Welcome to the inaugural edition of NEMT Today, the official publication of the Non Emergency Medical Transportation Commission and the first national publication devoted entirely to the NEMT industry. We want it to be informative, current, forward leaning and at times entertaining or even contrary, but above all useful to providers, buyers, regulators and other NEMT stakeholders. The NEMT industry is undergoing unprecedented transformation driven by a confluence of factors including new technologies, the growing understanding of the role of transportation and other social determinants of health (SDOH) on morbidity, mortality and cost, and data-driven research demonstrating the enormous ROI from quality NEMT services. Once a backwater of EMS, NEMT has become a $12B industry with over a million trips a day provided mostly by small businesses and now increasingly very large corporations. The industry will continue to rapidly grow and transform as we live longer, demand increases and technology advances. I am honored to serve as the founding Board President of NEMTAC, an organization driven by volunteers with a shared vision to establish standards and provide resources to the NEMT industry. Key to our mission is the growing support from our corporate sponsors and a range of industry professional providing their time, talent and token to serve on advisory boards tasked with developing NEMT standards. I thank each and all of you for your commitment and support of NEMTAC. We hope you enjoy this first issue of NEMT Today. Tell us what you think and let us know if there are any topics you would like to see covered in the future. Enjoy,
Table of Contents Letter from NEMTAC President...............................................................................3 NEMTAC is Addressing Unique Challenges............................................................6 5 Ways Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Must Change in 2019............9 Announcing First Annual NEMTAC Conference...................................................11 National NEMT Report: Examining the Effects of NEMT Brokerages on Transportation Coordination...................................................................12 The Evaluation of Certifications ...........................................................................16 Closing the Gap on Healthcare Quality...............................................................18 Partnering Together to Remove Transportation as a Barrier to Care .............20 LogistiCare Acquisition of Circulation Having a Transformative Effect on NEMT..........................................................................................23 Integrating NEMT into an Ambulance Service.....................................................24 From Paper & Phone Calls to a Complete Software Solution............................28 How Important is Revenue to your NEMT Company..........................................30 How to Choose an NEMT Software.......................................................................31 From the Executive Director..................................................................................38 New NEMT Drivers and Customer Service...........................................................42
We wouldn't be where we are today without the support of our generous founding corporate sponsors!
A Letter from NEMTAC's President
Douglas Allen, MD, Board Member
Gail Bauhs, Board Member
Board of Directors
Steve Lewis, President
Stanton Sipes, Board Member
Advisory Board Members
Peter Hicks, Secretary
Christopher Kelly, Board Member
Maggie Adams, Owner, EMS Financial Services Kelly Addy, Owner, Clear Choice Express Michael Adelberg, Principal and Healthcare Strategy, Faegre Baker Daniels Jim Adkins, Owner, SouthStar Emergency Medical Services Jonathon Anthon, National Sales Director, RoutingBox Carlos Ayestas, VP of Client Relations, Priority Transportation Services Howard Berkowitz, VP Business Operations, H&S Personal Car Service & Consulting, Inc. Dori Boyle, Medicaid Program Specialist, Idaho Department of Health & Welfare Sufian Chowdhury, Founder and CEO, Kinetik Healthcare Solutions Larry Dorsey, Regional Director of Business Development, MedicOne Medical Response Travis Draney, Owner, Nonpareil Care Tom Fairhurst, President, Highland Patient Transport Laura Fleet, CEO and Co-Founder, SendaRide Myron Hammes, Managing Partner, Schedule Viewer Sarah Hope, CEO & Founder, Vertical Identity Background Screening & Drug Testing Jessica Hylander, Director of Healthcare Compliance, First Transit Tom James, EMS Medical Director and Prehospital Program Mgr, NFP P&C Insurance Svc. Rick Little, President, WheelCare Miriam Manary, Senior Engineering Research Associate, The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute Russ Maxwell, Owner / CEO, Medical Answering Services (MAS) Brendan McNiff, Director of Transportation, RoundTrip Mark Porterfield, Owner, Caliber Care+Transport Anantha Rao, CTO & COO, WellRyde Dan Reid, Owner, Grove Transit Ray Shanahan, Director of Sales, Medic-CE Jason Stempin, Commercial Business Development Manager, Vantage Mobility International (VMI) Robbins Schrader, Co-Founder and CEO, SafeRide Health Scott West, CEO, NEMT Solutions, LLC
Michael Shabkie, Founder/ Treasurer
David Marhoffer, Board Member, not pictured
Robert Brown, Vice President
About the Author
 Michael Shabkie in the Founder of Non Emergency Medical Transportation Accreditation Commission (NEMTAC). He has also served as a key collaborator for EMS system design, developed winning RFP contracting strategies, managed political and public affairs, and has acted as an executive advisor on operational processes for both NEMT and ambulance organizations.
NEMTAC is Addressing the Unique Challenges the Patient, Payers and Providers Face in the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Industry The Non Emergency Medical Transportation Accreditation Commission (NEMTAC) is a nonprofit healthcare organization dedicated to championing standards and best practices between providers and those in need of non-emergency medical transportation. According to a recent American Hospital Association study on Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), hospitals and health systems are recognizing that social, economic and environmental factors affect the opportunities that patients and their families must engage in healthy behaviors, which ultimately improves health outcomes. Issue 1- Missed appointments and the resulting delays in care cost the health system $150 billion each year in the U.S. When a patient is unable to find or afford a ride, costs accrue for patients, caregivers, providers, insurers and taxpayers. Health care systems lose revenue from missed appointments because of the effects on delivery, cost of care and resource planning. Issue 2 - Patients frequently identify transportation barriers as a major reason for missing health care appointments. Missed appointments are associated with increased medical care costs for the patient, disruption of patient care and provider-patient relationships, delayed care and increased emergency department visits. Issue 3 - Patients are less likely to fill prescriptions if they experience transportation issues. According to one study, 65 percent of patients said transportation assistance would help with prescriptions fills after discharge. Studies have shown that restriction of Medicaid payments for transportation resulted in decreased prescription refills. Hospitals and health systems can address patients’ transportation needs and improve the health of their communities by implementing a variety of strategies, including: Understanding and assessing the impact of transportation on public health Supporting policy and infrastructure programs aimed to improve transportation access and to create safer, healthier transportation options Investing resources in understanding patients’ transportation needs Providing mobile clinics or direct transportation services through community partnerships or programs Using technology, such as providing telehealth options, to reduce travel time for patients By making the commitment to address transportation barriers and building partnerships with community organizations and other entities, hospitals and health
systems can improve transportation and health care access for patients and families and create more equitable, healthier communities. NEMTAC is addressing the challenges noted in the American Hospital Association study in a comprehensive manner by: Developing American National Standards NEMTAC is dedicated to ensuring safe medical transportation and has a role in the establishment of American National Standards that affect our industry. Our standards development activities have a broad scope, ranging from high-quality customer care, safe vehicle operations, life safety and ethical business practices. National Accreditation for Transportation Providers NEMTAC offers the only national accreditation program designed to enhance and promote the quality of care in America’s medical transportation system (non-ambulance). Obtaining accreditation distinguishes an organization and signifies to its customer and stakeholders that they have met the NEMT industry standards of excellence. NEMTAC’s comprehensive accreditation process often exceeds those established by state or local regulators and are designed to increase utilization, serve as a market differentiator and decrease liability. Certification Programs for the NEMT Professional NEMTAC has teamed up with Medic-CE to provide exceptional online education to the non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) industry. This innovative partnership combines Medic-CE’s dedication to high standards of content development and innovative technology delivery with NEMTAC’s critical mission to provide national standards, company accreditation and professional development programs to the dedicated medical transportation providers throughout the United States.
