The sphere of non-emergency medical transportation is a rewarding and noble place to initiate your business. Your work is dedicated to assisting people who need reliable transportation to get to hospital, clinic, pharmacy, or just to go grocery shopping. Unfortunately, physically or mentally disabled people face the risk of missing important medical appointments and have a constant lack of social life because they can’t drive on their own. NEMT successfully resolves this issue, decreasing the number of skipped doctor visits, and improving the quality of life instead. There are so many things one should take care of and learn about when considering pursuing a career in NEMT. Most importantly, the choice of vehicles for the NEMT business should be approached seriously and with great responsibility.
What influences the choice of car you would like to purchase? The decision will naturally depend on your needs and the amount of money you are ready to spend on a van. In fact, minivans, full-size vans, and buses are the best choices. The most crucial aspects you should take into consideration are capacity and wheelbase of the vehicle, occupancy, wheelchair/stretcher accessibility, and gurney access. Let’s take a closer look at the most suitable types of vehicles for NEMT.
Ambulatory
The type of NEMT which can be fulfilled with any vehicle permitted to be on the road is ambulatory. It is suitable for people who can walk on their own and do not need special equipment and support to travel. Actually, you can easily use your own car, because there’s no need to buy a new one to complete ambulatory trips.
Wheelchair
Wheelchair transportation is necessary for patients who are confined to wheelchairs or who have movement disorder and difficulties with walking. The proper restraints and hookups are required in vehicles in order to secure the chair and maintain its stability at all times. If you don’t have the right vehicle that can guarantee passenger safety, you can’t take wheelchair trips. First and foremost is the health of your clients.
Stretcher
People with physical disabilities who can’t stand or sit must be transported safely in a special vehicle. In particular, patients suffering from spinal cord trauma and different back related injuries use stretcher transportation service. As a rule, patients require door-to-door transportation and special supervision in order to get them from home to a scheduled healthcare appointment. The presence of restraints and hookups in the van is obligatory to avoid any undesirable movements during transportation.
Keep in mind that having properly equipped vehicles in your fleet is one of the major factors that influence the success of your company.