Benefit Analysis of Private Health Sector Investments in Non-Emergency Medical Transportation

State departments of transportation (DOTs) are responsible for providing mobility services to the transit-dependent public while maximizing investments of state and federal dollars in public transportation. Available funds often leave needed projects partially or wholly unfunded. Mobility managers, frequently housed within DOTs, are responsible for coordinating transportation resources for individuals with unique access needs and are sometimes challenged to find suitable transportation options for the individuals they serve. People who are unable to transport themselves and require recurring medical trips for chronic conditions not served through telehealth, such as diabetes or cancer, face challenges when seeking access to care. Public or healthcare transportation may help individuals without a support network, however, transit service limitations, prohibitive costs, or the lack of access to public transportation may cause restricted healthcare access. Additionally, those with access to public transportation may experience service delays, interruptions, or closures. Healthcare transportation, known as Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT), is provided by some health insurance plans, but the uninsured, underinsured, or those who have insurance without this transportation benefit struggle to gain access to healthcare services. Private healthcare organizations that do not contribute financially to NEMT need information about the potential benefits, costs, and advantages, which may include greater service delivery. NEMT affects healthcare providers and patients and is necessary for healthcare customers. Research is needed to provide actionable solutions with multifaceted benefits of providing improved NEMT services for patients resulting from the healthcare industry’s increased investment. The objective of this research is to develop a guide and tool kit for a diverse set of stakeholders, aimed at determining and communicating the costs and benefits of healthcare providers and hospitals providing healthcare customer transportation.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5325
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $400000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 08-172

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Crichton-Sumners, Camille

• Start Date: 20230307
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Health care; Investments; Medical trips; Public transit
• Subject Areas: Finance; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01846779
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 08-172
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 24 2022 7:31PM