Each year, our country’s Medicaid agencies and managed care plans spend nearly $6 billion getting Medicaid members to and from healthcare appointments as part of their NEMT benefits. That seems like a massive expenditure until you consider how investing in a $30 ride that ensures someone gets to dialysis or sees their primary care physician after having cardiac symptoms can reduce emergency room visits, improve long-term health outcomes, and reduce overall healthcare costs. It’s been estimated that for every $1 spent on NEMT, somewhere between $8 and $11 could be saved in unnecessary medical expense. Technology-enabled transportation services and new rideshare service models have transformed the expectations of consumers over the past five years, and while some of those breakthroughs have made it to the healthcare industry, million of Americans still struggle with getting to their healthcare appointments. To improve those outcomes (while also reducing costs), we believe healthcare transportation must: Adapt performance advancements from consumer ridesharing for healthcare
 There are new standards in consumer transportation around real-time GPS tracking, trip status, and supply and demand matching. Today’s consumers request a vehicle, watch it drive up on a map and hop in five minutes later. That same sort of transparency, reliability, and responsiveness should be standard in NEMT programs. Put transparency at the core – of everything
 Many large payers spend upwards of $20, $30, $40 and even $100 million dollars annually on NEMT programs but have little detail about actual outcomes of services carried out and how their budgets are impacting patients. Payers should have access to real-time tracking of all data and dashboards available 24/7. Bring the economic efficiencies of rideshare models to plans and taxpayers
 Ridesharing allows private vehicles to deliver transportation services at a fraction of the cost, but today’s consumer TNCs aren’t setup for the needs of healthcare patients. Ridesharing models specifically built for NEMT can maximize these economic benefits so that they are felt by taxpayers. Use technology to ensure control of fraud, waste, and abuse
 Like any social service of this scale, some unscrupulous providers and individuals try to abuse or defraud the system to get free rides or to bill for rides that never occurred. Paper records rely on self-reported data for trip activity. Sophisticated technology systems can comb through transaction data to spot suspicious patterns or anomalies and flag for review, ensuring that the appropriate resources are available to those who need the service.
5 Ways Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) Must Change in 2019
5 Ways...
5. Make communication between NEMT brokers and healthcare providers seamless, in real time
While ridesharing can play a greater role in providing more flexible capacity and economic advantages, traditional commercial providers will still play a vital role for many NEMT trips – especially those requiring specialized equipment such as a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. However, it’s critical that NEMT brokers help providers modernize and share information and the efficiencies created through the use of technology, tablets, and GPS tracking. We live in a world where technology exists to track, monitor, analyze, improve and mobilize resources in real time, on time, every time. Today’s technology is affordable and can help industries significantly save while simultaneously delivering better performance. NEMT is certainly not alone in its challenges to adapt, but in 2019, it’s possible and absolutely crucial that adaptation takes place.
b. Negotiate operations practices and reimbursements rates for transit providers to recoup directs costs for delivering NEMT services. NEMT and paratransit software can help both organizations track important data to identify who their customers are, trip volume and costs, and service demands in different geographic regions. With this data in hand, NEMT brokers and transit agencies can sit down at the negotiating table and work out a mutually beneficial rate for the transit agency to provide NEMT services, in addition to their unfunded mandate to provide ADA paratransit services. With the rising demand for NEMT services and pressure on organizations to control spending under the Managed Care structure, duplication of services is bad news for everyone. But scheduling software like TripSpark’s NovusMED can help connect everyone in the NEMT ecosystem, whether for rate negotiations or improved customer service.
National NEMT Report: Examining the Effects on Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Brokerages on Transportation Coordination Top 4 Takeaways from the TCRB Report 202 The Transit Cooperative Research Board Report 202 looks at what is influencing state Medicaid agencies to set up separate NEMT brokerages, and the effects this is having on customers, transit and human services transportation. Looking for the Reader’s Digest version of this substantial 171-page report, “Handbook for Examining the Effects of Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Brokerages on Transportation Coordination� We’ve got you covered. 1. Demand for NEMT services is increasing because of the aging population and the additional 17.2 million individuals who enrolled in Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid Expansion. 2. There is a trend for states to create statewide or regional NEMT brokerages that are separate from locally coordinated transit systems, with 86 percent of states using a broker model in 2017. As the healthcare system evolves, Managed Care Organizations are becoming more prevalent and are taking over administration of Medicaid and NEMT services. 3. The report found there is a risk that these trends may lead to less coordination of transportation resources and make it harder for vulnerable people to arrange their trips. Case studies are finding that rural agencies are losing revenue and matching-fund opportunities because of this fragmentation. 4. Medicaid brokers and Managed Care Organizations are looking to control NEMT costs, improve customer service and increase human transportation coordination. The report looked at a number of ways that technology can help with these three goals. a. Using scheduling and reporting software to improve NEMT program administration. Software can connect providers and brokers, through automated data exchange and in-vehicle apps. A member can request a trip, then the software determines eligibility and selects the least costly, most appropriate provider. The date, time and location of the trip is tracked and trip confirmation data is sent back to the provider for billing and auditing purposes. Members are reminded about upcoming trips by notifications of their choosing and can book return will-call trips online. By allowing all of these various groups – riders, drivers, and brokers - to communicate through a single platform, everyone is accessing the right information.
