Access to Health Care and Nonemergency Medical Transportation

Although lack of access to nonemergency medical transportation (NEMT) is a barrier to health care, national transportation and health care surveys have not comprehensively addressed that link. Nationally representative studies have not investigated the magnitude of the access problem or the characteristics of the population that experiences access problems. The current study, relying primarily on national health care studies, seeks to address both of those shortcomings. Results indicate that about 3.6 million Americans do not obtain medical care because of a lack of transportation in a given year. On average, they are disproportionately female, poorer, and older; have less education; and are more likely to be members of a minority group than those who obtain care. Although such adults are spread across urban and rural areas much like the general population, children lacking transportation are more concentrated in urban areas. In addition, these 3.6 million experience multiple conditions at a much higher rate than do their peers. Many conditions that they face, however, can be managed if appropriate care is made available. For some conditions, this care is cost-effective and results in health care cost savings that outweigh added transportation costs. Thus, it is found that great opportunity exists to achieve net societal benefits and to improve the quality of life of this population by increasing its access to NEMT. Furthermore, modifications to national health care and transportation data sets are recommended to allow more direct assessment of this problem.