NEMT software Archives

How much does NEMT Dispatch and Scheduling Software Cost?

Pricing is one of the most critical factors in choosing non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) software. When you’re setting up a business, every dollar counts, and it’s essential to save money wherever you can while also getting the most out of every purchase.

The US Medicaid program first offered NEMT as a benefit in 1966. Under this benefit, the federal and state governments cover rides for eligible individuals to and from doctor’s offices, hospitals, and other medical facilities for Medicaid-approved care.

At first, the benefit was just for low-income beneficiaries who didn’t have reliable, affordable methods of transportation to healthcare appointments, had extensive travel times in rural areas, lacked public transit alternatives, or had disabilities.

These days, states have different rules about who is eligible to receive rides, which rides are covered, and if trips need to be pre-authorized.

In this article, though, we will focus on pricing for NEMT software. We’re going to look at average costs, what you should charge for your services, and what your options are when it comes to the distinct kinds of NEMT software.

Initial Costs

Let’s start by talking about the initial costs associated with establishing an NEMT business. Here is a detailed breakdown of approximate expenditures:

The fee for registering an NEMT business in the United States is $725.
The legal fees, insurance, permits, and license will cost around $5,000.
The cost of leasing a facility may land around $100,000.
The amount needed to renovate a facility for operations (electrical, furnishings, plumbing, painting, and landscaping) will cost approximately $10,000.
The cost of furniture and equipment (flat-screen TVs, computers, printers, desks, etc.) may cost from $7,000 to $9,000.
Other start-up expenses (i.e., stationery, etc.) will probably come in around $1,000.
The cost of setting up a website should come to around $600.
Phone and utility deposits will require about $3,500.
The cost for ambulances will be around $150,000.
Salaries for the first three months of operations will be approximately $50,000.
Additional expenditures (i.e., business cards, signage, advertising, and promotions, etc.) may cost around $5,000.

You will need to consider all of this as you start your business. Create a budget and make it exhaustive. Get granular about what you need and what you can live without. The idea isn’t to go bare-bones; however, you want to save money while getting the best bang for your buck.

It costs an average of $350,000 to start a standard, somewhat smaller NEMT business in the United States, so it’s a hefty investment. But don’t despair; the average NEMT business takes in between $36,000 and $55,000 per year in profit. You can make money back quickly with the right strategy.

What You Should Charge

Now that we’ve discussed some expenditures let’s look at what you should charge.

This table shows the average rates for NEMT services across the US. Prices vary from area to area.

Types of Charge	Weekday Business Hours	Weekends & Off Hours
Ambulatory – Base Rate	$25 – $30	$30 – $40
Wheelchair – Base Rate	$45 – $50	$75 – $90
Stretcher – Base Rate	$100 – $200	$125 – $225
Additional Mileage Fees	$3 – $5 per mile	$5 – $7 per mile

The idea here is to have some guideposts in place as you begin. You may adjust pricing as you evolve and gain new insights into your business from experience. Be sure to monitor other NEMT providers in your area to keep your rates competitive.

NEMT Software Alternatives and Pricing

There are four main NEMT software options: Tobi Cloud, NEMT Cloud Dispatch, Mobisoft Infotech, and TripSpark. They all have different price points and models.

Tobi Cloud offers a simple, transparent flat-rate charge of $50 per vehicle/month plus $0.10 per trip.

So for a small fleet of five ambulettes completing around 250 trips a month, the cost will be $275 per month.

There are no hidden charges, like signup fees or charges for specific features, and NEMT owners can add as many drivers and admin staff to the application as they want.

NEMT providers get access to its entire gamut of features, and the system can quickly scale to match different fleet sizes.

It’s excellent value for NEMT operators of small, mid-sized, and large fleets.

NEMT Cloud Dispatch offers three packages: Essential, Advanced, and Premium.

Essential is for no more than five vehicles. It costs $79.99 per month.

The Advanced package is for up to ten vehicles. It costs $149.99 per month. It also comes with some extra features not included with the Essential package.

NEMT Cloud Dispatch lists 20 plus as the vehicle limit for the Premium package. You should call to inquire further about pricing specifics for this package. The amount listed is $249.99 per month.

Mobisoft Infotech does not provide pricing details. You will need to submit a business inquiry to learn more.

TripSpark also doesn’t disclose specific pricing information. Instead, they have a blog post about their discovery process and the importance of customizing each customer’s experience.

Do your research about the different features of each software solution. The price points are different for each provider. The key is to balance the software cost with the features you need.

Conclusion

While choosing the wrong NEMT software won’t ruin your business, it can have a significant impact on your bottom line—and cause you needless headaches. As with any major investment, it’s critical to do your research. Separate the features you absolutely need from the “nice to have” features, and then figure out what you can afford without straining your budget.

If you’re still planning your NEMT business, know what starting the business costs, what other NEMTs in your area charge, and what profit you can expect to make if you set your rates competitively. Again, knowing the numbers can help determine which software solution makes the most sense for your business.

And if you’ve done your homework and are already looking for the right software for your non-emergency medical transportation business, we’d love to be on your list. Check out Tobi Cloud today to learn more about our NEMT software’s exceptional features. Tobi Cloud can help take your business to the next level.

Why Tobi Cloud is a One-Stop Solution for NEMT Companies?

The Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) market in the US is worth upwards of $15 billion. And this is projected to grow at a blazing rate of almost 8% yearly until 2028. Clearly, this is a growing market.

If you’re thinking of starting an NEMT business, one of the first tools you’ll need is NEMT software. NEMT software delivers many business advantages that will help you outperform your competitors.

