The Appointment That Didn’t Happen: Why Transportation Remains One of Healthcare’s Most Overlooked Barriers to Access
Medicaid managed care members can have excellent healthcare coverage, a care coordinator who knows their case and a doctor ready to see them. But if they don’t have transportation to a medical appointment, none of that matters.
That’s why non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) is a required Medicaid benefit, not simply an added convenience. For many Ohioans enrolled in a Medicaid managed care plan or MyCare plan, reliable transportation is what stands between routine preventive care and a worsening health condition.
For more than 35 years, Provide A Ride has partnered with Ohio’s health plans to manage and provide transportation benefits for Medicaid, MyCare and OhioRISE members. Today, we coordinate approximately 151,000 trips each month across all 88 Ohio counties through a combination of our own fleet and a trusted network of transportation partners.
Members can schedule transportation by phone or through our mobile app, allowing us to meet people where they’re most comfortable. More importantly, every trip begins with understanding the member’s unique needs. Whether someone uses a wheelchair, requires additional assistance or has specialized mobility needs, our goal is to match every member with the safest and most appropriate transportation solution.
More than transportation
While those operational details matter, they aren’t what define our partnership with Ohio’s managed care organizations. What matters most is helping to remove barriers that might otherwise prevent members from receiving the care they need. Here’s one example:
We had been regularly transporting a member with complex medical needs. As her condition changed, she required a higher level of transportation support. Rather than forcing her to navigate that transition alone, we worked closely with her care team to ensure transportation continued without interruption. By preserving continuity throughout that transition, the member remained connected to the care she needed while avoiding unnecessary disruptions, uncertainty and missed appointments. That continuity resulted in a better member experience and reinforced confidence in her managed care plan.
It’s a simple story, but it reflects something we see every day: Transportation barriers aren’t always about finding a ride. Sometimes they’re about changing medical needs, communication challenges or ensuring the right level of support is available at the right time. Successfully addressing those barriers requires collaboration among health plans, care managers, transportation providers and, most importantly, the member.
Getting to an appointment is not a given for many members. A missed ride can become a missed diagnosis, delayed treatment or preventable emergency room visit. Reliable transportation isn’t simply about getting someone from point A to point B. It’s about building the trust and consistency that keep members engaged in their healthcare.
Managed care organizations do remarkable work coordinating care, managing chronic conditions and connecting members to community resources. But all of that work depends on members actually making it through the door.
The appointment that didn’t happen is the one that matters most
Transportation is the connective tissue that helps make the rest of the healthcare system function. At Provide A Ride, we take that responsibility seriously. We strive to combine operational excellence with a member-centered approach that recognizes transportation as one of the critical links in improving access to care. By working collaboratively with Ohio’s health plans, providers and care teams, we help remove barriers that support better access to care and, ultimately, better health outcomes.
We’re honored to serve as OAHP’s Presenting Convention Partner this year and look forward to continuing our work alongside Ohio’s health plans to improve access to care for the members we collectively serve.
