As the NEMT industry continues to expand, it is essential to find ways to stand out among competitors in order to win more contracts. While your business name and vehicles are certainly important, you should also consider every aspect of your business, including hiring practices, training requirements, and marketing strategies. Knowing these elements will make you more attractive to brokers, and will allow you to wow a range of different companies.
In addition to offering top-quality service, providers should be innovative and cost-efficient. Consider developing multimodal platforms that combine public transit, TNCs, and bike share under one roof. By providing public paratransit services under a single roof, these multimodal platforms may even convince public transit agencies to include them in their RFP. This move could eliminate the need for middlemen in the paratransit industry, and a MaaS contractor could be the best option for this. If so, this could be bad news for traditional NEMT players.
In addition to securing NEMT contracts, transportation companies such as taxi companies, TNCs, and healthcare providers often try to secure NEMT contracts. Some even hire independent driver-providers in order to reap more Medicaid revenue. Despite the many opportunities, there are also many potholes in the road ahead. There is much uncertainty about worker classification, vehicle automation, and duty of care, and the role of cities in regulating NEMT. And as more companies attempt to enter the NEMT space, this field is becoming crowded. It will soon be flooded with potential excess supply as companies vie for profitability.
Start with a solid marketing strategy. The strategy should encompass all of the company’s public-facing assets, including its logo, website, social media accounts, and email to customers. While it is possible to hire marketing experts in-house, you can also hire specialists to help you with this task.
Another way to beat the competition and win more NEMAT contracts is to collaborate with a similar business. By working together, you can establish a consistent brand with clients and expand substantially. However, it is crucial to ensure that you don’t step on the toes of your competitors. For instance, you can combine forces with another company to gain access to funds, and you’ll be able to cover a larger area.
In addition to the NEMT contracts, coordinating with other transportation providers in your community can also save you money. This strategy is similar to that of the taxi industry, which has recently gotten into the NEMT space. In the past, most taxi companies provided NEMT services to larger state contracts, but many have shifted their focus to smaller, local healthcare facilities.
When it comes to pricing, most NEMT businesses charge anywhere from $20 to $60 an hour. However, you can offer a discount program for repeat customers. This will ensure that your customers feel appreciated and will save you money over time. The price of NEMT services depends on many factors, and it is essential to keep in mind these variables.