All NEMT companies should require potential employees to take a urine drug test before they can be hired. One benefit of the urine drug screen is that it can keep people with drug problems out of safety sensitive positions that require the ability to be alert and focused at all times. NEMT personnel who use drugs put the safety of many people at risk. Testing may also lower the risk of on-the-job accidents.

There are two big insurance questions for non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) providers: 1) What does non-emergency medical transportation insurance cover, and 2) how much does it cost? Let us look at the various components of NEMT insurance, and what types of claims and scenarios they are applied to. In this post, we will discuss the different factors that affect NEMT insurance rates.

Interim Recommendations for U.S. Non-emergency Transport Vehicles that May Have Transported Passengers with Suspected/Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). April 14, 2020: Content source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases

People who are known or suspected to have COVID-19 may use non-emergency vehicle services, such as passenger vans, accessible vans, and cars, for transportation to receive essential medical care. When transporting a known confirmed positive passenger, it is recommended that drivers wear an N95 respirator or facemask (if a respirator is not available) and eye protection such as a face shield or goggles (as long as they do not create a driving hazard), and the passenger should wear a facemask or cloth face covering. Occupants of these vehicles should avoid or limit close contact (within 6 feet) with others. The use of larger vehicles such as vans is recommended when feasible to allow greater social (physical) distance between vehicle occupants. Additionally, drivers should practice regular hand hygiene, avoid touching their nose, mouth, or eyes, and avoid picking up multiple passengers who would not otherwise be riding together on the same route. CDC recommends that individuals wear cloth face coverings in settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in areas with significant community transmission. Cloth face coverings may prevent people who do not know they have the virus from transmitting it to others; these face coverings are not surgical masks, respirators, or personal protective equipment (PPE). Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) companies provide a much-needed service to people who are sick, elderly, disabled or otherwise unable to drive themselves to and from doctors’ appointments, dialysis treatment, x-rays, therapy, or other medical treatments. Unfortunately, however, NEMT companies providing such services often employ inexperienced or untrained drivers and staff, and sadly, even use vehicles which are not equipped with necessary safety features. As a result, many people who have no choice but to utilize the services of non-emergency transport companies – people who need specialized transportation and deserve extra care and attention – suffer catastrophic injuries while in the custody and control of non-emergency transport companies. It is the duty of the driver to ensure that the patient/passenger is safely transported to their destination.

It is easy to recognize the impact of poorly trained employees – late pick-ups, poor customer service, losing good staff, complaints, accidents, and injuries, and loss of contracts. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a simple solution to address all of these issues? There is – EMPLOYEE TRAINING.