training for their employees, it shows a good-faith effort to apply best practices. So, let’s say that you agree that training and education is great, but think that you can do it quicker and cheaper by buying a book and handing it over to your staff- mission accomplished right? Maybe not. Training and education should be a step toward an actual certification. Why? Because certifications show that your employee not only read the materials at some point in their past, but that they also understand how to apply them to their job and that they have kept up with changes over time. This happens because certification programs have professionally developed curriculum, have validation tests for completion, and have continuing educational requirements that guarantee the employee’s training is not outdated and thereby potentially wrong or even dangerous. Think of it this way: Some of the benefits of certification to an individual include: Evidences knowledge in a specific job-related area Increases the employee’s value to an organization Instills respect, recognition and credibility among peers in an industry Increases ability to compete in the job market, possibly at a higher salary There are also benefits of certification to an employer: Increases the level of competency of the individual Encourages and improves job performance and job satisfaction Provides opportunity to acknowledge an individual who has achieved a high level of training Increases the confidence of business partners who see certified professionals in your organization When outsiders view your service or company, whether it be other businesses, auditors, investigators, or litigators, what do you want them to see? A company that operates under an “ignorance is bliss†mentality, or one that strives for perfection by having educated and certified employees? I can assure you, the latter is going to be viewed in a much more favorable light. Christopher Kelly is an attorney with the law firm Page, Wolfberg & Wirth. Nothing in this article is intended as legal advice. For questions Chris can be reached at ckelly@pwwemslaw.com
The Evaluation of Certifications- why those letters after your name aren’t just for clinical staff any longer. By: Chris Kelly, Attorney, Page, Wolfberg, & Wirth EMT, NREMT, EMT-P, CCEMT-P, RN, MD… there are a lot of certifications in EMS and healthcare, and each one tells us something about the person who’s name they follow. Because each of these represents a standard, structured, objective course of training, these letters tell us a lot about that person’s affiliations, education, and skill-set before we ever even meet them. For more than 10 years I have been involved with the Georgia EMS Leadership program. More recently I have also become involved in some new projects: I have accepted a seat on the board of directors for the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Accreditation Commission (NEMTAC) which provides education and credentialing for non-ambulance medical transportation providers (such as wheelchair van services and their drivers), and I have begun teaching courses for the National Academy of Ambulance Compliance (NAAC) which provides training and certification of ambulance suppliers’ administrative staff in the areas of coding, billing and HIPAA compliance. Some have asked me if education and certification is really necessary for these non-clinical positions. My answer is an absolute and resounding YES! And this has nothing to do with me having an interest in these organizations (NEMTAC board members are all volunteers, and I have no incentive to enroll anyone in any class that I teach- whether it’s attended by 1 or 100, it’s the same to me), it is because I understand the goals of and appreciate the work that goes into these certification programs that I have become involved with them. We all seem to recognize that EMTs and Paramedics need training, certifications and licensing, perhaps because it is required under state laws. But if it wasn’t required, would our clinical staff need any less training? Of course not, their training is there to protect the patients they serve. The training of other staff members serves a similar purpose, it protects your company! You may have heard of the Peter principle- that employees rise to the level of their incompetence. This principle is not as bad as it may sound, all it really means is that good employees get promoted, even if it means taking them from jobs where they have excelled and putting them into higher positions where they may not have the tools to continue being successful.This is often the case when an employee good at one job is promoted to another position that they are not familiar with. However, when you have training options, there is no need to follow that path, and in healthcare, the most regulated industry in our country, there is simply no room or excuse for doing so. Job-specific training allows employees to better perform. It also shows that employers care that these job functions are performed up to professional standards. When employers require, or even pay for, this
"This powerful combination gives them greater visibility into drivers’ rides which helps reduce cancellations, enhances billing, requires less time on phone calls and helps grow their businesses through higher overall trip volumes and a 40-to-70 percent increase in ride cost-savings."
on raising it. The creation of the Accreditation Commission will help set acceptable standards by working with all employee levels within a transportation company to develop, monitor and maintain an acceptable industry standard. Now, for the first time, Roundtrip can offer to their health system and their patient clients that they can take comfort in knowing their NEMT provider is qualified, certified and meets the new measurement of the ‘industry standardâ€. This is the new way of driving positive change in patient experience from the very beginning to the very end of the patient journey. "Unlike the Ambulance Services, there was not an external means of peer review to ensure that the quality metrics mattered."
Closing the Gap on Healthcare Quality: Ratings for Medical Transportation Providers, Not Just Health Systems BY Brendan McNiff, Director of Transporation, Roundtrip When healthcare systems coordinate transportation for their patients, often they rely on the NEMT (non emergency medical transportation) network to provide that service. Yet most healthcare systems take for granted that the transportation provider has been certified, is qualified and maintains a compliance standard that meets or even exceeds the “industry standardâ€. While accreditation and quality-scoring for health systems are very well known and respected, such as HCAHPS surveys, there hasn’t been a designated entity in place to set the standards for NEMT. Fortunately, there are NEMT providers that have set their own standards and provide exemplary service to their clients. But without a “formal standardâ€, the benchmarks have become very subjective and allow for variations between transportation providers. providers. This has led to patients and health systems experiencing widely different interactions with the NEMT network. Upon the formation of Roundtrip, it was my responsibility and goal to ensure that our provider network was appropriately licensed and credentialed and met the state/federal certification requirements to provide safe and timely transport. As we embarked on this journey, I very quickly identified the transportation providers who would fit into our mold. Drawing on nearly three decades of experience in medical transportation, I was able to quickly identify the providers who would meet the standards of what we sought: · Ongoing employee training programs · Defined clinical and patient experience practices · Documented fleet maintenance program · Quality standards for all employees · Service recovery programs However, what I found was a smattering of these things, and each was tailored to an internal measure of standard that was measured against itself. In other words, unlike the Ambulance Services, there was not an external means of peer review to ensure that the quality metrics mattered. Through no fault of the providers, as they all shared a vision of excellence, they had a missing link: An external scorecard by a peer review committee. Until recently, these providers did not have a peer group to help them set attainable goals and measurable standards. In December 2018, the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Accreditation Commission (NEMTAC) was formed to do just that. The task to raise the bar in any industry is best accomplished when you have a level set of criteria and several teams working
