What are the Issues Related to NEMT in the US?
NEMT industry appeared at the request of a disadvantaged part of the US population. Since healthcare providers failed to meet the needs of patient transportation, private businesses were able to grow and fill in. Businesses aim at receiving profit. In order to profit from non-emergency transportation, a couple of issues should be considered.
Making Your Business ADA Compliant
ADA was issued in order to make sure that the vehicles and the services that paratransit clients receive are proper and do not violate their rights. Having an ADA compliant fleet is an advantage that your company has over taxis and other types of transport. Since the drivers are in direct contact with your customers, making sure that they understand their job and take it seriously is another issue to consider. State requirements vary as well. The state might have a set of rules for drivers, for example, when it comes to their training hours or to types of vehicles allowed to be used for non-emergency medical transportation. Thus, checking it with the Department of Health and Human Services is a good idea.
The staff you hire drives your business. The drivers, for example, not only give rides but have to know the basics of Customer Service. They also need to know their responsibility. NEMT clients are fragile and the driver must know that safety comes first when it comes to them. A request to loosen a seat belt, for example, should be declined by the driver since in case of an accident it will jeopardize the client’s life. Making your business safe and teaching everyone to be responsible is key.
Dispatching
The business owner cannot take care of dispatching and managing the business. As soon as your company grows, you will start making more and more mistakes which cost lots of money. Thus, as practice shows, purchasing dispatch software for medical transportation is a money saver move. Comparing the human operator and software shows that human errors are more frequent. Thus, technology wins when it comes to dispatching as it does in many spheres of modern life. iSi Technology is on guard of your business offering you updated and user- friendly software.
Billing
Whether you are a beginner or your business is on a fast track and growing, the same issue will occur. After dispatching, billing will turn into a more complex process and will require a lot of effort and time. Acquiring a nemt dispatch and billing software, in this case, is a smart and cost-saving solution. Optimizing billing is inevitable for one more reason. NEMT companies work with brokers. In order to receive the reimbursement for the trips from a broker, one needs to be cautious about the paperwork and working hours. Assigning this task to a person, unfortunately, carries lots of risks. All the errors made in the billing process are delaying the payment.
Marketing Strategy
Launching the company takes all the time and attention. However, one should not be buried in papers only. Marketing is crucial for the success of the company. Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, make sure that your strategy covers all possible customers. Assessing the working area might start with urban and rural areas, local hospitals, medical facilities, nursing homes, etc. Advertising should be customer- friendly. Thus, if you are targeting the older population, remember that online ads might not reach them. Traditional advertising should come into play at this stage. You might resort to local newspapers and magazines or even a radio station.
Software and NEMT Business
Although there are many issues related to paratransit business, we are here to help you. Contact ISI Technology to see how we can help you to open new avenues today.