However, determining if an NEMT solution meets the needs of your business can be difficult. That’s why we designed Tobi Cloud to be a one-stop NEMT software solution.

What is Tobi Cloud?

As the name implies, Tobi Cloud is a cloud-based NEMT solution. It brings together transport operations and business intelligence in one platform.

NEMT providers used to need separate tools for dispatch, scheduling, billing, and reporting. Tobi Cloud gives you the power to do everything from a single software solution.

Not only that, but all of those formerly disparate tools work together seamlessly. Tobi Cloud removes the hassle of maintaining multiple software platforms and integrating incompatible systems.

How Tobi Cloud Works

Traditional NEMT providers receive requests from patients or care providers (like hospitals or clinics). Providers log in these requests into their system to begin processing them.

Providers then collect any necessary pre-authorizations, and then the trip is assigned to either a contractor or a vehicle in their fleet or network. The vehicle driver then must interact with the passenger directly. The driver then picks them up and drops them off according to a pre-arranged and fixed route. With traditional NEMT companies, these are all manual operations.

Tobi Cloud does all this and more through a single platform. We also have a driver’s app that simplifies live tracking, monitoring, and trip-end documentation.

Tobi Cloud Addresses Common NEMT Business Challenges

Tobi Cloud’s end-to-end feature set helps you address the common issues that come with running an NEMT business.

Customer experience – Late arrivals, no-shows, missed appointments, etc., can negatively impact your scheduling. Tobi Cloud enables you to mitigate that impact with highly responsive customer service and timely driver-passenger communication. With Tobi Cloud, you deliver the best possible customer experience every time.

Flexibility – With a fixed or rigid structure of operation, traditional NEMT providers cannot be responsive to time-sensitive requests or last-minute changes. Tobi Cloud gives you the flexibility to meet your customers’ needs without disrupting your scheduled rides.

Oversight – Our built-in data collection process is a crucial business advantage of Tobi Cloud. Providers can now access external data sources to analyze their performance and ensure transparency and compliance with state and federal laws.

Fraud prevention – Without sufficient data and transparency, abuse of the system could leave your business vulnerable to insurance fraud investigations. Tobi Cloud provides fraud prevention measures like automated trip attestation to keep your business safe.

Efficiency – Tobi Cloud enhances your operational efficiency with AI and machine learning. Our proprietary algorithm learns your company’s trip patterns, and our AI engine optimizes your dispatching.

Top Features of Tobi Cloud

We designed the Tobi Cloud Software platform to help fully automate and streamline the daily activities of NEMT operators. It includes all of the most popular NEMT software features. Here are the top features of Tobi Cloud.

Multi-fleet Capability

Often, NEMT companies need to engage multiple fleets to scale up demand. Or, if your transport company acts as a broker, you want to keep disparate fleets siloed because each of them will work independently.
Using our unified platform, Tobi Cloud enables your business to manage several fleets or even different companies.

Customized Price Modeling

Not all rides cost the same. It makes sense to raise prices during rush hours or periods of high demand to reflect these variances. Sophisticated price models are essential for this.
Tobi Cloud enables your business to set up specific pricing rules to make your job easier. Once the pricing rules are set, the system automates ride-pricing accurately.

Real-time GPS Tracking

Tobi Cloud gives you access to real-time GPS-based monitoring and tracking of vehicles. GPS ensures that customers receive real-time updates on drivers’ locations and simultaneously enables transparency and accountability of all drivers in your network.

Automatic Trip Attestation

Post-trip documentation can be a real problem for many organizations. Everybody likes to get paid quickly, without any hiccups. With Tobi Cloud, you can get your trips attested automatically once a ride ends so that your documentation is done and payments are received faster.

In-built Accounting Software

Bookkeeping is an essential part of any business. With Tobi Cloud, you get a one-stop NEMT software platform that can track accounts receivables, generate and track invoices, track insurance claims, and generate statements.

Billing and Insurance Claims

Tobi integrates invoicing and billing into the platform, so you don’t need to purchase separate NEMT billing software. Integration is also available with the most popular billing software platforms if you feel more comfortable sticking with the software you use.

Customer-facing Portal

Tobi Cloud has a sleek portal for customers – patients, clinics, hospitals, etc. – where they can seamlessly book rides, track vehicles, and pay. Plus, you can open up this portal for use by anyone you choose.

Easy Integration

These features cover almost every routine function that NEMT operators carry out daily. However, Tobi Cloud also includes an open ecosystem that can adapt to any platform. So, whenever you need to work with any software used by your partners, brokers, or contractors, Tobi Cloud has you covered.

How Does Tobi Cloud Help NEMT Companies

You have seen the many features of the Tobi platform, so how does Tobi Cloud help NEMT companies earn more?

Tobi Cloud NEMT Software uses the latest technology innovations that deliver an edge to NEMT businesses over their competition.

With Tobi Cloud, you can:

Quickly scale your business
Minimize the need for manual dispatchers
Enable a wider reach for rapidly growing your business
Offer on-demand services to customers
Improve driver satisfaction and retention
Enhance the customer experience
Reduce instances of fraud
Increase business efficiency
Minimize human error
Meet all compliance and regulatory requirements

How does Tobi Cloud compare?

Now that we have shown you how Tobi can help your business become more efficient using technology, let us compare the features we offer with other NEMT software providers in the market.

