America's Broken Non Emergency Medical Transportation System Is Failing Patients

These middlemen are supposed to schedule rides, contract drivers, and bill the government. But in reality, patients are left waiting. Drivers don't show up. And brokers still get paid.

This isn't mismanagement. It's a broken model that rewards volume over care, and profit over patients. Vulnerable people are missing appointments, suffering complications, and losing trust in a system that was supposed to protect them.

Don't believe us? Keep reading to see a few recent examples.

Examples of The Current Systemic Failure

What America has now isn't working, and patients are suffering due to a medical transportation system that is riddled with fraud, inefficiency, and neglect.

The problem is not just poor service, but a deeper failure rooted in how states outsource NEMT to third-party brokers. These companies often operate in the shadows, with limited oversight, little incentive to prioritize patient care, and every reason to cut corners to protect profit.

The following examples from Colorado, Florida, and Connecticut show the real-world impact of this broken model.

Colorado: MedRide Fraud Leaves Patients Abandoned

In February 2025, Colorado's Medicaid agency suspended MedRide, the state's largest NEMT contractor, after uncovering a $1 million billing fraud scheme.

What followed was catastrophic. Overnight, ride scheduling halted, and over 420,000 annual rides were wiped from the system. Patients across the state were stranded, with no backup plan from the broker or the state. Many were left to miss chemotherapy sessions, dialysis treatments, or post-operative follow-ups.

There were even reports describing elderly and immunocompromised individuals attempting to find private rides or simply skipping care altogether.

Failures include:

Over 420,000 annual rides canceled with no contingency in place
Fraudulent billing practices uncovered during state audit
Patients left without access to time-sensitive medical care
Increased hospital readmissions from missed appointments
Takeaways:

This crisis exposed how fragile the current broker-based system really is. When a single private broker controls most rides in a state, and oversight is reactive instead of proactive, and disruption becomes inevitable.

See More - Health First Colorado Suspends MedRide

Florida: Modivcare Jeopardizes Patient Safety

Florida's NEMT system is managed largely through Modivcare, a transportation broker contracted by UnitedHealth. And although Modivcare is supposed to look out for patients, it has become a flashpoint for complaints from patients and families across the state.

Dialysis patients are being stranded repeatedly, with some saying they missed multiple treatments in a single week. In one especially dire case, Chuck Pecoraro, a dialysis patient with stage 5 kidney failure, told reporters: "If I don't get the rides, I die." This is not hyperbole, as a missed dialysis can lead to fluid overload, cardiac events, and death.

Investigations also revealed that some Modivcare drivers had felony records and histories of reckless driving.

Failures include:

Missed and late rides for patients in critical care
Drivers hired without proper background checks
Hundreds of patient complaints submitted to state officials
Dangerous delays leading to worsened patient conditions
See More - Florida Medicaid Transportation Fraud Arrests

Takeaways:

The Florida case highlights two fundamental failures of NEMT systems: weak vetting of drivers and a lack of performance accountability.

Under the current model, brokers are not required to publicly report safety violations or complaint resolution. There are no statewide penalties for missed rides, and patients often have no recourse when something goes wrong. The system treats medical transportation like a logistics contract, not a healthcare service, and people with complex conditions are left to navigate the consequences alone.

Connecticut: Rideshare Replacements Create New Risks

In an attempt to save money due to budget constraints, Connecticut has begun relying heavily on rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft for NEMT services.

These companies were never designed to serve medical populations, but brokers embraced the move anyway. The result has been a logistical nightmare, with patients reporting drivers arriving late, canceling without notice, or being confused about pick-up locations.

Plus, there are no guarantees that drivers are trained to assist elderly or disabled patients, or even have the right type of equipment to handle all their needs.

In one case, a wheelchair user was dropped at the wrong clinic and left outside in the cold without help. And this wasn't a one-off incident, it's a single example of systemic failures in a plan built for speed, not safety.

Failures include:

Rideshare drivers lacking medical training or proper equipment
Patients with mobility issues left stranded or placed at risk
No real-time tracking or accountability for missed rides
Delays and miscommunications leading to missed medical visits
Takeaways:

Replacing trained transport providers with gig economy drivers removes the last layer of professionalism and medical awareness in the system. Brokers made these changes to cut costs, not improve care, and patients now bear the burden of navigating a fragmented, impersonal system.

