Transportation Woes

@celticeagle (189793)
Boise, Idaho
September 10, 2021 7:50pm CST
I quit driving in 2014. My 1991 Subaru was experiencing difficulties and I was tired of the issues of maintenance on an older car. I was glad I did. No more car insurance, no more idiot drivers, no more maintenance issues. But, of course, I was quick to find places for that extra money. Eek! So, anyway, no transportation. I don't go out but rarely anyway so it wasn't too bad for me. My grandson and daughter take the bus and have Non-emergency transportation for their monthly meds check appointments. So, they are okay with transportation which leaves me. I'm one of those that if I didn't have back luck I wouldn't have luck at all. Ugh! I started with a new insurance company last year. I went to Molina from Well Care. I pay no premium, rarely pay a co-pay and HAVE TRANSPORTATION!! Yeah! I was very happy with it too until June 2021. I had an appointment on the 28th for what the doctor had deemed an emergency LPI treatment. I have to go through some psychological mental games with myself when I have an outing coming up. I have social anxiety and am very sensitive to stress. Not even mentioning the anxiety I was feeling for my first eye treatment. So I got through that, decided what to wear, got ready and got myself downstairs(hadn't even been downstairs for more than a year), and was waiting for time to get out to the transport vehicle. Time went by. It was 10 minutes before I was to be there for this 'emergency' treatment and I get a phone call from the transport dispatcher saying I had no ride. I was shocked. I was mad. I was sitting there shaking my head. What am I going to do? I explained this was an emergency situation and she said she would see what she could do and call me right back. After another ten minutes and no hear from I called the doctor's office and rescheduled. I had been to several other appointments and had no issues until I have this emergency. I want forward to my next appointment scheduling and transportation setup. It went without a hitch. I had rescheduled my LPI for August 9. That was the soonest I could get in. I hoped that the situation in my eye would be okay until then. So much for the meaning of 'emergency'. So August 9 comes along. I had prepared myself for it and the driver actually came. The treatment wasn't bad and I went ahead and made the appointment for a check-up on August 26. I was downstairs waiting for the driver to come. Time was getting close and so I called the dispatcher. A young woman who wasn't the usual dispatcher told me "the provider rejected my trip". I was appalled. (She spoke like she was reading from her paperwork). So I called the doctor's office AGAIN and told them I had transportation issues AGAIN. It's embarrassing. I went through a couple of days with this issue heavy on my mind. So, after a weekend had gone by and the beginning of a new week I decided to call member services at Molina and state my grievance. I spoke to a very nice lady (Nora with Member Services) who listened to me as if she really did care. I had told her my daughter and grandson used another transportation service and that this service worked to get their members to their appointments even if they have to call a Uber or a Lyft which has happened a couple of times. She agreed with my issues. She started proceedings to file a grievance with Access2Ride which is the servicing company. She said she was going to call them and then she would call me back. When she did call me back she said she had them change my rides to one with Lyft instead of their usual providers. I haven't had another appointment since this transpired so we'll see what happens next time. I am so sick of being dependent on others.
7 people like this
5 responses
@sallypup (69156)
• Centralia, Washington
11 Sep 21
It's safer for you but what a pain! I'm sorry.
3 people like this
@celticeagle (189793)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Sep 21
At least it doesn't come up very often cause I don't have many appointments.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
11 Sep 21
That is discouraging. Especially when you have to work hard to have the energy mentally to go. I hope venting here helps a little bit and I hope that the situation has been resolved.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (189793)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Sep 21
It does.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51811)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
11 Sep 21
I have a friend who will take me to appointments if they're out of the way and I ask in advance.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (189793)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Sep 21
Oh, good.
2 people like this
@jstory07 (148701)
• Roseburg, Oregon
11 Sep 21
You sure go through a lot of stuff.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189793)
• Boise, Idaho
12 Sep 21
Don't I though?! I am one of those that if I had any luck it would be bad.
@LindaOHio (222222)
• United States
11 Sep 21
I'm sorry you're having such transportation difficulties. Thanks for the update.
1 person likes this