Zeitschrift für Gesundheit und medizinische Informatik

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation and the Promise of Blockchain Applications

Abstract

David Randall*, Pradeep Goel

Health care transportation costs have increased dramatically in the United States and in many developed countries. Public health programs in the U.S that includes the Medicare and Medicaid programs rely on nonemergency transport companies to provide access to health care providers and facilities for vulnerable populations. Spending on these services are expected to increase to over $4 Billion in coming years. Recent studies from government sources and other research finds that these programs have fraud and waste associated with providing the service. We find that much of the waste and fraud is a direct result of inefficiencies largely driven by outmoded legacy technology systems and further suggest that blockchain applications can mitigate fraud, waste and abuse while providing better access to care and improved health outcomes for vulnerable populations.