	TobiCloud	TripMaster	RydeWizz	RouteGenie	TripSpark
Variable pricing (small, midsized, and enterprise-level)	✔️	❌	❌	❌	❌
Dispatching (real-time and pre-scheduled)	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
Real-time status updates of trips	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
Mobile app for drivers with real-time updates	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
Advanced reporting	✔️	✔️	❌	✔️	✔️
Import trips via CSV or API	✔️	❌	❌	✔️	✔️
Automatic invoicing (daily, weekly, monthly)	✔️	❌	✔️	❌	❌
Billing via Medicaid service code or private pay	✔️	❌	❌	❌	✔️
Record payments against the payer	✔️	❌	❌	✔️	❌
Sophisticated pricing models and rules	✔️	❌	❌	❌	❌
Bookkeeping (account, patient, or trip-level reconciliation)	✔️	❌	❌	❌	❌
Automated claims submission	✔️	❌	❌	❌	❌
Automated attestations	✔️	❌	❌	❌	❌
24×7 email and phone support*	✔️	❌	❌	❌	❌
Customer onboarding support*	✔️	❌	❌	❌	❌

*Available with some subscription models only. Please get in touch with us to know more.

As the features of Tobi Cloud show, it really is a one-stop solution for NEMT companies. From planning, dispatching, scheduling, and billing trips to attestation and filing insurance claims, Tobi Cloud is an end-to-end NEMT operations software for NEMT companies.

Software solution that NEMT companies need

So, if you’re wondering whether to modernize your legacy NEM transport or paratransit operations, or if you want to upgrade your present software solution, reach out to us. We will be thrilled to demonstrate how Tobi Cloud can revolutionize your business.

SaaS vs Traditional NEMT Software

In the past, non-emergency medical transportation software (NEMT) was complex and expensive. The effort required to maintain infrastructure for software on the premises was large to put it mildly.

Nowadays, with the evolution of software as a service (SaaS), the burdens of traditional NEMT software can be avoided. SaaS helps users maximize productivity in working environments by providing a diverse range of remotely maintained applications over the Internet. And because of its foundations on the internet, it is more flexible and cost-effective than traditional software. You no longer have to worry about cumbersome hardware and complex software.

Now that we know a little more about SaaS, let’s dive into the key differences between SaaS and traditional NEMT software. There are nine main distinguishing features that we’re going to discuss: Quick Deployment, flexible monitoring, updates, security, installation and maintenance, data accessibility, cost-effectiveness, integration, and scalability.

Quick Deployment

Traditional NEMT software has a fairly steep learning curve. It also requires a complex set-up process. You must get all the hardware put together correctly and most likely go through training before you can utilize it.

SaaS, on the other hand, is simple. The learning curve is quite manageable. The deployment is quick and painless. All you need is an internet connection and you’re good to go.

Flexible Monitoring and Accessibility

You’re a busy professional on the move. You can’t have software that ties you to a specific location. Saas can be accessed from any device at any time as long as you are connected to the internet. This, of course, is advantageous because it allows you to travel while taking care of business.

Whether you need to use your phone, tablet, or laptop, or some other device, SaaS makes it possible. And that’s something we know you need.

Updates

Tired of manually installing updates? Well, you’re definitely not alone.

With SaaS, it’s easier to install updates to the software since it’s hosted in a cloud environment. This means you can dispatch updates remotely without disrupting your user base.

Traditional NEMT software requires you to play a waiting game as you try to get a hold of the latest features and upgrades. Then, you have to manually install those while potentially disrupting users.

Security

Security is a critical part of today’s world, particularly with everything moving online. When it comes to SaaS, you get expert levels of service and performance. This model also provides automatic data backups and recovery.

On the other end of the spectrum, traditional Software Licensing Model users have to go through a meticulous process regarding data backup and recovery.

By using SaaS data centers to ensure automatic recovery and backup of information, securing your data is an ingrained part of the process.

Installation and Maintenance

We’ve already touched on this a bit, but traditional NEMT software is a pain to set up. Not only is there a process, but the initial fees will hurt your wallet.

Meanwhile, SaaS is free of installation and maintenance costs. However, it does require a fixed monthly subscription that charges per user per month. This could be looked at as an advantage of traditional software because once you get past the initial set-up costs, you don’t need to pay a monthly subscription for the services.

SaaS is simpler to maintain, though, because maintenance isn’t the same burden. With traditional software, management of IT infrastructure and hardware is a constant. SaaS offers freedom from these considerations because it’s founded on using services and software via the internet (e.g., no infrastructure needed).

Data Accessibility

Many SaaS providers deliver intuitive, self-serve data accessibility that is easy for users to glean insights from. Users can find information they need quickly without a frustrating amount of effort.

Another way to think about it is that SaaS gives increased access to entire teams, so that team members can procure data within the software when they need it. Because SaaS is hosted on cloud-based servers instead of locally on a specific computer, your team can access the software from home or while working remotely anywhere.

Cost Effectiveness

As we’ve mentioned, the initial cost of traditional software can be quite high. Tens of thousands of dollars in many cases. SaaS does require a monthly subscription but there isn’t the same barrier to entry.

SaaS typically costs less per license than traditional software’s maintenance and set-up costs. And, since there aren’t licensing and physical copies of the software to maintain, there is also a lower cost of ownership.

Integration

SaaS allows you to easily maximize productivity on multiple systems inside and outside of your organization via streamlined integration platforms. This means that you can connect marketing, sales, support and other services to help you streamline your business.

For example, Tobi Cloud’s fully documented and open API allows us to work with any partner, provider, collaborator, customer, client, vendor, or system out there. And that’s a game-changer.

