LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nevada Medicaid recipients who depend on state-funded rides for life-saving medical appointments say they have faced dangerous, daily disruptions since the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada rolled out a new paratransit app developed by RideCo in March.
As her investigation continues, Darcy Spears hears from more users who claim the RTC's new paratransit app has left them stranded and at risk:
Medical Transportation Management, or MTM, is the primary company that books non-emergency medical rides for the state of Nevada. MTM schedules those rides using RTC's paratransit system, and riders say the flawed app rollout has left them stranded, sent to wrong locations, and in some cases, at risk of serious medical harm.
Mark Niven relies on paratransit to get to rehab and dialysis appointments, and Nevada Medicaid pays for his rides through MTM.
"It's just a really bad situation. I could go back into the hospital," Niven said.
Niven described being turned away by a driver because of the system's failures.
"I had a bus driver actually step out and tell me he couldn't give me a ride because he already had one wheelchair. He was in a smaller bus, and they didn't send another because of the system. It's a new AI system," Niven said, describing it as, "terrible, terrible — this whole system is - it needs to be redone."
Both RideCo and the RTC have acknowledged the app's flaws and failures since its March launch. The problems have hit Medicaid recipients who book through MTM especially hard.
At last Thursday's RTC board meeting, RideCo CEO Prem Gururajan was asked whether his company had been in direct contact with MTM about the ongoing issues.
"We work closely with RTC because they're our operational partner, and we work closely with Transdev because they're the partner on the ground, and they collaborate with other parties on other aspects of the system," Gururajan said.
When asked whether MTM had reached out to RideCo directly, Gururajan said, "I have to ask my team to see what they've heard or not." RideCo has not follow-up with us on that matter.
What's The Deal?
RTC board confronts RideCo CEO over failed paratransit app rollout
Patients lost on campus, missing medical care
The Nevada Community Enrichment Program, located on the College of Southern Nevada's West Charleston campus, serves Mark Niven and hundreds of others recovering from strokes, brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries. Case manager Zach Wilcox said the transportation problems have created serious safety risks for their clients.
"It's very problematic. I mean, one of our biggest issues is people are brought to the wrong location on campus," Wilcox said.
Wilcox said MTM has frequently switched patients to rideshare services instead of paratransit because of problems with the RideCo app. Rideshare drivers do not receive the correct building number, and patients with brain injuries or who cannot speak are unable to help drivers find the right location — leaving them lost and wandering campus.
Julie Peterson, the program's director, described one such incident.
"We have had patients dropped off across the other side of campus at 9 a.m., and then they didn't arrive here until 11:30, so that was tough. We have no way to track these rides," Peterson said.
Wilcox described another case in which a patient waited two hours after therapy ended for a ride that never came on time.
"She missed her medication time, and an RTC supervisor had to come take her home independently," Wilcox said.
Even after staff told MTM that rideshare is not safe for their patients, Wilcox said MTM canceled a patient's paratransit ride without explanation and placed them in a rideshare instead.
"She arrived late to her appointment, and when she left, she was crying. We had RTC fix the problem," Wilcox said.
Wilcox and Peterson said RTC has stepped up while RideCo works to fix its app, with RTC supervisors stationed on campus to coordinate replacement rides and, at times, drive patients themselves. MTM, they said, has not responded with the same urgency.
"And when we tell them what we're looking for, it seems like we don't get straightforward answers," Wilcox said.
MTM and Nevada Medicaid respond
After weeks of outreach, MTM leaders denied a request for an on-camera interview. In a written statement, MTM said:
"RTC’s transition to RideCo has introduced unexpected technical and operational challenges affecting ride availability, accuracy of trip scheduling, and the overall user experience. MTM Health, RTC, and local medical facilities are actively collaborating to identify issues, correct system errors, and support staff through additional training opportunities. The goal is to restore reliable, predictable transportation for all Medicaid recipients as quickly as possible."
Nevada Medicaid pays MTM with public tax dollars. After reviewing cases we submitted, the Nevada Health Authority sent the following statement:
"Nevada Medicaid is committed to ensuring all Medicaid recipients have access to timely, high-quality transportation for Medicaid covered appointments. Transportation to covered medical appointments and services is available through Nevada Medicaid’s contracted transportation broker at no cost to eligible recipients.
In Clark County, Nevada Medicaid partners with Medical Transport Management to coordinate non-emergency medical transportation services in alignment with federal requirements and guidelines. MTM works with a variety of transportation providers to meet the needs of Medicaid recipients, including fixed-route bus passes and paratransit services through the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada for individuals living within the RTC service area. Additional transportation options are available such as Uber and Lyft. Any Medicaid recipients in Clark County should reach out to MTM at 1-844-879-7341 to request a ride.
MTM is reimbursed by Nevada Medicaid through a capitated payment structure. Nevada Medicaid conducts ongoing oversight and contract monitoring for all Medicaid contracts and vendors, and any identified noncompliance is addressed through established corrective action processes and penalties, depending on identified violations. After a review of the information on this case, it is our understanding that the issue raised appears to be the result of a systems glitch that has since been resolved. It is also our understanding no recipient has been inappropriately charged for a ride.
Nevada Medicaid remains committed to our ongoing effort and focus on maintaining strong program integrity and combating fraud, waste and abuse. We continuously monitor transportation billing and provider activity through internal audits and monthly contract review to ensure services are delivered appropriately and in line with program requirements. We encourage Nevadans to report any instance of potential fraud if they suspect an inappropriate charge has been made by contacting 1-866-436-0457."
If you have an issue you think needs to be investigated, Darcy Spears is here to help. Reach out to 13 Investigates or submit your question for "Darcy, What's the Deal?"
-
What's the deal with RTC Paratransit delays across the Las Vegas Valley?
Several RTC Paratransit riders experienced long delays and some were even stranded. They reached out to 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears to ask Darcy, What's The Deal?
RTC's RideCo app seeing improvements but riders still have concerns
While there have been improvements to RTC's RideCo app since it launched in March, some riders are still voicing concerns.
