Each year, LogistiCare manages over 65 million non-emergency medical transports for more than 24 million eligible riders. Despite the tremendous need for the service we provide, federal and state policymakers continue to explore various changes to the Medicaid program, including proposals to limit non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services.
In response, the Medical Transportation Access Coalition (MTAC) felt compelled to educate officials about the benefits of NEMT. LogistiCare is among three of the nation’s leading NEMT brokers who formed MTAC in 2017. The group’s current membership numbers 17 including leading patient, provider and health plan organizations.
A recent study released by MTAC highlighted the return on investment by examining Medicaid claims data and surveying actual NEMT users. It showed that NEMT pays for itself many times over as part of a care management strategy for people with certain chronic diseases.
The research evaluated three conditions including kidney dialysis, diabetic wound care and treatment for substance abuse. The study concluded that missed medical appointments reduce patient adherence with clinical guidelines, which leads to complications and the need for more expensive medical services.
Some other key findings are listed below:
As policymakers continue to evaluate various aspects of Medicaid, MTAC will provide key data to demonstrate the critical need NEMT fills for the most fragile and vulnerable among us.
To learn more about the value of NEMT, view a summary of the study or read the entire study, methodology and findings.