By Steve Bittenbender |
A number of Pennsylvania lawmakers have banded together to question a plan that will overhaul the state’s medical assistance transportation program.
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The program offers non-emergency transportation to doctor’s offices, clinics and other facilities for individuals whose applications have been approved by their county of residence. The General Assembly voted last year to switch from the existing program, which allows counties to manage their own systems, to regional or statewide brokering firms. The move was made to generate about $15 million in additional federal revenue.
Lawmakers at a Tuesday news conference however said they have heard from their constituents who rely on the service, and residents have expressed concerns about reliability and quality.
One resident said they would be forced to walk if they no longer had access to the service. Another told her lawmaker that she feared she would die if she was no longer able to get transportation for her routine doctor’s visits.
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“We need to be looking to pinch every penny here in Pennsylvania, but we need to be doing it in a way that’s respectful of people,” said state Rep. Aaron Bernstine, R-Ellwood City. “We need to be doing it in a way that ensures that the people are treated with respect and dignity.”
Legislators have filed similar bills in both chambers. The measure calls for the state to hold off on implementing the program until it can be reviewed for one year. The earliest the state could move forward with the brokerage plan would be 90 days after the study is complete.
State Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Dallas, said some parts of Pennsylvania may benefit from using a brokerage to manage transportation needs. However, the state is too large and diverse for a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
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“State officials should take the time to get this right,” said Baker, who sponsors Senate Bill 390. “If we attempt to force a system that is flawed, it will fail to produce the greater convenience for patients and the cost savings for taxpayers.”
The House bill, House Bill 986, has 57 cosponsors, while the Senate bill has 30.
The bills also have the support of the Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association.
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Richard Farr, a PPTA board member who serves as the executive director for the Central Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, said the state’s current system has the fifth lowest cost per trip in the country while making the most runs.
“That is coordination at its best,” he said.
