What is Non-Emergency Transport?

The best medical care does little good if you have no way to get there. Whether you are not medically able to drive or if you do not have access to a vehicle, non-emergency transport services provide patients with reliable services to and from healthcare appointments. Serving the community with a vast fleet of vehicles, each patient’s medical needs are assessed to determine the proper vehicle necessary for transport, from passenger vehicles and medically equipped vans to ambulances and transportation services for wheelchair patients.

How do you determine if you need an ambulance or non-emergency transportation? While both ensure that patients are cared for, in most cases, the urgency of your need lets  you know the answer. 

• AMBULANCE SERVICES – Ambulances are intended to reach their destination as quickly as possible, providing rapid access to medical care when there is an urgent and unplanned need. After dialing 911, an emergency crew is dispatched to your location, providing medical attention in situations that are often life-threatening. This may include vehicle accidents, heart attack or cardiac events, a bad fall or other emergencies that require immediate action and fast travel. Signifying the emergency, ambulances are equipped with a siren to indicate to other drivers to yield on the road.
• NON-EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION – Providing consistent, safe rides to healthcare appointments, non-emergency medical transportation can be used by patients who are unable to drive themselves to their medical appointments. Differing from ambulance service in that this mode of transportation is pre-booked, patients confirm their appointment time, location, duration, and their current physical condition so that the provider can determine the proper vehicle required for service. Having reliable transportation removes many barriers to healthcare access, one of the leading causes for missed or delayed appointments. From invalids and those with disabilities to senior citizens and others unable to drive, non-emergency medical transportation gives patients a renewed sense of control in their care.

In many cases, patients with some insurances or Medicaid benefits are entitled to covered services for non-emergency medical transportation. When requesting service, the system verifies the patient’s needs and approves or denies transportation. Routing is determined by the day’s appointments and optimized for the best use of resources. After the route is complete, the transportation provider submits claims information online.  For those with co-pays or incurring out of pocket costs, non-emergency medical transportation is generally less expensive than ambulance service, improving patient access to medical care.

• WHAT IT INCLUDES – Transportation to and from your medical appointments is included in this service when there is otherwise no access to transportation or due to health conditions, patients are unable to ride in a standard vehicle or wheelchair van. When filing with Medicaid, the services rendered at your appointment must be covered services. Non-emergency transportation can be used for patients of all ages, although those under 17 years old must be accompanied by an attendant.
• SCHEDULING – Booking in advance is required and is done through your insurance or managed healthcare organization, allowing the service provider to reserve ambulances for emergency transportation and properly plan the use of their fleet. By providing appointment time, pickup and drop off location, appointment duration, and the physical and medical condition of the patient, the proper vehicle and medical equipment will be provided.

Providing a number of services to our communities, MedExpress provides reliable transportation for patients with a variety of medical needs. Our fleet of vehicles can provide services for those with specialized medical needs and long-distance medical transportation while allowing us to reserve our ambulances for emergency medical transports. Call today to book your transportation for your next doctor’s visit, dialysis appointment, or physical therapy session!