Scalability

Scalability is one of SaaS’ greatest strengths. It can adapt to accommodate the needs of your business. It scales quickly as your organization evolves and changes. If you need to add more users, you can take care of it with a couple of clicks. And you don’t need to worry about downloading the software onto every new hire’s computer.

The chance to increase resources to accommodate growth is still one of the best long-term benefits of scalability in SaaS. Instead of changing infrastructure and retraining staff, a business can easily enlarge its cloud resources to meet demand. This has the bonus benefit of diminishing downtime and lessening the chances of clients looking to competitors.

The ability to scale is a make-or-break factor in today’s business world. And that might be a good enough reason to choose SaaS.

Conclusion

SaaS is the way of the future. Its strengths when it comes to cost and scalability make it a great option for your NEMT business. It’s only going to grow in capability in the coming years.

Traditional NEMT software doesn’t have the same flexibility. It will hold your business back from reaching its full potential.

If you want to save money, work smarter, and grow your business, SaaS is the better choice.

Are you ready to adopt a new platform for your NEMT business? Check us out at Tobi Cloud today and learn more about our NEMT software’s features. We would love to start a conversation.

How NEMT Software Benefits Your Drivers

Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) drivers are in high demand because of an aging population and the constant need for non-emergency medical transportation. This demand means that retaining drivers is a crucial part of your business. Technology plays a central role in retaining drivers and enhancing business operations. NEMT software bridges the communication gap that can exist between dispatcher and driver, and driver and passenger, removing many of the frustrations drivers face.

The key benefits drivers gain from NEMT software are reporting and optimization, automated billing, NEMT driver applications, enhanced GPS technology, and streamlined communication with passengers.

Reporting and Optimization

NEMT software allows you to run reports that provide invaluable insight for optimizing your business. The more you know about routes and rides, the more informed your decisions will be. This data-informed approach benefits your drivers, too, because improved strategies help them get better rides and increase efficiency.

For example, if your reports signal that one of your drivers drove twice the distance of any other driver, you’ll want to dig into that statistic. Why is that? You might discover that the driver’s rides weren’t optimized for their location, giving you a chance to make adjustments that benefit you both.

The best businesses constantly refine and evolve their processes. Drivers want to work for organizations that innovate to make their work simpler and more efficient. When you use metrics and key insights, you help everyone that works for you reap the benefits.

How Does NEMT Software Operate?

Automated Billing

In the not-so-distant past, collecting payment for rides could be a time-consuming and headache-inducing process. Drivers and riders handled transactions manually, with paper records and cash exchanges that often resulted in errors. These manual transactions created an unnecessary burden on transportation businesses, not to mention the additional liabilities for drivers with large sums of cash in their vehicles.

NEMT software gets rid of this cumbersome, disorganized process. Digital automated billing takes the pressure off drivers to figure out fares and creates a trail of payment histories. Drivers don’t have to demand payment at the end of every ride.

Automated billing also makes it easy for drivers to get paid quickly. The money for rides goes straight to them and doesn’t require cash to exchange hands. Digital payments mean quicker paydays with less hassle.

NEMT Driver Apps

Driver apps are the main benefit of NEMT software for drivers. A driver app can be accessed through mobile and connected to modern car’s Bluetooth systems, if desired. The app is a feature of NEMT software feature that makes it easy for drivers to view their daily trips, schedule new rides, and make any necessary adjustments throughout the day. The app is also a direct communication tool between dispatcher and driver, and driver and passenger.

NEMT drivers work in a fast-paced environment, so the importance of driver apps cannot be overstated. Driver apps verify the location in real-time and help drivers make informed decisions about routes to get passengers to their destinations on time. They help drivers deal with issues because the fleet and dispatchers are only a message away.

Driver apps collect timestamps, odometer readings, and GPS location data for every trip, which leads to better routes and more efficient decisions in the future. They also notify passengers when their ride is arriving and provide a place for passengers to get real-time updates. This helps ensure drivers stay on schedule and assist the most people they can each day with rides.

Enhanced GPS Technology

Nothing is more frustrating for a driver than a slow route or wrong turns. With NEMT software, drivers avoid these pitfalls. Drivers simply plug a passenger’s address into the GPS feature and follow the in-app navigation turn by turn. GPS is designed to find the quickest, most efficient routes for every trip to avoid traffic jams, accidents, poor road conditions, and more.

GPS tracking also allows you to monitor your fleet of drivers. This benefits drivers as well because GPS tracking helps dispatchers be proactive when they discover a route is not on a schedule. Once dispatchers know the root cause of the issue, they communicate internally with your team and externally to your customers to develop a solution. This can help prevent further delays for passengers who may be scheduled for routes later in the day.

The real-time information flowing between dispatchers and drivers makes everyone’s lives easier and more efficient. When drivers and dispatchers work together to glean insights from updates on traffic and scheduling, it leads to better decisions. By making route adjustments and communicating with your riders, your team enhances customer satisfaction and keeps your vehicles and drivers prompt and reliable.

Streamlined Communication with Passengers

Every driver needs a feature that makes communicating with passengers easy. Speed of communication is crucial in the NEMT business. Drivers and patients feel better when communication is readily available and simple.

NEMT software allows for phone calls, alerts, and instant messaging to happen in real-time, while maintaining privacy. Because all communication happens through the mobile app, though, neither your drivers nor your riders have their private phone numbers exposed.

The availability of this feature acts as a reliable safeguard in case drivers need to communicate with passengers before or after the ride. In this way, NEMT software increases the effectiveness and efficiency of communication between drivers and riders, improving the experience for both sides.

