Medical transportation in central Arkansas could soon hit a bump in the road, stranding hundreds of patients and passengers.
Representatives for drivers of a non-emergency transportation group say the spike in gas prices is the reason. Members of the group now say not only are they not getting adequate reimbursement for the cost of gas, but they can't get an audience with the company that's supposed to pay them.
Evelyn Green is a non-emergency transportation provider.
(Evelyn Green, Transportation Provider) "I do mostly wheelchairs. I pick up them up from home, if it's just to their destination, the school they go to, or a doctor appointment."
She's concerned--as are a number of transportation providers--that the high price of gas will drive them out of business. Several drivers say requests for increases have fallen on deaf ears, and they claim they're working under the same rate of $2.30 they did last year.
(Marlando Collins, Transportation Provider) "All we're asking is, Logisticare Solutions--which is the broker for district 112 of Arkansas, which the state brokered out to--give us a gas increase. It's hard getting these people there without gas. It's like you're paying them to be in business."
Logisticare spokesman Ray Williams denies the claims, saying they've reimbursed the providers above and beyond what the state allocated. And, he says their repayment is based on an agreed-upon formula.
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