Norwich sees high demand for non-emergency medical transport
NORWICH – In an area encompassing Norwich, Binghamton, Oneonta, Owego, and Cooperstown, it’s the City of Norwich that saw the highest demand for non-emergency medical transportation in 2017, according to a progress report from Mobility Management of South Central New York.
Mobility Management, a collaborative of the Rural Health Network of South Central New York, reports that nearly 200 of the 1,979 calls to its call center last year sought rides to medical appointments, most of which were outside the Norwich area.
It’s a number that dwarfs those of other locations within Mobility Management’s five-county coverage area. The agency services Chenango, Broome, Otsego, Delaware, and Tioga counties. In comparison, Mobility Management took just 150 calls from zip codes in Binghamton and Endicott; approximately 100 from Johnson City and Owego; and between 50 and 100 calls from Walton and Waverly.
“It is a little surprising to me that the Norwich zip code is the highest point of origin than any other zip code in the area,” said William Wagner, Director of Mobility Management of SCNY. “If someone needs to travel 30 miles for an appointment, and they’re struggling with transportation or don’t have it available, I can see where that expense quickly adds up.”
Mobility Management’s annual report cites that rural cases comprised nearly 60 percent of its calls in 2017, made mostly by elderly Medicare recipients who don’t qualify for reimbursement programs from Medicaid.
Wagner noted that the average travel distance to a medical appointment outside the Norwich area is 30 miles – a round trip that could cost $100 via cab or Uber. But Mobility Management offers no-cost rides to people who simply can’t afford one (with a $500 annual cap for service recipients).
“If you’re on a fixed income, $100 is next to impossible to come up with,” said Wagner. “Consequently, what happens is that people don’t show to appointments because they can’t get a local appointment, and their health suffers.”
Despite Mobility Management’s vast geographical footprint, the fact that Norwich had the highest need for non-emergency medical transportation comes as little surprise to the Chenango United Way which helps fund the agency.
The United Way kicked-in $11,850 to Mobility Management of SCNY this year.
“People in Norwich don’t have the (medical) services that are available in places like Binghamton,” explained Elizabeth Monaco, Executive Director for the Chenango United Way.
“The numbers for Norwich really aren’t surprising when you consider that so many people have to travel outside the area.”
Elsewhere in Chenango County, Mobility Management answered fewer than 50 calls from Bainbridge, Oxford, and Sherburne. The agency says 85 percent of the calls it received in 2017 were medical or health related cases, and that 40 percent of those were seeking medical or health related services outside the county.
Source: www.RHNSCNY.org
A graph showing Mobility Management of South Central New York’s call center activity for Chenango County in 2017.
Mobility Management, a collaborative of the Rural Health Network of South Central New York, reports that nearly 200 of the 1,979 calls to its call center last year sought rides to medical appointments, most of which were outside the Norwich area.
It’s a number that dwarfs those of other locations within Mobility Management’s five-county coverage area. The agency services Chenango, Broome, Otsego, Delaware, and Tioga counties. In comparison, Mobility Management took just 150 calls from zip codes in Binghamton and Endicott; approximately 100 from Johnson City and Owego; and between 50 and 100 calls from Walton and Waverly.
“It is a little surprising to me that the Norwich zip code is the highest point of origin than any other zip code in the area,” said William Wagner, Director of Mobility Management of SCNY. “If someone needs to travel 30 miles for an appointment, and they’re struggling with transportation or don’t have it available, I can see where that expense quickly adds up.”
Mobility Management’s annual report cites that rural cases comprised nearly 60 percent of its calls in 2017, made mostly by elderly Medicare recipients who don’t qualify for reimbursement programs from Medicaid.
Wagner noted that the average travel distance to a medical appointment outside the Norwich area is 30 miles – a round trip that could cost $100 via cab or Uber. But Mobility Management offers no-cost rides to people who simply can’t afford one (with a $500 annual cap for service recipients).
“If you’re on a fixed income, $100 is next to impossible to come up with,” said Wagner. “Consequently, what happens is that people don’t show to appointments because they can’t get a local appointment, and their health suffers.”
Despite Mobility Management’s vast geographical footprint, the fact that Norwich had the highest need for non-emergency medical transportation comes as little surprise to the Chenango United Way which helps fund the agency.
The United Way kicked-in $11,850 to Mobility Management of SCNY this year.
“People in Norwich don’t have the (medical) services that are available in places like Binghamton,” explained Elizabeth Monaco, Executive Director for the Chenango United Way.
“The numbers for Norwich really aren’t surprising when you consider that so many people have to travel outside the area.”
Elsewhere in Chenango County, Mobility Management answered fewer than 50 calls from Bainbridge, Oxford, and Sherburne. The agency says 85 percent of the calls it received in 2017 were medical or health related cases, and that 40 percent of those were seeking medical or health related services outside the county.
Source: www.RHNSCNY.org
A graph showing Mobility Management of South Central New York’s call center activity for Chenango County in 2017.
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