MEDICAL DIAL-A-RIDE
The towns of Bozrah, East Lyme, Griswold, Groton, Ledyard, Lisbon, New London, North Stonington, Stonington, Preston, Salem and Waterford collaborate with the Eastern Connecticut Transportation Consortium and the CT Department of Transportation to expand transportation services to individuals age 60 and over and disabled adults. To keep services running smoothly, please follow the guidelines outlined below.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS SERVICE IS CONTINGENT ON AVAILABLE FUNDS.
Who qualifies for this program?
This program is open to individuals who reside in the above listed towns, meet the residency requirement described below:
To utilize the brokered rides portion of the service you must have completed a registration form, and have submitted the annual membership fee payable to your participating senior center or municipality. Individuals residing in: Private Homes; Retirement Living Facilities; Independent Living Facilities; Assisted Living Facilities; and Residential Care Homes are eligible for transportation under this program.
Individuals who reside in Skilled Nursing Facilities are not eligible for transportation through this program.
Individuals who are eligible for free transportation through Medicaid are asked to use that program instead.
If you wish to just access the Caregiver portion of the program you still must complete the registration.
What are the limitations of this program?
For the brokered rides - rides for are provided for medical appointments in New London County/Westerly, RI. Rides are contingent upon available funding.
Reservations must be made no later than 48 hours in advance but can be scheduled up to 2 weeks ahead. Trips can be scheduled during normal business hours. Requests for weekend & Monday trips must be made no later than Friday by 2 p.m.
Personal Care Attendants (or family member acting as an escort) must accompany passengers who need extra help with entering and exiting the vehicle or have other needs that make traveling independently unsafe.
In order to protect the health of others, passengers must be free from acute illnesses such as flu, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and infections such as pneumonia.
What information should I have when calling to request a ride?
· Your complete name and address.
· The address of your destination and the physician’s name.
· The date and time of your appointment.
An estimated time that you will be picked up from your appointment to return home.
How does the Caregiver Mileage Reimbursement Program work?
The rider retains a volunteer driver (friend, neighbor, family member). The driver and rider must complete the “Request for Mileage Reimbursement” form.
Mileage is calculated by ECTC based on the shortest distance to the destination. The mileage from the caregiver’s home to the passenger going to the medical appointment is NOT included.
Form must include appointment date, start address, destination address, and must be signed and dated by client and driver after last trip has been entered on the form. Participants submit completed mileage reimbursement forms to their town senior center or town representative by the end of the month for processing.
When the form is submitted, the town representative reviews the form for accuracy and verifies the mailing address of the Caregiver. Town Representatives may perform audits to verify that the appointments did occur.
The Town Representative will sign and fax form to ECTC. ECTC will issue a check to the Caregiver for authorized trips performed.