Guide to Starting a Non-Emergency Transportation Services Company

Posted on January 02, 2018

Given the growth of the elderly population, >b>Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Service Industry catering to people in wheelchairs, stretchers and those who are unable to walk around is also expected to grow. For someone who is looking to enter the Healthcare sector, non-emergency medical transportation services would be a good option to consider: it is a niche that doesn’t require you to be fully equipped for medical emergencies and is not quite as hard to set up. It is best to start with some research, like examining the competition in your local area, talking to patients, identifying the growth potential and most importantly the constraints at your end.

Once you know where you want to be, follow these four easy steps to lay the foundation of your non-emergency transportation services company:

 

Meeting legal obligations

You will first have to decide what legal status your business would have, this will have implications on how your business is going function and taxed. There are options that you can consider such as partnership, proprietorship or LLC. This will be based on your initial research, also you must consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of these options: keeping the future and the operational aspects of your business in mind.

You will then need to obtain a transportation license and perhaps consider becoming an approved provider by reaching out to the State’s department of health and human services. Moreover, with patients, the payments will usually be made through medical insurance, typically Medicaid. Therefore, it would be important to get registered, approved and learn how this functions, in order for you to submit your claims.
 

Setting it up

You will have to decide a name for your business, which is not complicated, easy to remember and identifiable with your business. Also, you will have to ensure that the name you pick is not already in use or registered.

Depending on the niche you have identified to start your non-emergency transportation business, you will have to get a vehicle: it could be a bus or a van. However, you will have to meet the van requirements set by the local authorities for a service like this. More importantly, since you will be transporting patients, you ought to be insured against accidents. This will be costly but is essential.

And if you want to concentrate on the administration side of the business, you will need to hire a driver, with characteristics that go with the kind of service you are providing. Depending on where you wish to set up your office, it could be out of a room in your house, you will need basic supplies, from a laptop to billing software and everything in-between.
 

Creating a Product

The services you will offer would have to be itemized on a chart so that these can be easily referenced by you and your customers. You will eventually start offering more services than what you initially started off with - as new opportunities become obvious. This will require you to be more flexible and open to such possibilities.

The price you charge will also have to be documented for reference. This will have to adjusted for and dependent on a number of variables, such as the route, hours, economic conditions, number of passengers and other local elements. To be more competitive, you might want to offer discount programs and combo pricing too.
 

Spreading the word

If you are offering the best service, at the best rates and your potential customers don’t know about it then there is no business. You will have to advertise, depending on your budget: from newspaper ads to flyers, there is a plethora of options you can benefit from.

There you go! But remember your non-emergency medical transportation service business is dependent and will only thrive if the seniors in your community are satisfied with the service you are offering. Word of mouth plays an important role, make sure you are using it to your advantage. Good luck!