Total Contract Solutions, Inc.

Brokering for Transportation Services

Transportation brokerages offer a unique method for providing human service transportation services, non-emergency and particularly Medicaid ADA paratransit trips with the various modes, all frequently coordinated together through a single transportation brokerage. A related concept is that of mobility management call centers and related services. TCS has provided consulting services on transportation brokerages across the United States. For example, TCS has direct consulting experience on statewide and regional brokerage projects for government mandated transportation including:

In many of these cases, TCS also provided consulting services on the underlying transportation services prior to them utilizing a brokerage model. In fact, in the case of Medicaid transportation alone, TCS has direct consulting experience with these programs in dozens of other States. No other consulting firm can bring the experience and understanding of different regulatory markets that TCS can.

The emphasis on direct consulting experience is an important one. This means we are experienced with all facets of these projects, from RFP through project implementation and ongoing operational details, documented by references. Be careful to see beyond project experience that was not in a lead consulting role as it likely does not represent the breadth of experience you may need in your consultant. TCS

In addition to direct consulting experience with brokerage projects and their predecessor projects, TCS has performed innumerable studies and developed extensive databases of contracting and regulation for broker style and related transportation contracts throughout the United States. Our databases and libraries put information at your fingertips throughout your brokerage project. TCS president Charles Johnson has similarly authored a number of papers on transportation brokering and coordination. We understand brokerages like no others.

In Kentucky for example, the brokerages handle reservations and provide gatekeeping regionally for four programs: Medicaid recipient non-emergency medical transportation, State Welfare recipients going to jobs or training, Department for the Blind and Vocational Rehabilitation transportation. Transportation is then provided by a network of transportation subcontractors covering several counties. Providers have included state regulated non-profit and for-profit vans, mass transit providers, taxicabs and volunteers. In addition, the brokers administer expense checks to Welfare recipients that provide for their own transportation. Broker responsibilities include verifying client and trip purpose eligibility, recording trip reservations, contracting for transportation providers, monitoring transportation service delivery including vehicle and driver requirements, handling consumer complaints, and administrative reporting to the State. The major portion of the payments to the brokers is “capitated,” where the broker is paid based on the number of eligible participants each month without regard to actual participation in the transportation program.

In Kentucky, like most other locations, software requirements are an important component of administering the reservations / call-center and trip brokering operation. Each of the programs for example has its own eligibility requirements that must be covered in the trip request interview. Trips must then be assigned to transportation providers and the trip information transferred at appropriate times. Some trips may be covered in-house by the broker. Trip information back from the transportation provider must then be stored in the system. Electronic data reporting to the State must follow pre-defined field formats. In one region of Kentucky, TCS provided assistance for an in-house database program development. In another region, the broker’s existing computer dispatching software was modified to handle the brokerage needs, with TCS providing guidance to the software vendor with this process. In both of these cases, the software was functional on day one of the contract. TCS is also experienced with a variety of software programs in use for transportation brokering. Please see the detailed software experience description for additional information.

TCS has provided consulting services on numerous transportation brokerage projects throughout the United States including local, regional and statewide programs. Also, please see our Human Service transportation references for closely related projects.