The Bottom Line

NEMT software benefits drivers because it streamlines parts of the job that used to be cumbersome and possesses features that make the job easier than ever. Drivers can focus on getting passengers from their pickup spot to their drop-off location efficiently. They don’t need to worry about collecting cash payments or figuring out how to avoid an unexpected delay on their route.

NEMT software can play a major role in increasing your drivers’ satisfaction and motivation, as well as improving the experience of your riders—ultimately helping you improve your retention rates for both.

Software solutions like Tobi Cloud make it easier to enhance your NEMT business and provide superior service to clients. Contact us today to learn more about how Tobi Cloud can help take your business to the next level.

5 Challenges of Non-emergency Medical Transportation and Tips on Overcoming Them

According to a recent study, 40% of Americans faced various transportation barriers during the height of the pandemic. As a result, many are delayed in seeking medical care. It just shows how vital non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) is to healthcare services.

Nonetheless, NEMT goes beyond basic transportation services. It has its challenges to overcome, including legal compliances, optimizing operations, and accommodating specific patients’ needs. As non-emergency medical transportation businessowners, you need the right tools and strategy to provide the best services to your customers.

Knowing the common challenges in the NEMT industry can help you prepare for overcoming them. So read on to find out how you can strengthen and improve your operations.

1. Compliances and requirements

Although NEMT has no formal guidelines, each state has its own non-emergency medical transportation requirements and rules that companies must follow. Moreover, service providers are expected to report deficiencies proactively to state officials.

For example, certain states require certifications and licenses for your staff. After all, driving patients has its inherent risks. You need trained drivers who can handle basic medical emergencies and care. Failure to comply might result in penalties and liabilities.

Hence, the real challenge is monitoring your compliance adherence. You need to keep a record of all the contract requirements and appropriate regulations to operate without issues. Luckily, you can use software to help you manage your records and audits. It can automate tasks such as data collection, vehicle tracking, and driver evaluation to ensure that everything adheres to your state’s guidelines.

2. Late arrivals or no-shows

A common concern among NEMT beneficiaries is customer service. According to FierceHealthare’s non-emergency medical transportation statistics, most complaints are related to late arrivals or no-shows. Some would even have to call for a NEMT the day before their actual medical appointment.

Most NEMT programs allow customers to have freedom of choice on their service provider. However, some states waived this choice due to cost-efficiencies. This makes it harder for NEMT businesses to foster better and lasting relationships with their customers.

To overcome this hurdle, consider creating a booking portal to provide self-service options for your customers. It will serve as a one-stop platform where they can avail of your services, track the status of their booking, and interact with your drivers.

3. System responsiveness

The current NEMT programs work well with regularly scheduled and recurring services. But when it comes to time-sensitive transportations, some service providers fail to respond as quickly as their customers expect. It often ends up with late pickups, lack of available drivers, and overscheduling.

Prevent this from happening by automating your fleet management and scheduling. Various software solutions can help you with the task. There are programs designed specifically for NEMT services. So you have to conduct thorough research and invest in the right NEMT service.

For example, look for software that can automate your scheduling system to ensure there is no overbooking. Likewise, it should give you an overview of your fleet’s status so you know the availability and locations of your drivers or vehicles. Some software can even automate dispatch so that drivers can get to their destination as quickly as possible.

You may check out Tobi Cloud if you are looking for smart NEMT software to manage your dispatching and scheduling needs.

4. Visibility and transparency

Most of the inefficiencies in NEMT operations can be traced back to its lack of visibility and transparency. Unfortunately, many NEMT providers are still stuck with using paper-based systems for record-keeping and managing operations. This makes it harder for them to keep track of their drivers and vehicles, billings, reimbursements, and customers.

One of the advantages of NEMT software is that it leverages various data to give you a comprehensive overview of your operations. It offers features such as fleet and GPS tracking, customer management, and automated billings. Having a single platform to manage your operations makes all your data easily accessible and available to you. It allows you to analyze your business’ performance and determine areas of improvement.

5. Fraud and abuse

As part of healthcare, the NEMT industry is also a prime target for fraudsters and other criminals. It can come in the form of false calls, cyberattacks, and abuse of the system. In some cases, beneficiaries collude with your staff to sign off on non-existent rides in return for kickbacks on falsely paid claims and non-emergency medical transportation rates.

Protect your business by boosting transparency and data collection within your operations. Invest in the appropriate tools to combat frauds and other cyberattacks. For example, cyber security tools can help you monitor and evaluate activities within your digital systems. This will notify you of any suspicious access and incidents during your operations. NEMT solutions can also provide you with GPS tracking to check your drivers’ performance and activities while dispatched.

Overcoming the barriers

Patients have diverse needs depending on their conditions and status in life. Some need different types of doctors; some need time-sensitive treatments. Meanwhile, others need transportation services to help them get to their medical appointment in time.

Hence, NEMT plays a critical role in patient welfare. It would help if you guaranteed you could accommodate their specific demands and needs. To do that, you must first overcome the challenges that your business might face.

Go ahead and explore what tools you can use to optimize your processes. Consider trying out NEMT solutions like Tobi Cloud to find out more.

5 Ways to Take Your NEMT Business to the Next Level

You’ve gone through all the motions and now have your very own NEMT business. Congratulations on making it this far with your new endeavor. It’s not time to rest on your laurels, though. Instead, it’s time to consider the five ways that you can take your NEMT business to the next level and continue growing.

