7 Reasons NEMT Services Are Better Than Rideshare
In non-emergency medical situations, there aren’t many options for certain patients to get to their doctor’s appointments. They can take public transportation, purchase rideshare, or use non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services. Below, we’ll discuss NEMT services and list some reasons they’re better than any rideshare.
What Are NEMT Services?
NEMT services help patients and regular healthcare consumers who face transportation barriers in accessing medical care. The American Hospital Association (AHA) estimates that millions of individuals do not access quality medical care every year because they don’t have transportation. Therefore, the AHA lists transportation as one of the core social determinants of a person’s health.
The individual may be too old to drive or have health problems that prevent them from safely driving themselves—such as being disabled or having trouble seeing or hearing. The options are slim for patients who need to travel to a hospital or healthcare facility in a non-emergency situation with no reliable transportation. NEMT services help to reduce this gap and break down transportation barriers for everyday people.
Who Are NEMT Services For?
As we mentioned, NEMT services are primarily for people who need reliable transportation in non-emergency situations. We all know that we can use emergency services like ambulances to get us to the nearest hospital or facility in emergencies.
But what about transportation to doctor appointments and checkups? We can’t call an ambulance to bring us to our doctor’s appointments; instead, we generally drive ourselves or rely on rides from friends and family. But for people who can’t drive, take public transportation, or afford rideshare, NEMT services are there. Whether someone is taking a short trip to their local doctor’s office, traveling out of state to see a specialist, or staying at a better hospital, NEMT services are ideal.
Why Is NEMT Better Than Uber or Lyft?
For non-emergency transportation, most patients and healthcare consumers choose to use NEMT services or call a rideshare like Uber or Lyft. It may seem convenient to call rideshare, but NEMT services are better for many reasons, from the presence of specialized medical staff to the availability of emergency medical equipment.
Provided Medical Equipment
One thing that passengers won’t find in a rideshare is specialized and emergency medical equipment. NEMT services aren’t regular pick-up and drop-off transportation services. They’re specifically tailored to transport patients with medical needs, so they’re fully equipped with medical equipment.
NEMT service vehicles come with emergency medical supplies and equipment, from stretchers and wheelchairs to oxygen tanks. As we all know, what you see is what you get with rideshare—an ordinary car that may or may not even have a first aid kit in an emergency.
Patient Monitoring
Another benefit of NEMT services is the constant monitoring of passengers’ well-being throughout the trip. Even for short trips across town, NEMT services always provide staff, equipment, and the drive to ensure the patient is stable, comfortable, and safe.
With rideshare, the only staff on board is the driver, and they obviously have to focus on the road and getting to the destination promptly. They don’t have the time or resources to check the patient’s health and comfort during the trip. For people with significant ailments, the patient monitoring from NEMT services brings peace of mind to passengers and their friends and family.
Trained Medical Staff
The ones who supervise the passengers on NEMT services aren’t just regular people; they’re trained medical professionals. One thing rideshares can’t compete with is having trained and experienced healthcare providers aboard every trip to monitor passengers, provide care, and act in cases of emergency if necessary.
People who choose NEMT services get more than just a driver and a large van for transportation—they get quality healthcare services from trained and experienced professionals. If the worst should happen and a patient needs immediate medical care, NEMT staff will be there to act.
Comfortable and Suitable Vehicles
NEMT services also benefit from providing quality, suitable vehicles for medical transportation. NEMT services offer large, roomy luxury vans to transport all the necessary medical equipment and staff.
These vans are designed and outfitted with equipment and technology specifically for medical transportation. Plus, every NEMT vehicle is handicap accessible, making travel for disabled individuals much more comfortable.
Reliable Drivers
Along with the medical equipment and trained staff, NEMT services provide reliable and certified drivers. Rideshare drivers are professional, but the standards for NEMT drivers are higher because the stakes of driving passengers with medical concerns are higher.
NEMT drivers undergo extensive background checks and training for safety, customer service, and vehicle maintenance to ensure they’re equipped with the skills and knowledge to provide the best transportation possible. Also, when booking a NEMT appointment, passengers can immediately see who their driver will be, instead of finding out just minutes before they arrive, like with rideshare.
Long-Distance Travel
For long-distance travel, there’s no competition between NEMT and rideshare—NEMT services are the clear winner. For one, many rideshare drivers won’t accept a long-distance fare because they must forfeit time and money to return after dropping the passenger off.
Furthermore, no rideshare can provide the equipment, staff, or comfort that NEMT services can for out-of-state and long-distance travel. For patients who have to see a specialist or visit a healthcare facility hundreds of miles away, there’s no safer or more comfortable road travel option than NEMT.
No Out-of-Pocket Pay
One of the many great benefits of NEMT services is many insurance plans fully cover the rides. Many insurance providers include free NEMT transportation for necessary healthcare, and many Medicare and Medicaid plans also cover NEMT transportation with approval from a doctor.
Instead of paying a high premium for rideshare, patients can get safer, more reliable, and more comfortable transportation to their doctor’s appointments without paying any out-of-pocket costs. Additionally, NEMT services never include surge pricing!
Conclusion
We hope our guide has been informative in showing how NEMT services are better than any Uber or Lyft ride. If you need non-emergency medical transportation in Georgia or one of the many other states United MedTrans operates in, you can book an appointment online in minutes. Contact our helpful staff today if you have any questions about our NEMT services.
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