The genes you are born with and the lifestyle choices you make combine to influence your health during a lifetime, but scientists now say that the social and economic conditions in your environment also profoundly influence your disease risk and longevity. These factors are known as social determinants of health (SDOH) and they include quality of housing, crime and unemployment rates, exposure to pollution, racism and discrimination, availability of healthy food and access to healthcare.
Medicaid is positioned to address SDOH and improve the well-being of people in vulnerable communities, particularly by increasing the access to healthcare. And the first step toward that goal is improving transportation – making sure patients always get from their homes to healthcare appointments with doctors, nurse practitioners and other clinicians.
Statistical research shows that about 3.6 million American adults miss or delay healthcare appointments each year simply because they didn’t have a ride or they couldn’t take public transit. And that’s where Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) can play a critical role in addressing health disparities brought on by SDOH. For many people Non-Emergency Medical Transportation is ensuring that patients who can’t drive or use public transportation receive critical medical care and life-saving therapies. NEMT is a covered benefit for Medicaid and (in some cases) Medicare Advantage members who require transportation for non-emergency care, such as scheduled office visits, dialysis or cancer treatments, periodical tests or recovery programs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has labeled access to transportation one of the top five SDOH, but there are many other ways that Non-Emergency Medical Transportation could be expanded to play a broader role in improving the health of people in under-served communities through value-added beneficiary services, both medical and non-medical. And we want to do that – we value our customers, therefore we strive to go the extra mile in providing a comfortable, safe, and timely ride to and from any appointments. With over 5 years of experience in adult care and nursing industry, we entered the transportation industry with the same standards and goals; to be True to Care and provide quality transportation for our local seniors.
Especially because we know that research also persuasively links loneliness and social isolation to poor health. People who spend little or no time with friends and family increase their risk for many serious conditions, including heart disease, stroke, dementia and depression. But loneliness could be eased by getting a lift across town to attend a family gathering, take part in a social event or simply spend time with a dear friend now and then. Call us, we offer transportation 24 hours 7 days a week and recurring multiple rides scheduled ahead of time are discounted based on frequency.
