To: Mary Mayhew, Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services and Governor Janet Mills
Request for the LePage Administration and Maine's DHHS to Reopen the MaineCare Transportation Bid...
We respectfully request that the Maine DHHS hire an independent auditor to assess CTS's (Coordinated Transportation Solutions, Inc.- a Connecticut Company) ability to meet the requirements of the MaineCare Transportation Contract. We also request that if the current transportation issues are not resolved or the auditor's report affirms the current experiences of consumers, that the bidding process be reopened and that Maine-based transportation brokers be solicited to rebid the contract and equal access to healthcare services for MaineCare and Medicaid recipients be re-established.
Why is this important?
The MaineCare Transportation Contract with CTS has proven that working with an out of state broker,specifically CTS is a failed experiment that has greatly effected the quality of healthcare for MaineCare and Medicaid recipients. In the Department's own words, "The launch has not gone as planned and there have been widespread problems. Rides have been missed, people have not been able to reach the broker due to high call volume and some rides have been delivered inappropriately.The performance to date has been unacceptable and we are doing all that we can to hold the brokers accountable." This has effected the quality of care, the ability for providers to earn a living and deliver services and the revenue streams of agency. It has placed great burdens on those already dealing with difficult situations and will only serve to increase emergency room care, raise healthcare costs and limit access to healthcare for our most vulnerable populations.