provider-patient interactions results in better healthcare outcomes. Across the industry patients will also benefit in other ways as the new technology provides improved online and mobile app experiences that increase the operational efficiencies of transportation providers which result in reduced driver no-shows and late arrivals. –Peter Hicks, Assistant General Manager of Texas, LogistiCare
Partnering Together to Remove Transportation as a Barrier to Care By Dan Trigub, Head of Business Development, Uber Health With rides available at the tap of a button, Uber has changed the way people live their lives in ways that were never expected - from helping seniors regain their independence to providing newfound mobility to those living in underserved areas to offering a safe alternative to drinking and driving. To help remove transportation as a barrier to healthcare, we recognized the importance of partnering directly with healthcare organizations to build a solution that fit their unique needs: Uber Health. Every year, 3.6 million Americans miss doctor appointments due to a lack of reliable transportation - and these barriers to transportation are greatest for vulnerable populations, including patients with the highest burden of chronic disease. By partnering together with the healthcare industry and providing access an expansive network of drivers, Uber Health is making a clear impact on patient outcomes and care. For our early partner MedStar Health, those results included an increase in schedule-fill rates by 5 to 10 percent and a transportation budget that went 40 percent further. Results like this are possible because the Uber Health platform was built by closely collaborating with healthcare organizations to meet their unique needs. To ensure Uber Health met HIPAA standards, we took the time to develop, implement, and customize numerous safeguards - working with Clearwater Compliance, a leading HIPAA compliance company, to conduct comprehensive risk and compliance assessments. We sought feedback from 100 pilot partners on the Uber Health dashboard, making sure the process was as easy as possible for healthcare professionals to order rides for those they care for going to and from appointments and other key destinations. Coordinators can schedule rides on behalf of patients, caregivers and staff to take place immediately, within a few hours, or up to 30 days in advance - allowing for transportation to be scheduled for follow-up appointments while still at the healthcare facility. Riders do not need the Uber app, or even a smartphone, to get a ride with Uber Health. Organizations can easily keep track of what they’re spending on rides. Now with more than 1,000 Uber Health customers, we continue to learn from our partners in the healthcare industry to expand access to transportation and create innovative solutions to further simplify the day-to-day workflow for care managers. We believe that ridesharing and Uber Health have the potential to significantly improve mobility for people with disabilities. Taking another step towards expanding access to Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) on the Uber app, we teamed up with MV Transportation, a national third-party
transportation provider, to bring their fleet of drivers and hundreds of WAVs on to our app in several cities. Thanks to our work with MV Transportation and other providers, Uber riders in wheelchairs can now get picked up by a WAV in 15 minutes or less on average for trips in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago, and Toronto. With a public Uber Health API, we are also focused on expanding easy integrations into existing healthcare products. The API enables our partners to build Uber Health’s full functionality within the familiar software they’re already using at scale, which makes for a seamless addition to workflows and minimizes any overhead training for employees. Our partner Ride Health uses deep integrations to coordinate both on-demand Uber rides and rides with hundreds of local NEMT services which provide wheelchair-accessible, door-to-door, door-through-door, stretcher van and non-emergency ambulance levels of service. Together, we’ve made great progress - and it’s by working together that we will fully break down transportation as a barrier to care.
The partnership is demonstrating how brokers can enhance operational efficiency and seamlessly integrate their processes with those of their transportation providers. It is a blueprint for the industry that will eliminate barriers to transportation for organizations seeking better access to care for their constituencies. We are excited for the efficiencies transportation providers will realize. This powerful combination gives them greater visibility into drivers’ rides which helps reduce cancellations, enhances billing (and thus allows them to be remunerated in a timelier fashion), requires less time on phone calls and helps grow their businesses through higher overall trip volumes and a 40-to-70 percent increase in ride cost-savings. Extended Benefits The technology’s effectiveness is further borne out in a recent study commissioned by Circulation that shows an average 25-to-70 percent reduction in patient no-shows due to transportation issues. A deeper examination reveals a 50 percent decrease in patients arriving late for appointments, a 15-to-82 percent improvement in follow up visits and a 15 percent lower rate of members opting out when compared to levels previously noted. Patient experiences for hospitals, health systems, clinics and other facilities will improve as they spend less time scheduling and tracking rides and more time with patients. Across the industry patients will also benefit in other ways as the new technology provides improved online and mobile app experiences.
LogistiCare Acquisition of Circulation Having a Transformative Effect on NEMT By Peter Hicks, Director Client Services- Texas, LogistiCare In the five months since LogistiCare finalized its 2018 acquisition of Circulation, one result has come into clear focus. The integration of the latter’s innovative solutions into the nation’s largest non-emergency medical transportation network for state governments and managed care organizations is having a strong, positive impact on the NEMT and healthcare industries. For Circulation, the partnership is taking LogistiCare’s model and advancing it to the next level by enhancing data interaction in a way that more effectively addresses client and customer needs. It places the NEMT industry’s technology support and communications capabilities on the leading edge of 21st century technology. A New Paradigm LogistiCare’s acquisition of Circulation is helping advance the industry in many ways. It brings the best of both companies’ know-how, built over 35-plus combined years of experience,to the forefront; industry expertise and scale from LogistiCare, and Circulation’s innovative technology platform and differentiated user experience.
