Transportation Service Standards. The Transportation Provider shall:
A. Provide Curb-to-Curb service, unless another level is authorized by the Agency, in a professional, safe and courteous manner. The driver and Monitor (if present) shall assist Consumers with entry or exit of vehicle; however, the driver shall remain in or near the vehicle and shall not enter any buildings at all times that a Consumer is present in the vehicle.
1. DEMAND-RESPONSE ONLY - Consumers under 13 years of age must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or escort. Children under age 13 may not travel unaccompanied, unless explicitly authorized by HST. They must travel with another person who is at least 18 years of age or older.
1) A minor who is 13 years of age or older, who is a parent to children of any age, may travel independently with their children without restriction.
2. DPH (Early Intervention) ONLY – Children attending Early Intervention may be transported without an escort with a properly qualified DPH vendor. A monitor must be provided whenever routing results in three or more children travelling without a parent or guardian in a vehicle.
3. ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) TRANSPORTATION ONLY – Special consideration may be provided for youth under 13 being transported for the purposes of receiving ABA services within an ABA Center. Youth under 13 years of age may be transported without parent, guardian or escort only when the referring program and caregiver have determined that safety for the youth, driver and other riders can be maintained without the accompaniment. Where required, accompaniment may be provided by a parent, guardian, escort or Monitor. A Monitor requires preauthorization when the transportation request form is submitted. When determining the appropriateness of an unaccompanied transport, the referring program and caregivers will consider whether:
1) The youth is familiar with the center-based care provider and appropriate ABA Center staff have been identified to escort youth to and from the vehicle.
2) The youth’s behavioral presentation and clinical needs do not preclude the child from being safely transported unaccompanied.
3) The youth’s behavioral presentation will not place the drivers or other rider’s safety at risk.
4) The youth does not present with risk for eloping during the transport.
5) The youth can follow simple instruction or guidance if evacuation from the vehicle is required. For transports of three or more unaccompanied youth to ABA Centers at the same time, a Monit...
Transportation Service Standards. The Transportation Provider shall:
A. Provide Enhanced Wheelchair service, unless another level is authorized by the Agency, in a professional, safe, and courteous manner. The driver shall assist Consumers with entry or exit of vehicle.
B. Ensure that Consumers are not transported to any destination, for any scheduled session, or released to any person without prior authorization from the Broker
C. Ensure that upon arrival, the driver must confirm their presence is acknowledged:
1. For Consumers being picked up from a residence, the driver may ring the doorbell, knock on the door, briefly sound the horn, or attempt to contact the consumer by phone. If the consumer is then not present for pick up, the driver shall notify the Provider’s dispatcher and await instructions from the dispatcher before departing from the pick-up location. The driver must not arrive more than 15 minutes before the scheduled pick-up time. Unless otherwise directed by the dispatcher, the driver shall wait until at least ten (10) minutes after the scheduled pick- up time before departing without the Consumer and must make all reasonable attempts to establish contact and assistance before leaving without the Consumer.
2. For Consumers being picked up from a facility, the driver may contact the facility by phone or entering the facility. If the Consumer is not ready to be transported, the facility and provider can determine whether to wait or reschedule the trip. If the trip is to be rescheduled, the facility will contact the broker to reschedule transportation
3. For return trips from facilities, the driver may contact the facility by phone or entering the facility. If the Consumer is not ready to be transported, the facility and provider can determine whether waiting for the Consumer to complete treatment or rescheduling the return trip would be more efficient.
D. A Consumer may be transported without prior authorization from the Broker in certain cases. For trips organized for certain categories of MassHealth members as outlined in 130 CMR 407, the Broker shall be required to implement the request in a shorter time period without prior approval from the Transportation Authorization Unit. Member categories include members in LTC institutions, members in the community that require door through door assistance, hospitalization discharges, members that require non-emergency Ambulance service, or other categories outlined in 130 CMR 407. An Authorized Provider may coordinate services dire...
Transportation Service Standards. The Transportation Provider shall:
1. UNIVERSAL> Provide Curb-to-Curb service, unless another level is specifically authorized by the Agency, in a professional, safe and courteous manner. The driver and Monitor (if present) shall assist Consumers with entry or exit of vehicle; however, the driver shall remain in or near the vehicle at all times that a Consumer is present in the vehicle and shall not enter any buildings.
