Removing Barriers
to
Routine Screenings
Challenge
Improve access to mammograms through free transportation to pop-up screenings.
Solution
A comprehensive, on-demand extension of NEMT services coordinated by MTM.
Results
Improved screening compliance, increased member satisfaction, and removal of transportation barriers.
Challenge
Following a directive to increase screening mammograms for their members, a national health plan implemented pop-up mobile screening sites at non-medical locations like churches and community centers. The pop-up shop aims to address three main challenges:
- Increase access to mammograms for members who may be limited by geographical barriers and lack of convenient healthcare facilities by offering screenings in a comfortable mobile environment.
- Improve historically low compliance rates among members stemming from difficulties in coordinating appointments at a convenient time.
- Remove transportation barriers that prevented members from accessing these non-emergency screenings.
To address the third challenge, the health plan approached MTM to develop a solution that would allow for free on-demand rides to pop-up screenings.
Solution
To ensure transportation is just as easily accessible as the pop-up mammogram sites themselves, the health plan partnered with MTM to expand their current non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) program to include rides to screenings. Primarily, rides to screenings are provided via on-demand transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft using the following process:
- The health plan partners with healthcare providers, informing them of screening sites.
- Healthcare providers play a crucial role in notifying their patients about free testing availability, increasing awareness and participation.
- Members who need rides to screenings contact MTM directly to request a ride, or their health plan case manager contacts MTM on their behalf.
- MTM arranges the ride with a TNC, ensuring safety and comfort during their ride to and from the screening.
- MTM uses a health plan-designated trip reason code to provide the ride to the passenger free of charge, ensuring seamless access to screenings and relieving the member from the stress of not having reliable transportation to preventative care.
Results
The health plan’s pop-up screening program, coupled with MTM’s comprehensive transportation solution, effectively addressed healthcare access and transportation challenges. This model improved screening compliance, increased member satisfaction, and removed transportation barriers. Healthcare access significantly improved as members had convenient access to preventive care through the pop-up screenings. Additionally, compliance rates among members increased due to the streamlined process of same-day appointments, personalized case management support, and coordinated transportation services.
This approach serves as a valuable example of how NEMT brokers can act as an extension of health plan case management teams, collaborating to implement holistic solutions that integrate healthcare access, transportation, and case management support to improve compliance and provide comprehensive care to their members.
Copyright @ 2024 MTM, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | CA Collection Notice | Cookie Policy | Your Privacy Choices | MTM Transit | Wanda, Senior Transportation in Phoenix
