Update on Transition to MAS Medicaid Transportation
As LeadingAge NY members are aware, March 1st was the start date for the carve-out of the Medicaid non-emergency transportation benefit from Managed Long Term Care (MLTC). MLTC enrollees will now receive transportation services from Medical Answering Service (MAS) and be responsible for contacting MAS to arrange their transportation trips to medical providers. Standing orders will continue to be arranged by providers.
Exceptions to the carve-out are social adult day care (SADC) programs that arrange or provide transportation to their participants. In addition, Method 1 adult day health care (ADHC) programs (those that currently arrange and bill their registrant transportation) will transition MLTC registrants to their own vendors and bill fee-for-service (FFS) starting March 1st. Method 1 programs having difficulty transitioning large groups of registrants to FFS billing and new vendors may reach out to the Department of Health (DOH) to seek an extension and support during this process.
LeadingAge NY providers and plans have been reaching out to LeadingAge NY reporting that MLTC members are seeing long wait times as they try to schedule transportation for themselves, as well as family members being unable to assist in the process due to MAS protocols. Members are also seeing trips cancelled or transportation providers not showing up to trips. DOH and MLTC plans have been meeting regularly. Please reach out to LeadingAge NY to share your concerns.
Westchester County long term care providers may see gaps in service as transportation vendors protest Medicaid transportation rates. Vendors held a protest on March 8th and stopped services the same day. DOH has committed to filling any gaps in service with other vendors. Method 1 ADHC programs were not subject to the boycott. However, some are seeing rate increases.
Contact: Meg Everett, meverett@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8871