Ensure ADA Compliance

One of the vital areas of your NEMT business relies on your vehicles. If you didn’t check to ensure that your cars are in ADA compliance before setting up your business, it’s time for you to evaluate them. Going through this step means that you care for the most comfortable transportation possible for your clients. ADA compliance may seem like something to skimp on, but your passengers will notice when your vehicles are just barely at the standards set. Going above and beyond will help get your company noticed above your competitors. Passengers will want to book with the company they feel takes their needs in mind when setting up vehicles for transport.

Manage Your Expenses

Starting your business was expensive, and keeping it running always means managing your expenses. The expenses to ensure that you have enough money to put into the business, pay your employees while still profitable. A great way to keep your NEMT business growing is to evaluate where you are spending your money. It’s possible that there are ways for you to reduce your unnecessary spending while investing money into areas that will help your business be more successful. For instance, when you started your business, you may have handled some of the aspects on your own with DIY efforts, such as creating your website and marketing strategy. It may be time to evaluate your initial steps and invest in professional services reworking your initial efforts to give them polish they may lack.

Rise Above Your Competition

Once you’ve established yourself, it’s time to look at ways that you can outperform your competition. There’s nothing wrong with checking out your competition and seeing what they offer. Look at their website to evaluate what you think they are doing right and what could be improved. What do their reviews say about their business compared to yours? Then, take what you’ve learned and implemented it into your operations. It may be hard to overcome your bias when trying to see what your business may be lacking. Once you’re honest with yourself, the sky is the limit when it comes to improvements.

Work With NEMT Brokers

When you’re working on your own, you only have the clients that know about your business. Working with NEMT brokers can help you in growing your business. A broker has contacts with various medical companies, care homes, and other sources of clients that can help you fill your schedule and keep your drivers busy. Partnering with a NEMT broker can boost your business with minimal effort on your part.

Use the Best NEMT Software

The NEMT software you use for your business will dictate how well your business is performing. You want NEMT software that will give you an edge over the competition. You should invest in software that will help you streamline your dispatch efforts. You need software that can help you to improve your service by analyzing the data and allows for the most reliable service possible. The best software will let you manage your fleet, dispatch, and clients while providing you with the best reporting and analytics possible. Investing in the best NEMT software will improve your profits in the long run, even if you’re spending more initially. Looking to improve your NEMT business by investing in our NEMT software solution to help grow your business? We’re ready to discuss how our software can make a difference in your business today.

The Evolution of Non-Emergency Medical Transportation -NEMT

One of the best ways to see where your business is going is by learning about the past. So let’s explore the evolution of non-emergency medical transportation and how it’s evolved into the necessary service that it is today. One common barrier to healthcare that has existed for many years is traveling to see a provider. That’s where NEMT comes into play.

NEMT History

While a person doesn’t have to be on Medicaid to take advantage of a NEMT service, the history of the NEMT industry is wrapped up with Medicaid. Medicaid, a part of the Social Security Act, was created to help protect individuals that traditionally wouldn’t be able to afford the best medical care. Medicaid is the health coverage available to seniors over the age of 65 and low-income individuals.

In 1965, Medicaid was authorized where states would be responsible for ensuring that their vulnerable populations that required care would have access to transportation to get it. Hence, the beginning of the NEMT industry in its infancy.

A landmark court case, Smith vs. Vowell District Court Case, occurred in 1974. This particular case revolved around a patient with cerebral palsy. He was unable to use a private taxi service to go to his medically necessary rehabilitation appointments. Mr. Edward Smith’s class-action lawsuit against Texas stated that he could not afford the taxi service and wasn’t physically able to take a taxi even if he could afford it. The judge ruled in his favor and created a precedent for the state. To provide the right kind of transportation to and from medically necessary appointments. After NEMT services were recognized in this landmark case, there still wasn’t a set way for non-emergency medical transportation companies to run.

First NEMT Brokerage System

It wasn’t until 1997 when a NEMT brokerage system was created in Georgia. This NEMT broker, LogistiCare, helped reduce the state’s Medicaid account costs while helping more residents gain more accessible access to NEMT services. That was only the beginning as more and more states started to have brokerage companies created and more providers opened up businesses. The need for non-emergency medical transportation has not gone away as time has passed. On the contrary, as our population ages, life expectancy rises, and more individuals are on Medicaid, the need for these services has increased.

Working of NEMT Software

When it comes to technology, innovations have not passed the non-emergency medical transportation industry by as these companies are taking full advantage of it. As the brokerage system in 1997 helped create a more formal process for the ride requesting process for clients, technology has been keeping up. The same technology that rideshare companies, like Uber and Lyft, use for private transportation services is also being put into good use for NEMT businesses.

Impact of Technology on NEMT

Phone calls were the way that the majority of clients were able to have their transportation appointments made for them when they had medical appointments and treatments to get to in the past. Call centers were put into place by brokerages where the patient would have to call in with their information, and the operator would then set up an appointment for the driver. Today, much is still the same, but technology has created a more user-friendly way for setting up the same ride appointments.

Tech-savvy individuals can use apps and computer programs to schedule their rides. Not only does technology make scheduling NEMT services easier on clients, but it’s also a huge benefit for companies. It’s a great way to create transparency for services, billing, patient privacy, and keeping track of the company’s overall data. This help us to find even better ways to serve their clients. In fact, this technology is continually changing and looking for ways to evolve to better serve the clients and the businesses that use them.

