Maximizing Public
Transit in NEMT
Programs through
Travel Training
Welcome & Introductions
Alaina Macia
President & CEO
Kyle Collett
Florida Director of
Operations
Use the chat function on WebEx or email
[email protected] to ask questions!
NEMT Background
 Non-emergency medical
transportation
 Ensures eligible members get
to approved medical
appointments for:
•
•
•
•
Medicare & Medicaid programs
Managed care organizations
State & county governments
Hospitals & health systems
NEMT Background
 Ensuring consistent
transportation access to
healthcare enhances
member health
outcomes, leading to
cost savings
 Preventative care is
much less expensive
than emergency care
NEMT Background
NEMT is provided via a variety of modes:
Door-to-door
transportation
Curb-to-curb
transportation
Public transit
Gas mileage
reimbursement
Travel Training Background
What is It?
 Teaches individuals the
skills they need to ride
public transportation
 Travel Trainers provide
on-the-bus training to
ensure safe,
independent travel
Types of Travel Training
 One-on-one training
 Group training
 Train the trainer
training
Establishing Travel Training within NEMT
NEMT Goal
Solution
Ensure members utilize
the safest, most
appropriate mode of
transportation based
on their physical &
cognitive needs
If a member has the
ability to use public
transit, travel training
teaches them how to
use the bus/train to get
to their appointments
Where Does MTM Use This Model?
Travel Trainer Duties
 Facilitate assessments
 Conduct path of travel
assessments
 Complete travel training
 Discuss transit options
 Perform education, training & outreach with local
agencies, medical facilities, etc.
Assessments
 Determine the most appropriate mode of
transportation, based on the member’s needs
• Used in conjunction with a level of need process or
professional verification
• Not a medical model; instead, focused on the member’s
functional ability to ride public transit
• Similar to ADA paratransit eligibility assessment process
Assessments
 Assessments can
include:
• Interview
• Physical functional
assessment
• Cognitive assessment
• Mini-Mental Status
Examination (MMSE)
Path of Travel Assessments
 Travel Trainer reviews the
entire path of travel
between the member’s
starting & ending points
 Ensures it would be
accessible for the member
Travel Training
 Individualized, one-on-one training
 Provided to approved medical appointment
destinations
 Conducted in the real-life transit environment
 Not time-limited
 Documentation shows progress
 Training tools encourage learning
Discuss Transit Options
 Walk member through
the process & rules
 Can reduce calls to the
call center & rule
violations
 Travel Trainer acts as a
resource for the member
Education, Training & Outreach
 Ensures staff at local
agencies & medical facilities
are aware of accessible
transportation options, as
well as the NEMT process
 Provide train the trainer
activities to staff
Important Notes
 Not a medical model
 Only successful if public transit is the member’s
most appropriate mode of transportation
 Look at specific trips & path of travel on those trips
 Prevention vs. convenience
The Path to Success
 Components of a successful
NEMT travel training program:
• A reliable public transit
readily available
• Relationship with public
transit agency
• Support of the contract holder
Best Practices
 Home visits to conduct assessments
 Collaboration between all aspects of the program
 Travel Trainer trained in both assessments & travel
training
 Appeals process to appeal mode decisions
 Technology available to note mode
Unique Practices
 Technology for use in
the field
 Feeder service
 Conditional eligibility
 Trip-by-trip eligibility
Potential Pitfalls
 Members may feel you are taking away their
transportation
 Complaints may increase
 Enforcement issues
 Difficulty in contacting members
2016 NEMT Travel Training Results
Downgrade Rate: 10%
Annual Savings per Downgrade: $5,000
Total Cost Savings: $930,000
Success Story: Steve
Trips per Week
Cost Savings per Trip
Two
$12.75
Didn’t ride the bus because he isn’t
Before Travel Training
able to read
Understands how to catch his bus
based on time & the bus number
After Travel Training
Able to get a job because he learned
how to get there on the bus
Says travel training was the best
experience of his life
Success Story: Marcy
Trips per Week
Cost Savings per Trip
Six
$11.50
Knew where bus stops were, but due
Before Travel Training to severe anxiety, she never left the
house
Attends psycho-social rehab three
days per week
After Travel Training
Says she can’t imagine her life
without the travel training program
Questions?
Use the chat function on WebEx or email
[email protected] to ask questions!