See More - Connecticut's Rideshare Reliance Risks Patients

The Root Problem: Oversight Lags While Profits Soar

At its core, the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) crisis is not just about poor service. It's about structural failure.

There is no consistent federal standard for NEMT operations despite billions in funding. States contract out to brokers like Modivcare and MTM, who in turn subcontract to transportation providers, often with few enforceable quality controls. This multi-layered outsourcing blurs responsibility and weakens enforcement.

The numbers paint a grim picture:

20% of NEMT rides never arrive, and patients are left stranded, often without warning
3.6 million medical appointments are missed each year due to transportation failures
$1.5 billion in healthcare revenue is lost annually because of delays, no-shows, and preventable complications
One in four low-income patients reports transportation as a major barrier to accessing routine care
These failures jeopardize lives, but brokers continue to get paid. Contracts are renewed. And little (if any) changes are ever made.

This is a system that rewards volume, not outcomes. It prioritizes cost-cutting over care delivery. And it lacks the transparency, tracking, and performance metrics needed to course correct. Until these gaps are closed, patients will continue to suffer and taxpayers will continue to fund failure.

It's Time For a Better NEMT System

The failures in Colorado, Florida, and Connecticut reveal a national problem. When brokers put profits before patients, vulnerable people suffer. Missed rides are not just delays. They lead to missed dialysis, skipped chemo, untreated infections, and avoidable hospital stays. For many, one no-show ride can mean the difference between stability and crisis.

Yet the system remains broken by design. Brokers are paid regardless of performance. Oversight is weak, and patient complaints rarely lead to action. The result is a fragmented network where those who need care the most are the ones left waiting.

The good news is, a better system is possible. What's needed is accountability, and a patient-first approach to medical transportation. Here's what we think that should look like:

Real-time tracking and accountability for every ride
Fraud prevention through built-in compliance tools
Prioritized scheduling for high-risk patients
Seamless coordination between providers, payers, and transport
A patient-first approach guided by transparency and trust
This is not a radical vision. It's what medical transportation should have been all along. And it's already being built.

Meet SNAH: A Smarter, Safer Future for NEMT

The future of Non-Emergency Medical Transportation doesn't require more brokers. It requires smarter systems, better data, and a clear focus on patient outcomes. That's where SNAH Healthcare Software Management comes in.

SNAH is not a traditional transportation company. It's a technology-first platform built specifically to fix the systemic issues plaguing medical transport.

Where outdated systems rely on disconnected call centers, vague scheduling windows, and manual oversight, SNAH integrates everything into a unified dashboard. Healthcare providers, transportation partners, and patients all get visibility into ride status, schedules, and performance. Which means, no more wondering if the driver will show up.

SNAH delivers:

Live ride tracking with GPS and automated notifications
Patient-prioritized scheduling based on medical urgency
AI-powered fraud detection and compliance auditing
Seamless integration with health systems and care plans
Transparent reporting for states, providers, and patients
And this isn't some far off idea. SNAH is already being used to power full-service care networks, including transportation, home care, telehealth, and prescription delivery. It's not just a tool. It's a foundation for a new kind of healthcare infrastructure.

The Future of NEMT Is Clear

America's medical transportation system is in crisis. From billing fraud in Colorado to missed rides in Florida to dangerous rideshare outsourcing in Connecticut, the pattern is consistent. Brokers have prioritized profit over patients, and those most in need have paid the price.

This is not just a transportation issue. It is a healthcare access issue, and we cannot keep patching a broken model.

The good news is, a better path is already here.

SNAH offers a scalable, patient-first platform that puts care back at the center of NEMT. With real-time tracking, predictive analytics, and built-in fraud prevention, it delivers exactly what the current system lacks: visibility, accountability, and compassion.

It's time to replace dysfunction with integrity. It's time to choose outcomes over excuses.

It's time for SNAH.

186 Paterson Ave. Suite 201
East Rutherford, NJ 07073

Founded in 2023 and based in Los Angeles, CA, SNAH is a healthcare technology company focused on providing solutions for patients and providers.

Our range of services including home healthcare services, mobile doctors, non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) is designed to make healthcare more efficient and convenient while keeping affordability in mind.

This release was published on openPR.