Endless Opportunities With NEMT Solution

Automating the process of a NEMT business through a NEMT software solution has created the optimum grounds for growth. One of the keys to growing any business is improving the service offered to customers. Your clients will always notice when things are getting better as it helps to make their life easier. There are endless opportunities for improvement when it comes to implementing a NEMT solution. For example, you can better schedule and track trips to optimize your driver’s time. Improve the amount of time that patients are waiting on their rides to and from their medically necessary trip.

NEMT solutions also help to eliminate any issues that can come from billing. For example, by automating your scheduling, keeping exact track of mileage thanks to GPS tracking and other features. It’s easy to know exactly what to bill to Medicare, self-pay clients, and other insurance companies. NEMT solutions will check for errors with billing, help eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse, and improve payment turnaround time.

Future of NEMT

The future of the non-emergency medical transportation industry has never been better. There is a growing need that won’t be going away anytime soon for quality transportation services. As more individuals are eligible for Medicaid and there is a barrier for transportation services for many low-income individuals, seniors, and other potential clients, NEMT services are necessary. Now is an excellent time to get started in this industry as it’s continually growing, and there is always a need for transportation services. If you have a NEMT service, it’s a great time to look for ways to level up your business, and the right NEMT solution can be the first place to start making improvements to beat the competition.

The history of NEMT shows that the barriers to better care can be eliminated when solutions are implemented. Therefore, NEMT industry not only a tremendously reliable business, but also helps in eliminating barriers to care for individuals in need.

Ready to see how your NEMT company can improve and grow through the use of our NEMT solution? Our staff is prepared to go over our cloud-based and ever-evolving solution for your business.

Guide: Understanding How Technology Shapes NEMT Industry

The NEMT industry has become a powerhouse when it comes to growth and stability. Understanding the technology that shapes the NEMT sector can give you a firmer grasp of how a great NEMT software solution can help to improve your company. Let’s go over the benefits that come from embracing this technology in the NEMT industry, along with what you can expect to get out of utilizing it for your business.

Need of Technology for NEMT Industry

You don’t even have to be familiar with the NEMT industry to see how technology has changed transportation for the better. Remember the old days of paper maps or printing up directions for a family road trip? There would always be a problem with the paper version. Sometimes it would be because the directions were confusing, and sometimes, it would be because something changed, such as construction, accidents, or road closures. Modern technology helps to take the surprise out of any trip. You can be notified in advance that there’s a problem with your route and rerouted quickly without letting the issue destroy your timeliness. The technology available today for NEMT services takes all of the guesswork out of time-sensitive transportation that makes it better for your clients. It also makes it better for your company. NEMT solutions offer various vital features that save your company time and money while keeping your schedule as complete as possible to improve profitability while cutting out waste.

Key Features of NEMT Solutions

While not all NEMT solution software is created equally, you should be looking at a minimum of these four features to help your NEMT business keep up with your competitors and continue to grow. These features include ride digitization, GPS-enabled tracking, HIPPA compliance, and comprehensive trip management.

Ride Digitization

Ride digitization works hand in hand with GPS-enable tracking. Eventually, all NEMT rides will become digitalized where nothing is left on paper but servers and in the cloud. Ride digitization works wonders for patients in improving the quality of service they receive on every aspect of their trip, starting with scheduling and ending with billing. It also has the benefit of creating transparency for all aspects of your NEMT business. This transparency means that it’ll help you to eliminate the possibility of fraud, waste, and abuse that can occur when close monitoring isn’t involved. It can also act as a quality control monitor as it will keep track of crucial ride quality metrics for all of your drivers. You’ll have all of the information regarding each driver personally at your fingertips, such as rider feedback, driving performance, and more. When it comes to rewarding great drivers and eliminating problem ones, you don’t have to look any further for the fairest way possible to handle it. As firing problem drivers can sometimes be tricky, this NEMT software solution can help you provide hard data on why the firing was based on their performance and not discrimination.

GPS-Enabled Tracking

The advent of GPS has changed the world and travel for everyone, but for the NEMT industry, it has been an even more significant game-changer. Employing a NEMT solution that features real-time GPS can create a more efficient system when it comes to routing drivers for pickups. Drivers can rely on the GPS to help them find where they need to be, especially if they are picking up from neighborhoods that they aren’t familiar with, and let your dispatch keep an eye on their route to ensure that they can arrive on time for your clients. This feature can also be great for your clientele. As technology comes down in price and becomes even more user-friendly, more seniors are using it. Allowing patients to see their ride coming for them in real-time can help to put them at ease for making it on time to their healthcare provider. Often, the procedures and appointments they are setting NEMT rides up for are stressful enough on them, so helping to reduce their stress about getting to where they need to be can be beneficial. In addition, it can be a great way to separate yourself out from the crowd.

HIPPA Compliant

As you know, being a NEMT business compared to regular private transportation means that you need to stay compliant when it comes to HIPPA regulations. The medical information that you collect on your patients to transport them safely and securely to their healthcare appointments has to be stored securely when accessed and stored digitally. A NEMT solution offers an easy way to keep track of this data in one secure platform. This software allows you to create, edit, and utilize the information safely without compromising the sensitive information.

Comprehensive Trip Management

Putting NEMT software into place for your business means that you’ll have comprehensive trip management that goes beyond just real-time GPS tracking. You’ll be able to manage your entire NEMT business using software that was engineered specifically for the NEMT industry all in one place. The software will offer trip management capabilities, including routing and scheduling while monitoring and tracking your fleet with real-time data. Not only does this data help you in the moment, such as rerouting trips for canceled appointments without wasting your driver’s time, but it can also be used for the big picture to identify areas where you could be doing better. The beautiful thing about NEMT software is that it’s scalable for your business, meaning that it can be just as beneficial for a small start-up NEMT business as it is for a more significant business.