Integrating NEMT into an Ambulance Service By Jim Adkins, Owner,SouthStar Emergency Medical Services The world of medical transportation continues to evolve. More and more it is a vast complexity of details and requirements that must be met for non-emergency ambulance transportation to be covered by Medicare and other insurance programs that change requirements frequently. Ambulance services is its own specialty with hundreds of codes and its own terminology, at SouthStar EMS we evaluate requests as a dynamic part of our efforts to qualify and send the most appropriate level of transport based on the patient's needs, condition and destination. 24 Hours a day we strive to render excellence in services to our patients and the host of facilities & agencies that depend upon SouthStar. Many well meaning persons think they know what Medicare pays for. An example is a planned discharge from a hospital, the patient has Medicare Part A, but not Part B....so there is no coverage for ambulance transport. Another example is the patient has Part B Medicare but can ride by wheelchair or stretcher van (both are non-covered service by Medicare). Medicare has a simple requirement, the ambulance patient must be bedbound and transportation by ANY other means is medically not appropriate. Often we are told the patient is on oxygen and that is the sole "qualifying reason" , this is simply false, how many people have you seen in Wal-Mart with their oxygen on? Each ambulance transport requires specific medical necessity for non-emergency transport, currently the only exception is for Emergency transport to an emergency room. (Medicare is looking at abuse of this use of ambulances and even our area ER's are often filled with non-urgent patients who used emergency ambulances for transport to an ER thinking they get in the line faster, just not accurate) Ambulance transport when not appropriate becomes the most expensive Taxi Cab. Private Health Insurance normally will pay a portion of the ambulance fees for emergency transportation by ambulance, but for non-emergency transport by ambulance many require a PA--prior authorization. Without a PA no payment is forthcoming. Sadly many are miss-informed by replacement insurance providers into believing ambulance is a covered service, simply put its rare for private insurances to pay for non-emergency ambulance services and when they do the amounts are small leaving the patient with the remainder. Another dramatic example: a Local Nursing Facility had a 96 year old lady with chest pains. She was transported as an emergency to a local hospital ER. She was treated and her condition resolved, now she needed transport back to the facility, under Medicare Part B she qualified, but her family had sought to save money so they had moved her to a replacement insurance plan, which only pays for emergency transport....there is no way to qualify her to go back to a nursing facility with chest pain, so the family had to pay the ambulance fees. Years ago I created ATS Services a highly valuable alternative to ambulance
transportation. SouthStar's Alternative Transport Services are very cost efficient, are comprised of professionally trained & certified staff who can provide local and long distant transports by stretcher or wheelchair. Our Teams are fully trained, credentialed and equipped with specialty Vans which carry AED, Oxygen, 1st Aid kits operated by skilled certified staff that safely move patients for appointments, discharges and doctor appointments. SouthStar's ATS, is a service which can make the appropriately make the transport and save the patient a lot of money at the same time. SouthStar's teams of professionals strive to provide each patient and family with the mode of transport that fits your needs. Emergencies always receive a professionally certified Team of Emergency Medical Technicians (Paramedics) who are equipped to handle any emergency situations. Have you ever received a high invoice for services by ambulance that were denied for lack of medical necessity? Often times this situation started when the transport was not properly screened and information obtained to guide the transport to the correct mode, resulting in an ambulance being used when a stretcher van was perfectly appropriate. Insist your non-emergency transport services are screened and the most appropriate transport is used. Confused, unsure...call us or have your family, nurse, discharge planner contact SouthStar. Jim Adkins started in EMS 1969 in Augusta Ga and is the owner of SouthStar Emergency Medical Services a multi-state provider of professional emergency & non-emergency ambulance and alternative transport services (ATS) services. 706-863-9800
Vantage Mobility International (VMI) Acquires Revability, a Division of Specialty Vehicle Manufacturer of Rev Group, Inc. (NYSE: REVG) Revability is known for its accessible vehicles designed and built for robust use by transportation providers. VMI has been building innovative accessible vehicle solutions for over 30 years. Together, Revability and VMI have combined its product lines to offer a diverse product portfolio, creating more accessible vehicle solutions for non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) providers. VMI and Revability vehicles range from full-size vans to minivans, long-cut or short-cut vehicles to accommodate stretchers or wheelchairs, and side-entry or rear-entry vehicles to meet requirements in the NEMT operating environment. Conversions are offered on Ford Transit and Ram Promaster full-size vans, Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Sienna and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans, as well as the Honda Pilot SUV chassis. NEMT providers now have greater choices in ADA compliant vehicles, flexible seating for multiple wheelchairs, power or manual ramps and in-floor or fold-out ramp systems. Our expanded portfolio of products is manufactured in Phoenix, Arizona, Atlanta, Georgia and in Clarkston, Michigan. We employ Lean manufacturing methodologies to ensure the highest of quality and consistent
vehicle performance for our customers. VMI was awarded the Gold certification from Toyota in recognition of meeting its stringent manufacturing standards. As a trusted supplier of NEMT companies, Revability and VMI serve as a single source for wheelchair and stretcher accessible vehicles, bringing unmatched reliability, customer support and competitive pricing. Our commercial team understands the demands put on transportation providers and the rigor applied to dependable vehicle operation in the field. Our commitment extends far beyond vehicle sales. From warranty to technical product support, our team will help you maximize the life of your vehicles and minimize interruptions to your operation. Call us at 844-864-4232 to receive a quote or to request information about our products. 
 "NEMT providers now have greater choices in ADA compliant vehicles, flexible seating for multiple wheelchairs, power or manual ramps and in-floor or fold-out ramp systems."
Many things evolve slowly in healthcare, but one thing that has bucked the trend has been the emergence of the social determinants of health (SDOH) in our collective consciousness, and the recognition that things outside the four walls of a provider setting can have enormous implications for health and wellness. Payers and providers aren’t the only ones taking note. Increasingly, forward-thinking “smart cities†are looking to non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) providers and technology platforms as partners in addressing social needs. In November 2018, Kaizen Health was selected to develop and deploy an integrated mobility solution targeting gaps in paratransit access in the city of Grand Rapids by linking existing public transportation with electric vehicles and other mobility options. At the same time, the city of Columbus (OH) invited us to be part of an initiative to address infant mortality by providing mobility options for pregnant women to get to their doctors’ visits and prevent health risks for mom and baby. And just this past month, the cities of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills deployed Kaizen’s rider-facing mobile app that could allow a resident to order subsidized transportation, accepting payment/tracking balances, and geofencing for approved distances and locations. We expect to see more cities looking for partners that can augment their existing infrastructure. With diverse fleets, routing and dispatch technology, configurability, security, and a customer service orientation, NEMT providers already have many key pieces to the puzzle – and municipalities are taking note.
From Paper & Phone Calls to a Complete Software Solution by Elisa Malani, President, CEO, UBF Transport Services Lured by a strong recurring revenue stream and a seemingly limitless supply of customers, I purchased UBF Transport Services. As with most NEMT companies, we used paper-based routes created in Excel. Our dispatcher was in constant conflict with our drivers attempting to communicate ongoing schedule updates. Despite the steady revenue stream, we had negative cash flow. Billing was delayed due to missing signatures; Overtime was rampant as our dispatcher spent hours manually creating schedules that would change anyway and drivers were extended to accommodate those changes. Knowing I could not afford more office staff, I began my search for another solution. MediRoutes has a powerful scheduling algorithm that automatically schedules trips to multi-load in the most efficient routes possible. Real -time dispatching and scheduling allow our dispatcher to add, delete and edit trips as needed during the day and drivers now have a live, dynamic schedule on their phone. It collects key information like actual arrival time, GPS, odometer and signatures along the way, so billing is seamless, and payment is faster. Profitability metrics like revenue per mile enable us to continually optimize our routing and scheduling. Performance metrics on my dispatcher/scheduler and drivers allow me to improve my level of service and efficiency. Within 6 months of using MediRoutes, I was able to change my revenue mix so that I get more trips from higher margin passengers and phase out unprofitable ones. Rather than spending hours creating schedules that will change anyway, my scheduler now spends his time scheduler now spends his time optimizing routes to reduce overtime and maximize revenue. My overall office environment is less stressful and chaotic as we no longer have to hunt down a driver or determine where a certain passenger is. Our service level and customer satisfaction increased as we were able to provide more accurate estimated time of arrival and respond faster to last minutes changes. And most important to me, we were generating positive cash flow.
