October 20, 2020
As part of the Department’s evaluation of its transportation services, we will conduct virtual listening sessions (PDF) for beneficiaries and other interested parties to assess how our transportation programs are performing and how they can best meet beneficiaries’ needs for access to appointments and services. The listening sessions, organized by geographic region, begin today and continue through November.
In addition to the listening sessions, DHHS is conducting a survey (PDF) of eligible beneficiaries to assess quality and satisfaction with transportation services. DHHS is also surveying providers and social service agencies about transportation reliability and service quality for their patients and clients. The results of these surveys, which are open until November 6, along with the feedback gathered through the listening sessions, will guide improvements to our transportation programs.
This work is the latest step in the Department’s comprehensive review of transportation services that began in June 2019. Using feedback from a previous round of listening sessions, the Department issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for an evaluation of the transportation system that includes this second round of seeking targeted feedback from clients, transportation providers, brokers, and health care providers about the quality of services and barriers to access. The contract, awarded in July to RLS, also includes a review of best practices gathered from literature reviews and other states' transportation programs; recommendations to improve quality and access to transportation services; and an assessment of options moving forward.