Key Takeaways

When it comes to the NEMT industry, technology has changed the game for the better. In many industries, there is the fear of technology in that it will replace staff and make a company seem inhuman to the public, but that’s not the case with the NEMT industry. You don’t have to worry about losing the human touch as your staff relies on this technology solution as it only helps them do their jobs better and more efficiently. Patients will still get the same excellent customer service your company is known for while seeing an improvement thanks to the software. Do you have questions about how our NEMT software will work for your company? Are you interested in getting started? Contact our staff today to learn more. We can walk you through our user-friendly interface and help you get the most out of your NEMT business.

Why You Should Choose Tobi Cloud For Your NEMT Software Needs?

Software development should bring smiles to faces. When you have a genuinely remarkable piece of software, it just feels natural, good, easy. The team at Tobi Cloud set out to accomplish unique NEMT software transport in the non-emergency medical transport industry. Their accomplishment is now in the hands of many transport service providers. It makes it easier to grow their businesses, connect with clients, brokers, and deliver on their mission statement. Let us look at why you would choose Tobi for your non-emergency medical transport software needs.

Focused Development Team

Great software is the product of a development team with a focus on the wow factor. The customer priorities, what they find valuable, are what need attention for software to succeed. You need to build for your customer needs, create a partnership you grow over time. Tobi Cloud software development team utilizes their deep industry expertise to collaborate and co-create with customers daily.

The features provided and addons with the agile development model bring competitive advantages. Tobi Cloud NEMT software will disrupt industries like non-emergency medical transport. It is these disruptions when you adopt them that can make a huge difference.

Features That Set Tobi Cloud Apart from the Competition

What are some of the features that set Tobi Cloud apart from the competition? The team is here to disrupt the non-emergency medical transport industry, and we do this with an all-inclusive solution. The solution brings together fleet management with real-time monitoring, a driver interface, price modeling, manual scheduling, and more. Let’s dig deeper into some of these vital differentiating features.

Fleet Management, Including Multi-Fleet

One significant advantage of the Tobi Cloud NEMT software is that you can manage one or multiple fleets of vehicles on the same platform. If you are a small non-emergency medical transport company with one fleet of vehicles, you can control the dispatching and everything right through the software. If you have multiple fleets or even multiple companies, you can manage that here as well. The software even enables subcontracting as well as the ability to set permissions in dispatching across fleets.

Tobi Cloud Price Modeling for Immediate Quoting

The sophisticated price modeling platform from Tobi Cloud helps you price faster and more accurately for each job. You can get to a granular level with a series of customization rules. These include the type of vehicle, day of the week, even time of the day.

Pricing needs to be transparent and consistent. The software price modeling allows creating custom formulas unique to your company, your fleet of vehicles. When a customer wants a quote, you will use the price modeling to get them an accurate one on the spot.

Making Use of GPS Technology

Global positioning system or GPS technology can give you an accurate line of sight into where your fleet vehicles are at all times. When you want to know the location of your vehicles, you can see where they are on the current job, when the job began, when you expect it to end, etc.

Drivers can make use of the GPS technology as well with the driver interface within Tobi Cloud. It enables them to understand traffic ahead and get information to get to the end-point fastest. If you need to make decisions on the fly as dispatch or as a driver, the GPS vehicle monitoring features of Tobi Cloud allow you to do so.

Let Scheduling Happen Automatically

Machine learning and artificial intelligence are at play with Tobi Cloud when it comes to scheduling. The Tobi Cloud software has a proprietary algorithm. With the algorithm, it will learn about the trip patterns of your fleet over time. The software will understand the average distance for a trip, length of trip, etc. Through this, it will begin to schedule transport jobs for you automatically. The software and its features allow for schedule optimization. Tobi Cloud lets you get the most out of the fleet and be prompt with each of your customer pick-ups and drop-offs.

Filing Your Trip Attestation

When you drive all day, it can be challenging to go back to the office and do paperwork so your broker will pay you. It would help if you attested to your trips to get payments. With the Tobi Cloud software, you as the driver and your patient can sign electronically when the job is complete. With this electronic signature complete, you can then transmit it directly to a broker. It will mean instant verification, attestation of a complete job. It helps you get paid faster and more accurately.

Keep the Books Accurate

The accounting side of the house can be a challenge for a non-emergency medical transport professional. You want bookkeeping to be simple, efficient. With the Tobi Cloud software, you have bookkeeping built in. When you finish a job, invoice generation happens automatically and sees transmission electronically. Claims filing gets done through integrations, as well as statements.

All this gets handling with automation of accounts receivable and an insight into the aging of those receivables.

All these tasks are administrative in practice and carry overhead costs. To increase your margins, you need to automate claims filings, bookkeeping needs. Trust the software and let it work for you. When you do, the results can be breathtaking.

Open API For Easy Integrations

Tobi Cloud has an open API that is easy to work with. If you have your own billing company, for example, you can work with that company. It can allow for integration between Tobi Cloud and the existing billing company. If you want to use what Tobi Cloud has to offer, that is fine as well. The idea is the power is in your hands as a customer. The open API setup allows Tobi Cloud to work with any provider, customer, client, system, vendor, etc.

A non-emergency medical transport service provider needs technology to beat the competition. The days of being good with manual scheduling and organization are over. Even if you are great at those things, the administration time and overhead costs can be anchors holding back your company from growth. It is time to seek out a non-emergency medical transport software package, and Tobi Cloud is the front-runner getting your attention.