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Capital District Coalition for Accessible Transportation
(A Grassroots Disability Coalition located in Albany, New York's Capital Region)
Members of: The Council for Community Service of NYS, (CCSNYS) The National Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates, (NAPTA) Americans for Transportation Mobility, (ATM)
WE ARE NOT OWNED, MANAGED, OPERATED OR AFFILIATED WITH CDTA OR STAR PARATRANSIT.
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Updated : November 12, 2008 Note: Access Transit is now providing off hours transportation to and from Urgent Care Clinics, Hospital ER's and Hospital evening, weekend and holiday discharges, Dialysis Centers and other medically necessary trips. We want to thank Access Transit on working with the Coalition on this issue! 1. Access Transit clients must be eligible and approved. 2. Access Transit clients should contact Hospital discharge planning (for hospital discharges), ER staff, Urgent Care Clinic or other staff. These staff personnel should call the transporter for you and arrange your trip. 3. Should you wish to call the transporter yourself, (or the clinic/hospital not know whom to call) please phone: Yellow Rose (518)
371-1292 ACCESS Transit Services
(Medicaid Non-Emergency Transportation)
ACCESS Transit Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of
the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) formed in the fall of 1998
to broker transportation for Medicaid clients. ACCESS arranges non-emergency
medical appointment Medicaid transportation for residents of the Counties of
Rensselaer, and Schenectady. Our mission at ACCESS is to maximize personal mobility and independence by coordinating transportation in the Capital Region for all Medicaid eligible recipients. ACCESS’ staff consists of dedicated individuals committed to arranging the most effective mode of transport to meet each client’s needs. Our staff strives to provide the highest level of customer service with individual focus on each and every client. For customer convenience, our Call Center hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at (518) 459-8747. ACCESS personnel answer all calls personally. We also monitor transporter performance to ensure customer safety and satisfaction. ACCESS offers many advantages. As a subsidiary of CDTA, ACCESS is able to capitalize on the name and recognition that CDTA brings to the community. ACCESS is able to use its substantial purchasing power to obtain the highest quality transportation at the lowest price. Finally, ACCESS streamlines community resources so that a comprehensive response to initiatives such as welfare reform, managed care, and block grants are implemented and utilized efficiently. To learn more about ACCESS, please contact Luis Acosta, Manager, at (518) 453-8377, ext. 222 or Amy Neumann, Assistant Manager at (518) 453-8377, ext.232. Frequently
Asked Questions
What exactly is Access
Transit Services, Inc.? ACCESS Transit Services, Inc. (ACCESS) is a subsidiary and service of the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) formed in the fall of 1998 to broker transportation for Medicaid clients in the Capital District. Access arranges Medicaid transportation for residents of the Counties of Rensselaer and Schenectady to their non-emergency medical appointments. ACCESS also arranges taxi rides to work and work-related services so that TANF-eligible citizens of Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer Counties may attain employment, get a better job or retain the job they have. Contact the County Department of Social Services about the Job Program or call Amy Neumann at ACCESS at (518) 453-8377 Ext. 232 for more information. What is ACCESS’
mission? Our mission is to maximize personal mobility by coordinating transportation in the Capital District for all qualified recipients. We are committed to arranging the most appropriate, cost effective mode of transport to meet the needs of each client. ACCESS is dedicated to maximizing independence and mobility options for each individual. How do I know if I am eligible to have ACCESS arrange transportation for me? Medicaid provides transportation as the transporter of last resort. If you are a Medicaid recipient approved by either the Rensselaer or Schenectady County Department of Social Services, you are eligible for transportation if you have no other means to get to your appointment. Non-emergent or urgent care medical appointments. Typically transportation is provided for medical care and services that are provided in a doctor’s office, mental health facility, clinic, HMO, hospital or rehabilitation facility. What are ACCESS’ hours of operation? What is the phone number? For customer convenience, ACCESS’ call center operates from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Monday through Friday, closed major holidays. The phone number for the call center is (518) 459-8747. Our FAX number is (518) 453-8833. How do I schedule transportation to an appointment? Call (518) 459-8747 at least 48 hours in advance to arrange transportation. First time callers must provide their Medicaid client identification number, county they are receiving Medicaid from, name, social security number, address, phone number, an emergency contact name and phone number, and their primary doctor’s name and phone number. It is also important that callers also be prepared to provide the name, address, and phone number of the doctor they are seeing and the scheduled time of each appointment. Please be prepared to answer questions regarding your mobility so that ACCESS can arrange appropriate transportation for you. Should I call to
confirm my transportation? It is always a good idea to call a day or two in advance to confirm. ACCESS will be able to provide you with the name of the transporter. Often, the transporter will contact the client the day before to confirm arrangements and to verify that the appointment has not been rescheduled or cancelled. What if my ride
doesn't show? Call the ACCESS Call Center at (518) 459-8747. What is
considered as an urgent care appointment? Urgent care is considered to be any medical appointment that is scheduled within 24 hours. Urgent care is not an emergency, for this call emergency response immediately (911 if available). Urgent care is typically an ailment such as a toothache, swelling from an injury, infection or a follow up test that needs to be performed quickly due to a diagnosis of a serious condition. How many days in
advance can a request for transportation be made? You can make a request as far in advance as you are aware of a scheduled appointment. Can I request a specific transporter? We will attempt to honor requests for a specific transporter. Unfortunately, we are unable to make guarantees as to the outcome of these requests. When will I be
picked up for my appointment? ACCESS requests that all clients be ready at least one hour before their appointment so transporters have adequate notice and time to schedule and coordinate transportation appropriately. During times of inclement weather, clients should be ready more than one hour in advance due to increased travel times.
