A Review of the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Program of the Department of Health and Human Services
March 2009
Members of the General Assembly asked the Legislative Audit Council to conduct a review of the non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) program managed by the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
DHHS operates this program to give Medicaid clients rides to and from medical facilities for non-emergency reasons, such as physician appointments, dialysis, and physical therapy. The objective of the program is to provide better assurance that clients are receiving the services covered by Medicaid.
Until 2007, the department managed the NEMT program by contracting directly with independent transportation providers throughout South Carolina. Under this in-house system, clients called DHHS staff to arrange trips. In 2007, the department entered into contracts with two private brokers to subcontract with independent transportation providers and to arrange trips for clients.