What Is Non-emergency Medical Transport And How Can It Benefit You?

Healthcare services are essential to every segment of the population. But some of our more fragile populations face transportation challenges to get to their essential medical appointments. Some must rely on family and friends or local community organizations to transport them. If these options become limited, Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) can fill in the gap.

It’s not only the vulnerable portion of our populations that can be affected. We could also be talking about someone who’s normally healthy enough to get around but maybe temporarily waylaid by an acute injury or surgery. Post-surgical patients aren’t allowed to drive until cleared by their healthcare provider, even if the surgery didn’t involve limbs or hands. Since surgery weakens muscles needed for driving a vehicle, and post-procedure pain medication may make driving illegal and unsafe, alternative arrangements need to be made. After all, getting to follow-up appointments is often crucial to recovery. If you can imagine trying to board a public bus with a cast on your leg and arm, you probably see the types of challenges some riders might face. For many, driving their own car is out of the question. For these and many other challenges, NEMT is the answer.

HOW DO WE DEFINE NON-EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION (NEMT)?

NEMT can be defined as a transportation service provided to individuals who are not in an emergency situation but need more assistance than a taxi service is able to provide. Service providers will be specially equipped to transport riders in wheelchairs, stretchers, or with other special needs.

NEMT is a service that connects patients in need of non- emergency transportation with non-hospital drivers. As practice shows, patients with chronic diseases are the ones who tend to skip their doctor appointments, and among the reasons for that are the inability to drive and the absence of anyone who can assist. Missing follow- up appointments and compulsory check-ups by an increasing number of patients led to the appearance of a new industry. Since medical facilities fail to satisfy the growing demand, private business comes into play. Using transport management software various private companies and individuals take on the duties hospitals cannot perform. The key element that singles out it in a separate industry are brought up by the needs of clients. Patients require not a simple taxi service but a special mode of transport like vans with gurney or wheelchair.  

WHY DOES NEMT MATTER?

It’s not only the vulnerable portion of our populations that can be affected. We could also be talking about someone who’s normally healthy enough to get around, but maybe temporarily waylaid by an acute injury or surgery. Post-surgical patients aren’t allowed to drive until cleared by their healthcare provider, even if the surgery didn’t involve limbs or hands. Since surgery weakens muscles needed for driving a vehicle, and post-procedure pain medication may make driving illegal and unsafe, alternative arrangements need to be made. After all, getting to follow-up appointments is often crucial to recovery.

If you can imagine trying to board a public bus with a cast on your leg and arm, you probably see the types of challenges some riders might face. For many, driving their own car is out of the question. For these and many other challenges, NEMT is the answer.

WE ARE NEMT SERVICE PROVIDER IN OMAHA

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) is becoming more and more of an essential service in the healthcare arena. Hundreds of thousands of people schedule NEMT travel to and from medical services each week. Without NEMT, many of these people would be unable to obtain medical services critical to their health.