Watch CBS News

Patients, Community Leaders Celebrate Improvements To NJ's Medicaid Transportation System

CAMDEN, NJ (CBS) -- In New Jersey, patients and community leaders are celebrating New Jersey Medicaid's decision to hold the next non-emergency medical transportation contractor to improved standards of service.

The system has been plagued with problems.

Seventy-four-year-old cancer victim Jackie Fitzgerald says that on many occasions she has waited hours for her medical transportation vehicle to show up, if it showed up at all.

"From 9 o' clock until 2 o' clock in the afternoon to go to the eye doctor and they never came. They just didn't care, like you didn't matter at all."

But now there's hope for Jackie and tens of thousands of other patients who need rides to their doctors appointments.

Mark Humowieci, General Counsel for Camden Coalition of Healthcare Partners, says changes to the new contract include a reduction in will call time from 90 minutes to an hour, better communication and GPS in 90 percent of the vehicles.

"It's holding Medicaid transportation to the types of standards that we would all expect of any transportation company in this day and age."

The bidding process is currently in full swing.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.