Finding non-emergency medical transportation for clients is like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube. Certain elements need to come together just right – or your client may be out of luck. Providing the right resources can be especially tough if you don’t know how to navigate the system. Elements to consider while researching options include: The exact location of the destination, date, time, and duration of the appointment, and whether the client will be under anesthesia during the visit. All of these factors will determine the resource given to a client. Other questions to consider may not be as obvious. In a recent e-mail correspondence, Sara Mary Wallace, mobility specialist at Area Agency on Aging 1-B provided the following tips:

 I know how frustrating finding transportation can be.  The goal of the program I work for, myride2,  is to be a one-call, one-click mobility management service dedicated to helping seniors and adults with disabilities remain mobile for life.  Our website and call center are designed for users to easily connect to transportation resources and information.  Even though it is literally our job to find folks transportation, it can be challenging at times.  Here are some tips that might help:

 1.)    If someone lives in Oakland or Macomb Counties, they can call us!  myride2 Mobility Specialists are available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, to help individuals find which types of transportation options would work best for them.  People can call us toll-free at 1-855-myride2 (697-4332).  They can also visit our website at www.myride2.com and search for providers who serve their zip code.

 2.)   If you are needing non-emergency, medical transportation keep in mind that these companies need to be licensed properly by the State of Michigan.  They are required to have a Certificate as an Authorized Limousine Carrier.  (Yes, a “limo license.”)  If you follow this link: http://mdotwas1.mdot.state.mi.us/public/licensedcarriers/carriers.cfm?type=L, it will take you to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) website.  It shows you all of the providers that currently have the certificate.  You can choose a report by County (so it will pull up all current carriers in whatever county you want), or you can look at the entire list for the State of Michigan (which alphabetizes them by the city they are located in, so it’s fairly easy to see what’s available in a certain city). 

 a.      Keep in mind that this list has actual limo companies on it as well, but you can often tell by the name which are limo companies and which are non-emergency medical transportation carriers.

3.)   If a person has Medicaid, one of the benefits of full Medicaid is transportation to and from medical appointments.  If a person lives in Oakland, Wayne or Macomb counties they can call the transportation provider LogistiCare at 1-866-569-1902.  They will need to provide their active Medicaid ID number, but should then be able to get transportation to any medical appointments they have, anywhere in the State.  If someone lives in another county, they would need to call their DHS office and as to speak to the Transportation Coordinator.

 4.)   Look for resources or non-profit groups that focus on a particular group of people.  If your client is a Veteran, see if the local Veterans office has any volunteers.  If someone is getting cancer treatments, contact the American Cancer Society.  If you are trying to help a person with a visual impairment, see if the local LIONS club might help.  Also many senior centers provide some type of transportation within the city they serve.

 5.)   Don’t rule out home help agencies.  These agencies generally charge approximately $20/hour and require a minimum number of hours.  However, if you client has an insured vehicle, the home help worker can often drive the client’s car, and there is no mileage fee.  If a minimum is 3 hours, the trip would cost about $60.00 and you have a person staying with your client the whole time.  Often transportation provider’s roundtrip fees are more expensive, and they client is picked-up and dropped off.

 Sara Mary Wallace can be reached directly at 248-262-1289 or at swallace@aaa1b.com