The DOT and Your NEMT Business

The Department of Transportation has been in operation since 1967. Taken directly from the transportation.gov website, their goal and mission is to “Ensure our nation has the safest, most efficient and modern transportation system in the world; that improves the quality of life for all American people and communities, from rural to urban, and increases the productivity and competitiveness of American workers and businesses.” 

Which State are You Operating In?

Depending on which state you plan to operate your NEMT business, there will be different regulations set by the DOT in order for your vehicles to be “approved vehicles”.  This is where due diligence must be done in order to find out who to contact or where to look to find these regulations. Usually a quick google search for your specific area would do the trick. In most states, a private brokerage will be awarded a contract to manage the policies regarding NEMT for that specific state. That means that the DOT will set their regulations but the brokerage will be in charge of regulating them and keeping everyone up to standard. If you are using dispatch software for nemt that is integrated with brokers this would be an advantage.  There are other instances where you, as a transportation company, may win a bid to perform transportation needs for a state run agency and in that case you will need to be in contact with the state DOT for regular inspections of vehicles. This is where non-emergency medical transportation software can come in handy with notifications on upcoming DOT expirations. Below is a list of things to consider when looking for regulations:

What areas are you providing service to (state, county etc.)?

Which broker, if any, is managing the state Medicaid nemt program?

Reach out to a local DOT agent in your area for further clarification on regulations you might not understand

A Broken System

After researching this topic it seems the regulatory agencies involved in the paratransit industry are not always on the same level. There isn’t just one deciding factor when it comes to policy and procedure. Therefore, it is left up to the small business owner to wade through the waters and find many answers on their own. But there is one thing we know for sure – you will definitely need a paratransit software to run your business, ISI Technology can easily help you, schedule your demo today!