4 Reasons NEMT Providers Should Go Digital

Modern Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) networks have many benefits over traditional NEMT networks. These benefits go beyond just adding to the bottom line of NEMT service providers.   

There are many benefits to adopting NEMT software. In addition to the ease and convenience of running the business day-to-day, NEMT software can decrease wait times and result in fewer missed rides for customers. It can also enable better time management for NEMT drivers.   

Let’s look at what NEMT is, how it works, and the operational benefits NEMT providers can gain by adopting a software solution tailored to their business.  

What Is NEMT?  

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation services help patients get to necessary medical appointments when they can’t drive themselves or use public transportation.  

These appointments can include routine checkups, follow-up diagnostics, and physical therapy sessions. NEMT is also used to transport patients between hospitals.     

Traditional NEMT service providers use manual scheduling, tracking, and dispatching to operate their service vehicle fleet. It’s time-consuming, costly work, which is reflected in their price.  

As a result, NEMT providers using manual methods are often more expensive than modern providers that use NEMT software to automate such routine processes.  

NEMT Software’s Impact  

Technology has profoundly disrupted the evolution of the NEMT industry. Tailored NEMT software benefits the service provider, the driver of the vehicles, and the patients being transported.   

Service providers gain easier fleet management, automatic route optimization, granular analytics, electronic attestation for fraud prevention, higher customer satisfaction, and more significant cost savings.  

Drivers and patients benefit from better communication before, during, and after the scheduled pick-up/drop-off.  

They also gain the convenience of GPS tracking and electronic billing for insurance payments.  

Best of all, on-demand services that use modern NEMT software are more affordable for the customer.  

Benefits for NEMT Providers   

Modern NEMT networks have the advantage of efficiency over their older, more traditional peers.  

According to a 2019 article in the American Journal of Public Health, using modern NEMT networks can reduce the cost of each ride by up to 70%, saving patients an average of $268 per year. And they deliver a better patient experience at the same time. 

Providers using modern NEMT software can also automate their routine business processes and enhance fraud prevention.  

Plus, they can scale their business quickly and accommodate a more extensive vehicle fleet, ensuring minimum disruption to their business and customers.    

Other benefits to NEMT providers include:  

• Better fleet management: NEMT software makes end-to-end business processes easy. Providers can receive and match transport requests more efficiently, enabling effective navigation, attestation, and billing at the end of each trip.    
• Real-time tracking: When dispatchers can track NEMT drivers in real-time, it’s easier to see driver availability. Plus, they can monitor drivers to ensure accountability. 
• Route optimization: Advanced GPS technology and real-time data simplify fleet planning, improving fleet efficiency and a healthier bottom line.  
• Personalization: With NEMT software that meets the latest compliance requirements, providers can retain passenger information longer. Access to passenger information means NEMT businesses can add to a customer’s experience by delivering services that match their specific mobility needs.  

Benefits for Drivers  

The benefits to NEMT vehicle drivers are also important aspects of the business since drivers are the backbone of any NEMT business.  

Well-designed NEMT software makes it easier for drivers to do their job and keep customers happy.  

• Better communication: Using integrated communication tools, often built into the platform, drivers and passengers can seamlessly communicate. Smooth communication ensures there is less friction between the business and its customers.  
• Efficient navigation: Many NEMT software platforms have automatic route optimization built into the software. It helps drivers avoid traffic snares, inaccessible entrances, and similar otherwise unpredictable situations. It’s a win-win for the passenger and the driver.  
• Automated billing and payments: With integrated billing and post-ride attestation, drivers no longer have to worry about trip payments or endless paperwork. Less paperwork leaves more time for drivers to focus on what they do and leave out the ancillary work associated with each trip.  
• Better time management: NEMT software platforms usually come with a companion driver app, making it easy for drivers to clock in and out of work. As a result, they have a better work-life balance, increasing their job satisfaction.   

Making drivers’ jobs easier is a significant benefit of NEMT software. Happier drivers mean happier customers and happier customers are better for the bottom line.     

Benefits to Passengers  

Delighted customers mean repeat customers. Businesses can only succeed if customers are happy with the service they receive.   

This is particularly true for NEMT providers. NEMT software can help providers address common pain points patients usually experience when using NEMT services.  

• Better patient experience: Easy communication with the vehicle operator and quick support on hand-held devices deliver an excellent customer experience.  
• Lower cost: Service providers using NEMT software can often provide their services at a lower price. Technology-enabled services improve business scale, making it sensible for operators to charge lower costs per ride.  
• Faster trips: Shorter wait times, automated route optimization, and real-time data-equipped navigation mean passengers reach their essential medical appointments on time.  

The bottom line is that NEMT software helps providers deliver the kind of experience patients need when they call for non-emergency medical transportation.  

Ready to Go Digital? 

Several benefits exist for traditional non-emergency medical transportation service providers that modernize their processes with an NEMT software solution.  

It cuts the business’s operating costs, makes drivers’ jobs more manageable, and improves the customer experience.   

One such solution is Tobi—a single application that can handle all NEMT dispatching and scheduling needs. It is easy to use and takes less than an hour from setup to login.   

Want to learn more? Contact us to see how Tobi can take your non-emergency medical transportation business to the next level.