Effective: 06-22-20
Supersedes: CM 318
Purpose: Provide a consistent and efficient process for identifying and accepting Chair Car services.
Policy: Dispatchers and Call Takers will accept all reasonable requests for Chair Car transportation from our contracted facilities as outlined below.
Procedure:
Our primary obligation with regard to booking chair car trips is with our contracted customers only. We do not offer or provide services from private homes.
Hours of Operations: Chair Car Services operate between 06:00 – 18:00 Monday through Saturday. No Chair Car services on Sunday, which includes requests for Dialysis transportation.
Holiday Hours of Operations: 08:00 – 20:00
Note; All Chair Car Requests require either a MassHealth # or Credit Card # prior to the transport. Not all MassHealth plans cover Chair Car as detailed below.
MassHealth Plans that Covers Chair Car
· Standard
· CommonHealth
· Care Plus
MassHealth Plans that do not Cover Chair Car
· Health Safety Net
· Premium Assistance
· Family Assistance
· Limited
Process:
Please ask the caller if they have MassHealth:
YES, please ask the caller which MassHealth plan to assure it is covered (see above listing)i. Once coverage is identified please get the MassHealth # and enter it within the CAD and continue with booking.
NO, please explain the lack of coverage and offer the contracted facility a private pay option. See rates below. We must obtain credit card prior to any transport.
Quotes: Must use Chair Car Rate calculator for all quotes as facilities vary
All requests without a MassHealth # or credit card # are to be placed in the “pending status” within the CAD with a note indicating the pending reason.
Chair Car bookings shall meet the following conditions:
· Access/Egress - No greater than (3) steps
· The payment method shall be secured in advance or with prior authorization by an insurance carrier.
· Review the number of transports scheduled within the hour of request to assure that sufficient chair cars are available for on time transportation. Facility transports are our priority.
· Private chair car transportation may not be booked more than 2 weeks in advance and 24-hour advance notice is mandatory.
· Bus Tours, home visits, and long-distance trips should be referred to the Chair Car Coordinator.
· VIP patient requests approved by management may be booked with criteria outside these guidelines.
Rates: Updated, March 20, 2019
· Non-Contracted Rates: Monday – Saturday
· Anytime a transport is not covered by mass health and the facility is NOT paying it would be the Non-Contracted rate
· Contracted Rates: Monday – Saturday
· Anytime a transport that is not covered by mass health and the facility is agreeing to pay for the transport
· Sunday: NO SERVICES available
· Home for the Holidays (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas (we do not transport greater than 15 miles)
Covered Services /Alternate Transportation
· Medicare does not cover Chair Car services.
· Mass Health will NOT pay for chair car transportation that originates from a private residence.
· As a general rule Mass Health will pay for most chair car transports from a facility to an appointment directly related to the patient’s medical condition i.e., Doctors office visit etc.
· If we are not able to effectively handle any private MASSHEALTH Chair Car patient, they should be referred to GATRA Dial-A-Ride (508) 823-8828 for all areas within our service - http://www.gatra.org/
· OR Massachusetts Regional Transit Authority (MART) at 800-854-9928 http://www.mrta.us/masshealth