How Important is Revenue to your NEMT Company?
Introduction If you work in the transportation industry, particularly the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) segment, there are a lot of software systems out there that may make your day-to-day operations easier, faster and more efficient. But not all of these software systems offer the same benefits, and not every transporter has the same needs. If you’re looking to switch from paper records to a software system, or you’re not happy with your current software and are looking to avoid repeated mistakes, it can seem overwhelming to vet all your options and make the right choice. When it comes to choosing the right NEMT software for your business, it’s important to know what’s available, and what questions to ask. Let’s break down some of the most beneficial features, and how they can help you streamline your business. The Big Three: Routing, Billing, Trip Management Typically, when people go on the hunt for an NEMT software system, there are three main things they’re looking for help with: 1. Routing 2. Billing 3. Trip Management These are huge. Without solid management of these three areas, your business can’t function – at least not well. Nearly every software solution on the market offers some kind of assistance in these areas, so let’s look at these more closely.
How to Choose an NEMT Software
By Sufian Chowdhury,CEO, Kinetik The founders of Kinetik set out to bring customized billing solutions to NEMT providers through its suite of HIPAA compliant NEMT billing platform. It was critically important for Kinetik to connect its billing platform to over 3100 payers nationwide including Medicaid, Medicare, and Commercial payers. This level of integration allows NEMT providers to bill all their payers from a single platform. Why Kinetik? Kinetik helps increase your NEMT billing revenue, maintains compliance in today’s ever changing healthcare environment, and strengthens cash flow. Integrating Kinetik into your operation will produce results that significantly improve your revenue cycle and help you achieve better cash flow Kinetiks’ secure and web-based NEMT billing software is designed to eliminate NEMT billing errors and get the claims paid faster. Every claim that is entered into the system are validated for errors using several customizable rules and passes only clean claims to Payers or Clearinghouses. This service is flexible, comprehensive, easy to use and automates the complete billing workflow and provides excellent support that helps to save tremendous amount of time and cost. Exceptional Integration Kinetik has developed API solutions that connect existing tools used by NEMT providers to streamline the flow of data from one software to another. Through its proprietary API solutions, NEMT providers can connect their existing scheduling and dispatch software to Kinetiks’ billing platform, allowing for an end to end solution that will save money for NEMT providers all while delivering better patient outcome! Track NEMT Revenue Kinetik maximizes NEMT reimbursements by providing error checking functionality on paper and electronic claims, and offers extensive reporting capabilities to track performance. Simply Stated Kinetik’s Robust batch billing system allows NEMT Providers to bill Medicaid, Medicare, and thousands of commercial payers simultaneously. We utilize data science to apply advanced claims scrubbing methods to prevent unexpected billing errors. Kinetik’s billing platform reduces significant time while improving cash flow!
business. Depending on your state, brokers may handle everything from assigning trips to providers, to submitting bills to the state. Proper integration with brokers not only saves you time, it allows you to operate much more efficiently, leaving room for growth. Broker integration is frequently more complicated than people think, but there are comprehensive solutions out there. Some of the largest brokers in the nation award “approved software provider†status to systems that successfully and fully integrate with their systems. These software providers can pull assigned trips directly from the broker into the software and may offer features like batch sign-off and integrated electronic billing generation and submission. When you’re choosing an NEMT software, knowing how they integrate with the brokers you use, how they assist with routing, and how they make billing easier is crucial to helping you make the right choice for your business. But there is so much more. Features You Might Not Know To Ask For Just because routing, billing and trip management are important doesn’t mean they’re the only features you should be asking about. NEMT software systems run the gamut, from highly intuitive, intelligent, adaptive systems to static processes that leave little room for personalized use. Depending on the size of your business, your future goals, and your current operational structure, you may benefit from a software that offers the highest-level solutions. Alternately, you may be in a place where you can settle for a software with fewer intuitive features that simply helps you reign in the physical paperwork requirements. So what else is out there that you should consider before making your choice? Import Validations Let’s be honest: getting all the information into the system is important. But if that information is riddled with inaccuracies and errors, you are, at best, playing a zero-sum game of saving time. Validating information as it’s being imported into your software is one of the most valuable features people don’t know to look for. Let’s examine what this looks like. When it’s time to import trips and schedule out the day, you rely on that information being accurate and correct. Some of those trips will be new riders, addresses, and circumstances, and some of those trips will be repeat riders, addresses and circumstances. This information is what allows you to schedule drivers, collect trip information, assign the correct rates and codes, and submit completed forms for billing. 

Routing Every day, you need to put together a schedule that matches your drivers with requested trips. Ideally, you do this in a way that maximizes each driver’s time and allows you to complete as many trips as possible in a given timeframe. What if you had a button that just allowed you to push “best route†and auto-assign drivers? While in theory that sounds like a great solution, it might not be the best solution for your business. For one, each company, broker, trip and software developer may have a different idea of what “best†means. Customers may have special needs or requests to be taken into consideration. You may have specific geography challenges, or a service area that differs from what the developers imagined. What about multiloading? Sometimes it’s a great efficiency optimizer, but sometimes it’s an unnecessary burden. You may see a lot of software providers touting a “best route†button. But you don’t need a software that tells you what the best route is – you need a software that keeps you in control of what’s “best,†and makes assignment suggestions based on that criteria. You need a routing solution that maximizes efficiency while saving you time. Billing Billing and reimbursements can take up an enormous amount of manpower and bandwidth. Generating the proper files required involves collecting the right information from each trip, assigning rates and codes, compiling it into a CMS-1500 or other appropriate form, and submitting to the broker or correct state department. In the complex world of NEMT billing, successfully fulfilling each requirement for billing can feel like a moving target, with so many variables affecting each trip. Some software systems can automatically assign rates and billing codes to trips based on the proper factors, which can save you hours of work each week and eliminate the inevitability of human error. Software that generates billing forms may not be enough. Ideally, a software system that integrates appropriately with brokers and makes data collection and input easy is a better solution than one that simply generates forms. 
