SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The past five years witnessed a dramatic change in the expectations, efficiency and quality of ground transportation for consumers. As passengers get access to higher quality, more responsive, cheaper and transparent service from technology and app-based companies, ridership and popularity is growing dramatically. There are still many specialized areas of transportation with unique needs, however, such as in healthcare, where many of these critical innovations have yet to penetrate the space. Despite shifts in consumer transportation, the healthcare transportation industry remains plagued with a lack of reliability, consistent quality and transparency when getting to and from appointments.
Veyo has pioneered a new era of healthcare logistics by bridging the gap between today’s highly efficient, consumer transportation offerings and the complex needs of healthcare agencies and Managed Care Organizations. Leveraging the experience and technology of previous start-ups, company president Josh Komenda is leading the Veyo team to build upon technology breakthroughs and rideshare programs and integrate those technologies with needs specific to non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), leading to a next-generation model. NEMT needs include Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance, insurance benefit management and eligibility, rural and statewide services, healthcare reporting, pre-scheduled service, fraud monitoring and more.
Through the use of advanced supply management, predictive analytics and automated dispatching, and customer-focused tools, Veyo’s model is a complete, end-to-end NEMT solution. The company leverages its virtual, scalable fleet of Independent Driver-Providers (IDPs) with commercial providers to improve the matching of supply with demand, making it more efficient and effective, and ensuring the right vehicles are in the right places at the right times. Through real-time data and analytics, delays caused by major traffic events, weather, etc., are automatically identified and corrected by Veyo before impacting a member. Veyo caters to each person’s transportation needs and technology comfort level (phone, website, app), while offering member insights and transparency to plan providers.
NEMT is a required offering in state Medicaid plans nationwide, as well as presented in many Medicare plans, to provide eligible plan members rides to and from doctor appointments and between healthcare facilities.
Accounting for over $3 billion in spending each year (Transit Cooperative Research Program), NEMT benefits are available to the nearly 70 million Medicaid members in the U.S. (Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). Under the Affordable Care Act, the population of people eligible for Medicaid is continuing to expand, placing ongoing demands on annual NEMT spending. Americans in both rural and urban areas of varying ages and care needs benefit from these services. Nearly 20 million adults with chronic kidney disease undergo dialysis three times a week, with 66 percent of dialysis patients relying on NEMT, family and friends for transportation to appointments (National Conference of State Legislatures).
Traditional NEMT services, though, have not changed significantly over the past two decades, thus lack the reliability, efficiencies and technology today’s consumers need and demand. NEMT remains stagnant and complex, without transparency or ability to predict needs and issues before they happen. Traditional services use outdated dispatch systems that can lead to five-hour pickup delays with little-to-no communication, endless phone calls with customer care centers, and sending vehicles that don’t meet patients’ specific needs. For many, this means not only an inconvenience in rescheduling care, but often results in worsening health conditions or missing critical appointments. For patients undergoing dialysis, a missed treatment increases the probability of hospitalization by over 400 percent (Journal of the American Society of Nephrology).
In only six months, Veyo has completed over one million trips with its next-generation model, currently averaging ten thousand trips per day. The company provides seamless transportation management services in five states to over one and a half million Medicaid and Medicare members, and is expanding nationwide. Veyo has generated over $100 million in total sales to-date.
Veyo first launched its new model in November 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona, given proximity to and involvement with long-time Arizona-based transportation company Total Transit, Inc. With over 20 years of experience in the transportation industry, Total Transit is the majority owner of Veyo and a catalyst for its NEMT services in the area, where one in four Arizonans are enrolled in state Medicaid (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System).
Results using the next-generation model in Phoenix immediately exceeded industry standards – proving Veyo as the safest, most reliable and on-time healthcare logistics leader in the country. The company achieved on-time trip performance for its IDP fleet at 99.5 percent, well above competitors who average between 75 and 95 percent. The industry average for grievances is 400 complaints per 10,000 trips, yet Veyo is recognized for just 15 complaints per 10,000 IDP trips – a 96 percent reduction in grievances.
With a strong commitment to timely and accurate transportation, Veyo’s IDPs undergo significant training to ensure on-time trip performance, low grievance rates and improved health outcomes. Training includes HIPAA, Personal Health Information (PHI), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and customer service, as well as background checks, drug testing and a vehicle inspection.
In addition to Arizona and the company’s California headquarters, Veyo provides NEMT services in Colorado and Texas, and will serve all Medicaid-eligible participants in Idaho beginning July 2016. Veyo provides full transportation management services with its next-generation model to two state agencies and the largest Medicaid insurance plans in the country.
Veyo is partnered with one of the nation’s leading health plans to provide NEMT services as part of social service and community programs that enable individuals and families to improve their well-being and independence. The company is also partnered with one of the nation’s biggest health systems to provide inter-facility and patient discharge transportation.
Using a next-generation solution that is data-driven, offers real-time transparency, leverages advanced supply management and is member focused, healthcare logistics leader Veyo is changing what it means to be and expect from an NEMT broker.
About Veyo
Veyo is pioneering the next generation of healthcare logistics as the leader in non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT). As a complete, end-to-end NEMT solution, Veyo’s model uses advanced supply management, predictive analytics and automated dispatching, and customer-focused tools to ensure people get to and from medical appointments safely, securely and on time every time.
Veyo is headquartered in San Diego and offers NEMT services throughout the state, as well as in Arizona, Colorado and Texas. The company is expanding across the country, with new services for Idaho Medicaid-eligible participants beginning July 2016. Veyo is fully funded and majority owned by Total Transit, a longtime Arizona-based transportation company. Learn more at www.veyo.com.
