The Increasing Need for Long Distance Medical Transport

For the last 75 or more years, America, as a society, has become increasingly mobile. No longer is it typical for people to be born, live and die all within a few miles of where they were born. Today, people find their significant others via the Internet, and their relatives live everywhere. Community roots are all but non-existent, and families are scattered across all 50 states. Modern technology maintains family ties in every way except proximity. This physical distance creates a unique problem for families with older members who need to be closer to those who would help care for them — that of transportation.

The Rising Need for Elderly, Special Needs, and Medical Transportation

The problem is multi-pronged and is rapidly spawning a new industry. Some transportation requirements are as simple as special needs patients needing local transportation to medical appointments. Others require comprehensive long distance medical transport. As America’s baby-boomer population ages, more people find themselves old and infirm, but without the family support that in times past would have been nearby.

Specialized transportation services, such as state to state elderly transport and long distance patient transport, fill an important need. They are fast becoming the primary means through which persons unable to travel via normal routes are able to reach those who desire to help with their care. Long Distance Medical Transport fills a need currently experienced by millions of families.

Special Needs Means the Need for Special Transportation

When talking about Long Distance Medical Transport, it’s crucial to realize that, in almost all cases, more is involved than a mere taxi service. If the only thing required was putting someone in the back seat and drive them 3,000 miles, then a family member could hop a plane, rent a car, and the problem would be solved.

People are living longer than ever before, but they experiencing as many or more health concerns as ever. Consider the requirements of an 80-year-old woman dependent on a BiPap machine for oxygen, or bed-ridden, post-cancer treatment elderly man. These people not only need specialized nursing care for the duration of their journey, but also have specialized transportation needs in terms of equipment and space requirements.

Each person’s medical situation and care requirements are different. Some must be transported via ambulance. Others might qualify for a step-down in skilled care, but still need the benefits available that come only with special transport.

How to Pay for Long Distance Patient Transportation

Unfortunately, the cost of transporting special needs patients is high, sometimes reaching into the thousands of dollars. This is not the result of transportation companies taking advantage of the individual’s dire need but is, instead, simply the reality of what things cost in the 21st century. Insurance companies will sometimes cover a portion of the cost. Some families have deep pockets and jointly pool their resources to pay for a loved one’s transportation.

However, many families have neither insurance coverage or deep pockets, and yet still desperately need to bring their family member closer to provide for their care. It is a concern of great magnitude for millions of people. One way many people have found to pay for needed state to state medical transport is by appealing to the public for help through DIY fund-raising websites such as Go Fund Me. Here, real people appeal to real people for help. They share their need, post photographs and (hopefully) watch the money come in. Go Fund Me takes but five percent of each donation, with the rest available to pay in full or in part for the needed transportation.

Using such a grassroots model makes sense to a lot of people as it connects people with people. Even a contribution of $5.00-10.00 adds up when it is multiplied by thousands of people. Many people who have received help from Go Fund Me find that reading the stories of others in need and making contributions a part of their monthly budget to be rewarding. Of course, transportation is not the only type of need posted on Go Fund Me, but as the population continues to age, it’s sure to be a need people will hear about more and more.