 Trip Management Every provider has different kinds of trips from different sources. Some work with insurance companies or health plans directly. Others work with medical facilities or school districts. Others do work for day programs. Many providers get trips from brokers. Since there are so many ways that business can be coming in to your company, your software needs to be flexible enough to handle all of those different types of trips, and offer features that help you effectively manage them. The most common source of trips in NEMT is transportation brokers. Effective information sharing between NEMT providers and brokers is crucial to the success and growth of your
How to Choose...
Some software allows you to set up flexible rate structures based on specific criteria, which can then be automatically assigned to each trip as it’s imported. Same for those trips that require billing codes. These can be set up to be mileage-based, zone-based, round trip vs. one way, or any other factors that affect rates. Software systems designed with these features can save you an incredible amount of time, freeing up personnel to focus on other tasks. Audit-Readiness and Report Generation When you’re dealing with dozens to hundreds of trips each day, there is a lot of data involved. You may need to see trips that fit a certain set of criteria, such as trips per driver or trips with specific vehicle requirements. Not every software gives you the flexibility to control what information you’re seeing, or what information goes into reports. At some point, you may be facing a compliance audit. When these roll around, they require years’ worth of specific information proving that you’ve delivered what you’ve billed for. If you don’t have this information, it can lead to months of headaches and red tape and, in some cases, having to repay reimbursed trips that weren’t properly documented. When it comes to audit-readiness, you need a software with an internal audit trail that assists with monitoring compliance. Features like a driver app can offer critical safeguards for compliance and reporting requirements. These apps may offer features such as automatic timestamping and geocoding, offering verification that your drivers were where they said they were (this not only holds drivers accountable, but also protects them against no-shows). By investing in a software that assists with audit-readiness and allows you to generate custom reports, you can make sure your information is always accurate, up-to-date, and compliant. Customer Experience While this may not be at the top of your list when it comes to prioritizing software options, it may soon become more crucial than you think. With Uber and Lyft swooping in to offer NEMT transportation options, the customer experience game is changing. It’s no longer prudent to ignore customer experience when considering your business opportunities. Software that offers features like a client app, allowing them to view, edit and track all upcoming trips, not only enhance their experience but decrease no-shows, last-minute cancellations, and mix-ups. The Non-Features You Need Intuitive, easy-to-use features will get you and your business pretty far. But there’s always more to the story than great tools. Room For Growth Assuming you’d like your business to grow, you need a software with the flexibility to not just grow with you, but actively encourage growth. This means that your software makes the entire process more efficient so your staff has the capacity to get more done. It means that as you grow and add more customers, drivers, vehicles, and services, your software has the ability to handle the extra data.
As you import the information for that day’s pre-planned trips, a highly intuitive software that validates information is checking to make sure it’s correct. It’s comparing rider information to existing profiles, ensuring you don’t end up with duplicates, and not relying on a single data point (like SSN) to do so. It’s verifying addresses, both with existing customer profiles and with map databases like Google and Microsoft, to ensure the address is both correct and real. It’s also validating trip schedules, ensuring that riders don’t have conflicting trips scheduled.
If you’re not sure why this kind of data validation is absolutely crucial to your operational efficiency, check out this blog that digs into this issue a little deeper. The long and short of it, however, is that by validating information, you eliminate many potential sources for waste. You won’t accidentally send drivers to the wrong address, or an address that doesn’t exist. You won’t have to merge profiles later on when you discover that a single customer has multiple profiles with different information. By ensuring all your information is correct, you ensure you’re not wasting time adjusting for errors. Auto-Rates And Codes Another feature many people don’t realize may be available is the ability for your software to automatically assign rates and codes to trips as they’re imported. Billing and Medicaid reimbursement require a complex system of rate and code assignation, and errors can result in denials and delays. NEMT providers deal with complex rate structures, as well as strict reimbursement and billing requirements.
Customer Service When you’re switching to a new system, there is a learning curve. There is training, learning, and likely some mistakes along the way. You need to know not just how to use the system, but how to maximize it for your needs. A software company that makes the sale then leaves you high and dry is doing no favors to your business. Instead, you should look for a software provider that’s committed to providing the training and support you need to effectively use their product. Conclusion If you’re in the market for an NEMT software system, there’s a lot to consider. It’s important to do your research and compare a few different software systems to ensure you’re getting the right one for your needs. First, start with routing, billing and trip management abilities and features. Then examine the other features that may be included, such as data validation, automatic rates and codes, reporting tools, audit trails, and client experience features. If you’re still not sure where to start, start right here with RoutingBox. We’re experts in the NEMT industry, and our highly intuitive software was built specifically for this market. We feature everything discussed above (except the “best route†button – we have a much better solution to that), in addition to hundreds of other benefits that allow your NEMT business to grow without limitations.
How To Choose...
What is Non Emergency Medical Transportation Accreditation Commission (NEMTAC)? As an approved American National Standards Developer through American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Non Emergency Medical Transportation Accreditation Commission (NEMTAC) is the only accrediting organization for the non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) industry. We are a non-profit healthcare organization dedicated to championing standards and best practices between NEMT providers and those in need of non-emergency medical transportation. 

I would like to take a moment and address several questions I have been asked over the year since NETMAC was founded. I would also like to thank those who have been so dedicated and poured their hearts and time into bringing NEMTAC's mission to life.
