Where standing orders come from
Dialysis is the classic case: three treatments a week on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday schedule, and standing dialysis rides make up much of the wheelchair van work in Southern California. Therapy series, adult day care and chemotherapy also repeat.
What to watch
- Exceptions: holidays, a missed treatment, a hospital stay or a changed chair time must not leave a van driving to an empty curb.
- Authorization: for recurring appointments a Medi-Cal plan authorizes NEMT for the length of the treatment, up to 12 months. A standing order must stop, or be renewed, when the PCS form runs out.
- Rider changes: a new address, a new space type or a new clinic changes every future trip at once.
Why it matters for dispatch
Standing orders make most of a day known in advance, which is what lets a provider plan runs the evening before and leave room for will-calls and same-day requests.
Related terms
- Trip leg (A leg and B leg)A trip leg is one one-way ride from a pickup to a drop-off.
- Physician Certification Statement (PCS form)A Physician Certification Statement (PCS) is the form a member’s provider signs to prescribe NEMT.
- Run (route)A run, also called a route, is the ordered list of pickups and drop-offs one van and driver will do in a shift.
- Prior authorizationPrior authorization is the payer’s approval of a ride before it happens.
Sources
Checked on . Rules change: check the current version with the payer before you bill.