What is Non-Emergency Medical Transportation, Patient Access?

In the course of patient wellness and chronic health management plans, continuous and reliable access for patients to medical care is vital. Non-emergency medical transportation is the vital component of ensuring patient access among those facing transportation obstacles.

Medical transportation that is not emergency-related is a key Medicaid benefit. However, as Medicaid programs are questioned under the current healthcare policy environment, it can be difficult to figure out how these pieces of the puzzle are interconnected.

What does medical transportation for non-emergency patients differ between states? What else are healthcare organizations doing to care for this need?

What is non-emergency medical transportation?

Non-emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) provides transportation services that are provided to health consumers who are facing difficult obstacles in getting to their appointments with their doctors.

NEMT is widely recognized for its ability to assist Medicaid beneficiaries. Transportation services were incorporated as a requirement for Medicaid benefits at the time of its creation in the year 1966, as per the CMS guidebook.

These barriers could be as simple as not having a current driver’s licence, having no functioning vehicle within the household, being not able to go to services or travel on your own or have any cognitive, physical mental, or developmental limitation.

NEMT services are typically used for medical appointments, or other types of non-urgent medical care.

Emergency care refers to “any incident that puts the health or life of an Medicaid beneficiary at danger without prompt treatment,” CMS wrote in the guidebook.

“Real emergencies are when the medical requirements of a person are immediate and triggered by severe manifestations,” the agency continued. “A life-threatening situation like bleeding that is not controlled or heart attack, an auto accident, or another serious injuries could cause symptoms”

NEMT providers must provide transportation between and to the appointment use the appropriate method of transport and offer insurance for all costs associated with transportation.