Seniors Are Saving on Transportation With These Programs

Access to affordable transit options can make all the difference for their healthcare appointments, errands, or visits to loved ones. Without these, many elderly face challenges like financial strain or isolation.

Transportation assistance programs provide low-cost or free services to help seniors stay mobile and engaged. These programs help reduce expenses and ensure the elderly can easily go grocery shopping or attend social events.

In this article, you’ll learn about several programs that can help you stay mobile while saving on expenses.

1. Eldercare Locator

First and foremost, you must familiarize yourself with the Eldercare Locator. Run by the US Administration on Aging, it is a free, nationwide service that connects you to local services and resources. These include transportation, healthcare, housing, and caregiving support.

You can access it here for your transportation needs. All you have to do is enter your zip code or city and state in the search bar, and it will direct you to all the Area Agency on Aging in your location that can assist you. You can also call 1-800-677-1116 to speak to an information specialist.

2. Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT)

Now, if you are a Medicaid recipient, you must know that you can avail of Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT). This service will provide transportation when you need assistance going to non-emergent medical appointments. These include routine checkups, chemotherapy sessions, physical therapy, or dialysis treatments.

Aside from Medicaid, Medicare Advantage plans and other healthcare programs also cover NEMT services. That’s why many seniors with diminished mobility or no access to reliable transportation see NEMT as the most accessible option to go to medical appointments.

As NEMT helps you receive timely care, you will no longer miss doctor consultations, preventing higher medical costs or worsening health conditions. It will also help you save hundreds yearly if you depend on taxis for transportation.

You can contact NEMT through your state’s designated NEMT broker or provider. The number should be on your Medicaid or other healthcare plan.

For easier access to NEMT contact numbers, you can use Pan Foundation’s NEMT directory. The page also contains access to other transportation services that may be useful to you.

3. Senior Ride Programs

Another transportation option you can avail of is a senior ride program. Many local governments, community organizations, and nonprofits now offer free or discounted rides for seniors. These rides are often for doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping, and social events.

Pennsylvania, for example, has a shared ride program for seniors 65 years and older. It’s a curb-to-curb service you schedule and pay a minimal portion of the usual shared-ride fare. Meanwhile, St. Mary’s County of Maryland also has its senior rides program available for older adults 60 years and above who can still walk but don’t have reliable transportation.

On the other hand, Senior Rides and More offers free transportation to Houston, Texas’ southwestern and northwestern areas. If you are from either of these locations, you can save on cab fares to go grocery shopping or to your doctor.

You can also explore private ride services like GoGoGrandparent, with prices ranging from 14.99 to 499.99 per month, or SilverRide, which lets you pay per ride. It’s up to you to see which option is better.

4. Free or Discounted Transit Passes for Seniors

Many cities or local governments provide free or discounted public transit passes for older adults. You can use these passes mostly for subways, trains, or buses. Some are for taxi rides like Los Angeles’ Taxi Access Program (TAP), which offers reduced rates to seniors for same-day trips.

Chicago’s Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) also has Ride Free Permits for older adults enrolled in Illinois’ Department on Aging’s Benefit Access program. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C. has the Senior SmarTrip Card. The rechargeable fare card allows older adults 65 years and older to travel using the metro system at reduced fares. Starting in January this year, these cards were issued to qualified seniors for free.

5. Volunteer Transportation Programs

Another transportation option you can explore is volunteer transportation programs. Mostly offered by nonprofits or faith-based organizations, these programs have a network of volunteers. They use agency-provided vehicles or their own to ferry seniors to social gatherings or to access medical services.

These programs are often tailored to an elderly rider’s needs. If you use a volunteer transportation program, a volunteer can stay with you during your doctor’s visit and guarantee your ride home. They even offer cross-county transportation if you need a specialized service unavailable in your locality. In Los Angeles, you can use Aging Next’s volunteer transportation program. There is also Maryland’s Partners in Care, New Jersey’s EZ Ride Community Cars in Woodridge, and Virginia’s Mountain Empire Older Citizens, Inc., an Area on Aging Agency (AAA) in Big Stone Gap.

A Transport Option is Always Available for You

Many free or discounted transportation options are available for older adults like you. You can look for them online or you can ask your daughter, son, or caregiver to find them for you. You can also contact 211 for assistance or use this search tool on Google Maps.