What if I don’t know when I will need to be picked up for the return trip? If you do not know when your appointment will conclude, it may be necessary for you to call ACCESS to arrange your return trip. This is known as a“will-call” trip. Other times the transporter may give you a time when the vehicle will come back to get you. How do you determine which mode of transport is the most effective to meet the needs of each client? ACCESS uses a form called a “Certificate of Medical Necessity” (CMN), which must be completed by a certified medical professional. A CMN is required only for clients requiring a professional determination of their mobility so that the proper method of safe transport can be arranged. For clients using CDTA buses a CMN is very rarely required. What is the policy for issuing CDTA Trip Tickets, Day Passes,STAR coupons and Swiper bus passes? Trip Tickets: Medicaid clients who live within ¾ miles of a bus route and are capable of taking a CDTA bus to their doctor's appointments or, who attend a Medicaid eligible program or facility three days a week or less, may receive Trip Tickets. Trip Tickets must be ordered the week prior to your appointment(s) and are distributed by mail. Some programs distribute Trip Tickets paid to their clients as well. 10 Ride Tickets: Medicaid
clients who live within ¾ miles of a bus route and are capable of taking a CDTA
bus to their doctor's appointments or, who attend a Medicaid eligible program or
facility ten days a week or more may receive 10 Ride Tickets.
10 Ride Tickets must be ordered the week prior to your appointment(s) and
are distributed by mail. Some programs distribute 10 Ride Tickets paid
to their clients as well. Day Cards: Medicaid clients who live within ¾ miles of a bus route and are capable of taking a CDTA bus to their doctor's appointments or, who attend a Medicaid eligible program or facility three days a week or less, may receive Day Cards. Day Cards must be ordered the week prior to your appointment(s) and are distributed by mail. Some programs distribute Day Cards paid to their clients as well. Day Cards would be issued instead of Trip Tickets if the client were taking more than two trips in one day. Day Cards are more cost effective than the Trip Tickets when there are more than two trip in one day. The Day Card is good for the entire day and provides unlimited transit use for that day. STAR coupons: All persons must be approved to ride STAR service according to the regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Application forms can be obtained by calling 482-2022. STAR operates curb-to-curb service that is complementary to the CDTA bus network. Also, STAR does not prioritize based upon the purpose of the trip. ACCESS will provide STAR coupons good for one ride each to Medicaid clients for transportation to medical care and services approved by Medicaid. Swiper bus passes: Medicaid clients who live within ¾ miles of a bus route and are capable of taking a CDTA bus for physical therapy or, who attend a Medicaid eligible program or facility four or more days a week, may receive a CDTA Swiper pass. Swiper passes are available the last week of the month. To qualify for a Swiper pass, orders must be placed prior to the 5th day of the month. Some programs distribute Swiper bus passes to their clients as well. What else should I know? ACCESS will reimburse clients who ride private bus services to medical appointments (Yankee Trails, Adirondack ,Trailways, etc.) for the cost of their ticket. Also, the use of a private automobile to transport a Medicaid client to a appointment covered by Medicaid is eligible for reimbursement at a set rate per mile. Contact the County Dept. of Social Services for mileage reimbursements. Safety is always the highest priority with ACCESS. The Medicaid program is obligated to provide transportation for access to medical care and services, but this does not give clients the right to abuse the system. If circumstances arise where the health and safety of the client, driver or the general public is at risk, then ACCESS may implement protocols to protect individuals. Similarly, if a client is a “No Show” for transportation, or refuses transportation as it has been arranged, ACCESS may implement procedures to ensure the integrity of the program.
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