A 2022 BMC Public Health meta-analysis of non-emergency medical transportation interventions found a consistent pattern: when reliable transportation is provided, missed appointment rates drop and downstream emergency department utilization decreases.
The economics for the Medi-Cal system are obvious — a $30 ride is dramatically cheaper than the avoidable ER visit it prevents. The economics for the member are obvious too: showing up to the appointment is the prerequisite for everything else getting better.
Coordinated transportation is one of the highest-leverage things our care teams do.