Engaging Members, Improving Outcomes, and Lifting Ratings: A New Approach to Transportation for Medicare Advantage

Medicare is not Medicaid. So why do so many non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) brokers treat Medicare transportation benefits the same as Medicaid transportation benefits? The short answer is because Medicaid is what they know. But the truth is, Medicaid transportation solutions just don’t work for Medicare.

At MTM, Inc. , we are evolving the Medicare Advantage NEMT benefit through Medicare-focused approaches centered around three very specific aspects:

1. Evolving the transportation benefit through innovation and expertise
2. Creating a tailored member experience
3. Leveraging a customized client service model

The MTM Medicare Difference

We’re no longer treating Medicare transportation benefits like our traditional Medicaid NEMT services. On the Medicaid side, it’s important to our clients that we appropriately manage utilization and closely monitor costs to make the best use of Federal funding. But for our Medicare partners, it’s becoming more important to encourage utilization and steer members to high satisfaction modes, creating an effective balance between cost and the member experience—the latter of which is vital to satisfaction with your plan.

Transportation can be a truly differentiating benefit that helps you attract and retain members when done right. During a recent focus group we held with Medicare Advantage members, many of them told us that they selected their plan specifically because it offered transportation. These members had limitations that prevent them from driving, and they didn’t want to impose on their friends or family members for regular rides to the doctor. By selecting a plan that offers transportation, they are able to keep their independence and get to appointments without relying on a loved one.

When you have members specifically choosing your plan just for transportation, you want to make sure it’s done right. And MTM is here to support you in achieving that objective through a tailored Medicare Advantage NEMT benefit that helps you improve your CAHPS results, HEDIS scores, and STAR ratings, while supporting your growth and retention goals.

A New Approach to Medicare Transportation Benefits

Here are just some of the methods MTM is using to create a truly unique approach to transportation for our Medicare Advantage health plan partners:

• Dedicated Customer Service Support: We form dedicated pods of Customer Care Representatives and Dispatch staff that are extensively trained on your protocols and can provide a customized customer service experience for the Medicare population. This is a population that traditionally prefers to speak to a live representative vs. using self-service options—a distinction that was made loud and clear by the participants of our focus group.
• Flexible Fleet Approach: Our diverse network of transportation options offers every level of transportation experience a Medicare member could need. From options like mileage reimbursement and public transit for members who want to maintain their independence, to traditional transportation providers, to our proprietary Independent Driver Provider model, to strategic relationships with Uber and Lyft, we can support your members’ unique needs. We’re also excited to have the ability to introduce dedicated and branded fleets for our health plan clients, specifically to supplement the wheelchair accessible vehicle supply and ensure wheelchair-equipped vehicles are always available to those who need them. In our focus group, the Medicare members we spoke with stated that they would feel more comfortable if the vehicle they entered was branded with MTM and/or their health plan’s logo. This is an approach that allows us to support their desires while also increasing vehicle supply. Beyond diverse mode availability, we offer varying service levels to accommodate members’ mobility needs, including door-through-door assistance if needed, ensuring member safety and security.
• Dedicated Account Management: We have separated the Account Management teams that support our Medicare clients from those that support Medicaid. Led by Director of Healthcare Operations @Chris Jenkins, our Medicare-dedicated Account Executives live and breathe Medicare. They understand CAHPS, STAR, and HEDIS ratings and how they affect your plan, and they are committed to collaborating with you to develop strategies to grow your membership.
• Support for SDOH: A partnership with MTM goes beyond NEMT. Our network can do more that just take members to the doctor; we can offer non-medical transportation services to shopping and social activities to help your members stay active members of their communities. We can assist with meal and grocery delivery, home modifications, and HCBS services, all of which offer an additional level of caregiver support and can help your members live longer, happier lives at home.

If this approach resonates with you, I highly encourage you to watch the recording of a recent webinar we hosted. Three of our leaders, including Chief Operating Officer Dawn Kotva , Chief Marketing Officer Michele Lucas , and Chief Growth Officer Dave Busch , led an engaging session for Medicare plans that dove in deep on our approach to Medicare NEMT. Click here to access the recording of the webinar and learn more.

When you partner with MTM for Medicare transportation, it’s about more than just a trip. We’re here to help your Medicare Advantage program thrive.?