2. UNIVERSAL> Ensure that Consumers are not transported to any destination, for any scheduled session, or released to any person without prior authorization from the Broker. The Broker has the right to approve all stops, routes and changes.
3. UNIVERSAL> Ensure that a Consumer is never stranded. A Consumer is stranded if he or she has been transported to their scheduled service and is left without a return trip (unless alternate arrangements have been timely made and communicated among the Consumer, Destination Facility, parent/guardian and/or residential facility staff, as applicable). If the Provider is assigned a trip by the Broker and accepts it, then the Provider is obligated to complete the assignment, unless properly cancelled prior to initiation due to inclement weather.
4. PROGRAM-BASED TRANSPORTATION ONLY> Ensure that Consumers are never left unattended. If the vehicle arrives late (after designated start/end time) to the Destination Facility and no staff is available, it is the driver/Monitor’s responsibility to escort the Consumers together to and from a responsible staff person.
5. UNIVERSAL> Provide and assign transportation safety Monitors upon request by the Broker. Monitor requests will be processed by the Broker and forwarded to the Transportation Provider for implementation. Additionally, Monitors may be authorized for certain individual Consumers based on their behavioral or medical needs. No more than one Monitor will be funded in a vehicle without an approved waiver from the Broker.
5.a. DPH (Early Intervention) ONLY> Provide a Monitor in any vehicle whenever routing results in three or more children without a parent or guardian in a vehicle.
6. UNIVERSAL> Allow only persons authorized by the Broker to be transported in vehicles with Agency Consumers. The following may not be transported: children of employees or other children in their care and pets other than Consumers’ service animals (e.g., guide dogs). Drivers must be aware of and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and all other applicable fede...
Transportation Service Standards. The Transportation Provider shall:
A. Provide Curb-to-Curb service, unless another level is authorized by the Agency, in a professional, safe and courteous manner. The driver and Monitor (if present) shall assist Consumers with entry or exit of vehicle; however, the driver shall remain in or near the vehicle and shall not enter any buildings at all times that a Consumer is present in the vehicle.
1. DEMAND-RESPONSE ONLY - Consumers under 13 years of age must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or escort. Children under age 13 may not travel unaccompanied, unless explicitly authorized by HST. They must travel with another person who is at least 18 years of age or older.
a. A minor who is 13 years of age or older, who is a parent to children of any age, may travel independently with their children without restriction.
Transportation Service Standards. The Transportation Provider shall:
A. Provide Curb-to-Curb service, unless another level is authorized by the Agency, in a professional, safe and courteous manner. The driver and Monitor (if present) shall assist Consumers with entry or exit of vehicle; however, the driver shall remain in or near the vehicle and shall not enter any buildings at all times that a Consumer is present in the vehicle.
B. Ensure that Consumers are not transported to any destination, for any scheduled session, or released to any person without prior authorization from the Broker, except for in cases described in provision II.B(2)(a). The Broker has the right to approve all stops, routes and changes.
1. A Consumer may be transported without prior authorization from the Broker in certain cases. For trips organized for certain categories of MassHealth members as outlined in 130 CMR 407, the Broker shall be required to implement the request in a shorter time period without prior approval from the Transportation Authorization Unit. Member categories include members in LTC institutions, members in the community that require door through door assistance, hospitalization discharges, members that require non-emergency Ambulance service, or other categories outlined in 130 CMR 407. An Authorized Provider may coordinate services directly with a transportation provider, provided that a valid Transportation Request form has been submitted and is pending authorization. Or, an Authorized Provider may request that the Broker schedule transportation services for the consumer.
C. Ensure that a Consumer is never stranded. A Consumer is stranded if he or she has been transported to their scheduled service and is left without a return trip (unless alternate arrangements have been timely made and communicated among the Consumer, Destination Facility, parent/guardian and/or residential facility staff, as applicable). If the Provider is assigned a trip by the Broker and accepts it, then the Provider is obligated to complete the assignment, unless properly cancelled prior to initiation due to inclement weather.
