There is a growing need for non-emergency medical transportation services (NEMT) as more people need to go to hospitals and related healthcare providers for various medical purposes. But sad to say, several Americans, numbering in millions are unable or postpone medical care appointments because of the lack of the right transportation. This is especially true for those who belong to low-income families who may lack the extra income needed to access the right type of transportation like the ambulatory transportation in Ventura County, California, or don’t have the means to access public transport. Fortunately, Medicaid offers a nonemergency medical transportation benefit which covers the expenses for the least costly and right transportation to get people to their medical appointments. Read on to know more information on the increasing need for NEMT services.
- Expansion of Medicaid
The number of people who are eligible for Medicaid has increased because of the Affordable Care Act. This will pave the way for adding millions of people to the Medicaid program. There was a study done by the Transportation Research Board which came up with a projection that of the new members, only 270,000 will need NEMT services such as wheelchair transportation, which still will feasibly stress the systems in some states.
- Offering health care access
For those underprivileged members of Medicaid, older people, those with physical disabilities, or those with low income who lack transport access to healthcare services, availing of non-emergency medical transportation like handicap transportation is important. For those Medicaid recipients who have their own car or have the means to provide their own transport, Medicaid will reimburse them for the costs associated with accessing medical care like gasoline, maintenance of car and repair, expenses in modifying vehicles for adaptive technologies, and other related costs used to meet their transportation requirements. The others who are not able to provide their own transport due to income, physical disability, age, etc., other ways of NEMT service provision are needed.
- Increasing cases of chronic diseases
Several people are suffering from chronic illnesses such as cancer, arthritis, cardiovascular ailment, diabetes, etc, and require frequent medical services. A big number of adults being affected seriously by behavioral health conditions that cripple their daily functions will be added to the Medicaid population as well. These individuals require non-emergency medical transportation such as elderly transportation in order to avail themselves of life-sustaining therapies and other health care services.
At Safety 1st Medical Transport, you can avail of the appropriate type of NEMT service for you to get to your essential medical appointments. Feel free to contact us about our non-emergency medical transportation in Camarillo, California.
