for many people with limited mobility or other health issues. Getting to these appointments can be difficult without reliable transportation. Fortunately, several innovative medical appointment transportation services are helping to solve this problem. These companies are partnering with rideshare service providers to provide patients with a ride to their doctor’s appointments. These services are more cost-effective than traditional taxis and are often covered by insurance.
One such company is SafeRide, which provides an end-to-end solution that reimagines non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT). This service connects health plans, healthcare providers, and transportation providers through a digital marketplace that makes booking a ride easy. The platform also offers transparency and technological innovation that is unprecedented in NEMT. In addition, it has been shown to reduce no-show rates and improve healthcare outcomes.
Another service is MedTran, which offers wheelchair transportation to individuals with disabilities or other health conditions that prevent them from using a vehicle. The company is able to provide door-to-door transportation to doctors’ appointments, dialysis sessions, x-rays, lab work, and drug store trips. It can also assist with grocery shopping and errands. The company has more than 100 vehicles in the region and is staffed with caring, experienced drivers and support staff.
Other services that help to ensure that a person can get to their medical appointments include a program from Johnson Health Center in Virginia. This service offers free rides to Amherst County, Lynchburg, Bedford, and Campbell Counties clients. The transportation vans are available Monday through Thursday from 7 am to 7 pm and for specialty referral appointments on Friday. The MA Program must pre-approve the transportation provider to schedule this type of transportation. An adult must accompany minor children.
While these innovative transportation services may be helpful, not everyone can afford them. If you struggle to pay for a medical appointment transport service, consider asking friends or family members to partner with you. This way, each person can take turns driving you to your appointments. This will save you money and make it easier for your loved ones to help you stay on track with your medical care.