From the Executive Director
Why was NEMTAC created? (Purpose) The NEMT industry (comprised of both private and publicly run organizations providing medically necessary transportation) has often operated under fragmented regulations and disparate operational standards. These vital transportation services often serve as the safety net for Medicaid recipients, the elderly, the disabled and those with low incomes to access healthcare services. NEMTAC is focused on creating American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards and certification programs intended to address the emerging needs of the NEMT industry. What will NEMTAC provide the NEMT industry? NEMTAC accredits non-emergency medical transportation organizations that provide medically necessary transportation. NEMTAC develops American National Standards for the NEMT Industry through ANSI. NEMTAC certifies those individuals responsible for driving your loved ones to and from their doctor appointments, treatments and medical needs. NEMTAC provides valuable resources to the NEMT industry through online education, access to an industry marketplace and expertise. NEMTAC Leadership is: NEMTAC is led by an accomplished senior leadership team and governed by a 9-member Board of Directors, both of which comprise thought leaders and professionals representing many aspects of the NEMT and health care industry. The organization’s Executive Director is Melissa Jankowski. NEMTAC Board of Directors is comprised of 8 individuals: Steve Lewis, President Robert Brown, Vice President Peter Hicks, Secretary Michael Shabkie, Founder and Treasure Stanton Sipes, Board Member David Marhoffer, Board Member Christopher Kelly, Board Member Douglas Allen M.D., Board Member Gail Bauhs, Board Member
NEMTACS mission is to support and collaborate with all medical transportation stakeholders such as: NEMT Brokers NEMT Providers NEMT Regulators Governmental and Private Insurers (Payors) Non-profit organizations Advocacy groups NEMTAC provides training, accreditation and membership. NEMTAC is diligently working on standards and best practices for the industry. NEMTAC provides online training for the certification of NEMT Providers through their CTS (Certified Transport Specialist) . NEMTAC sets national standards leading to the accreditation of NEMT companies and their employees. NEMTAC has a robust marketplace which allows for consulting and vendor services as needed by those in the NEMT industry. NEMTAC Supporting Membership Program is open to NEMT Providers and NEMT Vendors. Why would an NEMT driver want to become a Certified Transport Specialist (CTS)? As an individual who takes pride in transporting people to their medically necessary appointments, there is a certain amount of responsibility and training needed. NEMTAC’s CTS certification signifies to their employer, NEMT contracting agencies and the people they transport that they have been trained to a higher standard. The CTS course covers a broad range of topics that will help NEMT professionals gain the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care to the clients transported every day. THE CTS certification is nationally recognized and valid for 2 years. Why would a NEMT provider (company) want to become accredited? For the medical transportation industry, obtaining accreditation distinguishes an organization and signifies to its customers and stakeholders that they have met the NEMT industry standard of excellence. NEMTAC's comprehensive accreditation process often exceeds those established by state or local regulators and are designed to increase utilization, serve as a market differentiator and decrease liability.
NEMTAC accreditation ensures that an NEMT organization provides the level of quality care. Patients, hospital systems, payers, elected officials and key stakeholders know they can trust the services an NEMT company is providing. By obtaining accreditation, payers, health plans, health systems and insurances companies will have confidence that their members are in the best hands with the best standards. As state and federal regulations change, our accreditation provides a framework for updating practices, policies and procedures. As a third-party, objective, unbiased organization, NEMTAC has obtained the highly coveted American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accreditation as a standards developer for the NEMT industry. NEMTAC standards help NEMT companies focus their priorities, overcome operational challenges and advance leadership and governance. Where do I find more information on NEMTAC? Please follow and link our social media pages! NEMTAC Website NEMTAC LinkedIn NEMTAC Facebook Who do I talk to if I would like more information on NEMTAC and/or would like to support NEMTAC? If interested in Sponsorship opportunities with NEMTAC, click the NEMTAC Corporate Sponsorship Brochure Please feel free to reach out to me at mjankowski@nemtac.org. I would welcome the opportunity to connect with you. We would love to have you join our mission – please email us for more information. info@nemtac.org
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missed work are only two of many problems that can arise. Vehicles breaking down during the trip causes many issues for on time performance, but also poses a danger to the passengers you carry. Many times, passengers will rely on drivers to assist them with their wheelchair, groceries, up and down steps, etc. Reliability is important for a company to help them become the preferred provider. Driver Knowledge covers many areas in relationship to the NEMT driver. Knowledge pertaining to the vehicles, proper routing, proper assistance techniques, anticipating the needs of the passengers, and other aspects of the job comes from classroom learning. In addition to the classroom training, having the instructor transfer what is learned in the classroom to behind the wheel training is equally important. Classroom learning in one thing to do, but hands on training is what helps the new drivers remember what was taught in the classroom. Helping drivers learn about the job should be outlined in a structured training program that includes the necessary information to perform the job. I cannot stress enough the importance of driver training. It is very important to establish a program and make sure that all new drivers complete the training before carrying passengers. Your insurance program and your bottom line will benefit greatly from having properly trained drivers on the road. "Good customer service begins with a well-organized training program that will give the NEMT driver foundational training on what customer service is."
By Frank Ciccarella, Synergize Consulting, LLC Good customer service begins with a well-organized training program that will give the NEMT driver foundational training on what customer service is. Foundational training should be designed so that the new driver will understand the that their job is not just driving but handling a very special cargo that depends on them to provide safe transportation, to be courteous, to be reliable, and to be knowledgeable. These are what I call the foundational principals. So, as an operator, how do you get to this position of having drivers that understand these foundational principals? Having a structured training program that covers the above topics is only the start. Training begins with an instructor who understands what is needed to perform the job, and how to work with adult learners. Before learning can take place, the instructor must take the time to teach and build a bridge to learning using many different tools. Multi-media, instructor led programs, along with hands on training will help the adult learner understand the job. Customer Service principal of safe transportation starts with providing training on the safety of the vehicle and safe driving behaviors. Making sure that the vehicle is equipped properly and is mechanically safe is necessary. Having regular vehicle inspections and repairing any safety related item will ensure that the vehicle operates at peak performance. The driver must be able to exhibit safe driving behaviors. Training in the classroom will help the new driver understand the “NORMS†of safe driving behaviors, as well as training on the road will identify poor behaviors that need to be corrected. Driver Courtesy starts with the proper attitude of the driver. Making sure that you hire the right person for the job is important. Understand that the driver is your front-line representative of your company. How do you want them to act? How do you want them to talk with your passengers? How do you want them to handle the passengers is important to gaining and maintaining business. We need to teach the drivers how to respect the passengers that you carry. I always instruct the companies that I work with that your goal is to become the preferred provider. The only way to become the preferred provider is through the driver’s actions on the road and interactions with the passengers. Driver Reliability is important to the passengers that we carry to ensure that they are satisfied with their trip. Reliability covers many areas such as vehicle maintenance, drivers maintaining their schedules, making pick up’s on time, and return trips on time, and when needed, the proper assistance to the passengers. Always being late for pick ups causes many problems for the passengers we carry. Missed doctors appointments and
New NEMT Drivers and Customer Service
Advertisers Index
Company
Page
Veyo
8
NEMTAC Annual Conference
11
TripSpark
13
WellRyde
14
Alivi
15
EMS Financial Services
Roundtrip
19
Uber Health
21
Caliber Care + Transport
LogisticCare
22
SouthStar Emergency Medical Services
25
Revability & VMI
26
MediRoutes
27
Priority Transportation Services
29
Kinetik, an NEMT Billing Solution
30
RoutingBox
33
Two M Insight Group
37
First Transit
43
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