Custom software for non-emergency medical transportation

What a day in NEMT dispatch looks like

An NEMT company lives and dies by the schedule. Trips come in from Medicaid brokers, dialysis centers, hospitals, nursing facilities and private pay riders, each with its own format and lead time. Every trip needs the right vehicle and driver: ambulatory, wheelchair, bariatric or stretcher, sometimes with an attendant. Standing orders like three dialysis runs a week sit next to same-day discharges and will-call returns, where the rider is ready whenever the appointment ends.

Then the trip has to be proven. Brokers and state Medicaid programs typically expect pickup and drop-off times, mileage, signatures and sometimes GPS records, and the rules differ by state and contract. Drivers and vehicles need current licenses, insurance, inspections and training on file. A missing signature or late upload can mean an unpaid trip.

Where NEMT owners tell us the pain is:

• Re-typing broker trip lists into the schedule, then reconciling cancellations and changes all day.
• Building routes by hand that fit vehicle types, appointment times and driver hours.
• Will-call returns that leave riders waiting because dispatch cannot see which vehicle is nearest.
• Paper trip logs and signatures that get lost or arrive late for billing.
• Driver and vehicle credential expirations tracked in a spreadsheet.
• Facility staff calling dispatch to ask where the ride is.

What we build: NEMT scheduling software and driver app

• Trip intake that imports broker files or portal exports and accepts bookings from facilities and private pay riders in one queue.
• NEMT scheduling software with routing by vehicle type, capacity, appointment time, standing orders and will-call returns.
• A dispatch board with live vehicle locations, late trip alerts and quick reassignment.
• An NEMT driver app for manifests, turn-by-turn directions, rider notes, status updates, signatures, photos and mileage.
• Trip verification records with times, GPS points and signatures, packaged for each broker or payer’s requirements.
• Billing prep that groups completed trips by payer and flags anything missing before submission.
• Driver and vehicle compliance tracking with reminders before licenses, insurance, inspections and trainings lapse.
• A facility portal where dialysis centers and discharge planners book rides and see live ride status.
• Automated texts to riders the night before and when the driver is on the way.

Off-the-shelf vs. custom non emergency medical transportation software

RouteGenie and MediRoutes are well-known NEMT software products that cover scheduling, dispatch, driver apps and billing, and many brokers have their own portals for trip assignment. For a new or small fleet, an established NEMT product is often the fastest way to get organized.

Custom NEMT software makes sense when your mix of business does not fit the product: several brokers plus facility contracts plus private pay, routing rules specific to your area, a facility portal your partners will use, or reporting the products do not offer. It also helps companies that run NEMT next to other services, such as courier or paratransit work, and want one system for all of it.

Rider data, HIPAA and integrations

Rider names, addresses, Medicaid IDs, appointment destinations and mobility needs reveal health information. We build NEMT software with HIPAA safeguards in mind: individual logins, role-based access so drivers only see their own manifest, audit logs, encryption on phones and servers, and hosting with providers that offer business associate agreements. We work with your compliance advisor on the agreements and policies your company and your broker contracts require.

We connect to broker portals and files, mapping and GPS services, and accounting or billing systems where they allow it, and to facility EHR or EMR systems in general terms when a partner wants trips booked from their side.

How an NEMT software project works

1. Sit with dispatchWe watch a full day of intake, scheduling, dispatch and billing, including the messy parts.
2. Collect the rulesWe gather broker and payer verification requirements, vehicle types and your routing rules.
3. Design the screensDispatchers and drivers click through the board and the app before it is built.
4. Build in roundsWorking software arrives in rounds you review, usually starting with intake and scheduling.
5. Run in parallel, then switchWe run the new system next to your current process for a period, then move the whole fleet over.

What it costs

Zoti custom projects start at $499/month, covering design, development, hosting and ongoing changes. Price depends on fleet size, the number of brokers and payers, whether you need a facility portal and which systems we connect to. You get a written quote before work begins.