Medical Transportation Guidelines

To be eligible for assistance under the Driver and Group Transportation components of the Program, Clients must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a registered member of Oneida Nation of the Thames;
  • Reside within the Oneida Nation settlement;
  • Must be reliant upon Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program, Employment Insurance, Old Age Security, post-secondary funding, a limited pension or have a limited household income;
  • Have no vehicle in the household and/or no access to insured transportation;
  • Sign a Consent for Collection, Use and Disclosure of Information Form to allow for verification of source of income and the date, time and location of the medical appointment and disclosure of eligibility for services; and,
  • Sign a Waiver and Release Form indemnifying Oneida Nation from any damages that may arise from participation in the Program.

To be eligible for assistance under the Community Submission component of the program, clients must meet all of the criteria listed with exception to point having no vehicle in the household.

Residents members of Oneida who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be entitled to use the program and must provide their own transportation, except in situations defined as emergencies

Exceptions to the eligibility criteria may be made on a case-by-case basis where the Administrator determines in his/her sole discretion that special circumstances exist. The ineligible resident requesting services may, at the request of the Administrator, be required to provide documentation to support his/her application for special consideration.

Transportation assistance, which is not guaranteed and is subject to the availability of funding and/or Drivers, will generally be provided to Clients:

  • To and from the nearest appropriate approved medical facility;
  • To and from a recognized health centre or specialized clinic when referred to by a medical doctor;
  • To and from dental appointments; or,
  • To and from optometrist appointments for testing and initial fitting.

Transportation assistance will be provided to Clients who are:

  • Attending long term treatment (any treatment prescribed by a recognized doctor that requires on-going care, such as kidney dialysis treatment, cancer care treatments, etc.);
  • Attending prenatal and/or postnatal care appointments;
  • Being admitted to or discharged from a local medical facility;
  • Attending therapy and/or counselling (A copy of a doctor’s referral is required.); and,
  • Attending methadone treatment facilities and subject to Health Canada’s directive, such transportation assistance will only be provided to a maximum of four (4) months.

Transportation assistance requires prior approval from the Coordinator for Clients who:

  • Wish to have transportation to a traditional birthing service. Restrictions apply to Birthing Centre’s outside the Brantford area; and
  • Require transportation assistance for distances which are greater than eighty kilometres (80 Km).

Transportation services that will not be paid or reimbursed include but are not limited to:

  • For pick-up of prescriptions;
  • For pick-up of or repairs to eyeglasses;
  • For personal visitation; and/or, Appointments which are covered under third-party liability, insurance claims and/or the Workers Safety and Insurance Act.

Pursuant to Health Canada, individuals who apply as Drivers are subject to a screening process which includes but is not limited to:

  • Criminal reference check with a vulnerable screening component not older than 30 days upon application;
  • Driver’s abstract, not older than 30 days upon application;
  • Current medical certificate confirming good health of the driver, not older than 12 months;
  • 3 current character references;
  • Valid certificate in Basic Rescuer and Standard First Aid training;
  • Quality of any transportation services provided in the past; and,
  • Any other relevant information, in the sole opinion of Oneida Nation, that may affect service to clients.

Drivers will be required to sign a Service Contract, Oath of Confidentiality and Code of Ethics.

Drivers will be required to provide transportation services in a vehicle which is properly licensed and insured in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario. – 5 – Oneida Nation of the Thames – Medical Transportation Guidelines

Drivers will be required to carry a minimum of $1,000,000 liability insurance per occurrence which allows them to carry passengers for compensation (also known as “6A coverage”.)

Drivers will be required to supply any required supplies and equipment including, child car seats, personal protective equipment such as surgical masks, anti-bacterial cleaner and/or anti-bacterial wipes and hand sanitizer.

Drivers may refuse service to Clients if any or one of the following conditions exist:

  • The client is intoxicated with drugs and/or alcohol;
  • The client is ineligible;
  • The driver fears bodily harm or has safety concerns; and/or
  • severe weather conditions.

Any driver can transport family members, only if the family member is eligible and is in need of services under these guidelines. The rate paid for these services will be at the “Family Rate” as set out in Schedule “B”

All drivers that provide transportation service in accordance with these guidelines are eligible for compensation at rates as listed in Schedule “B” – Medical Transportation Rates as amended from time-to-time.

Destinations not listed in Schedule “B” require “Prior Approval” directly from Health Canada, and will not be covered through the Medical Transportation Program under any circumstances.

When a client is provided with one-way transportation, financial assistance will be limited to one-half (1/2) the compensation rates listed in Schedule “B”.

In order to provide the most economical means of transporting clients, drivers are encouraged to transport more than one client at a time, whenever possible. Provision of a private taxi service is not the intention of the program.

An extra passenger is defined as any client travelling in the same vehicle and at the same time but from a different household/family.

The rate for all extra passengers is $5.00 per passenger, one-way.

To ensure that quality service is being provided under these guidelines, the following standards apply:

  • Drivers are responsible for ensuring that individuals requesting services are eligible for services by confirming their eligibility with the coordinator; in the event that it is not practical to confirm eligibility and it is later confirmed that the individual is not eligible, the driver may not be eligible for payment.
  • Drivers must ensure that assistance is available to those clients who need help getting into and/or out of the vehicle and/or the medical facility;
  • Drivers will be responsible for ensuring the client arrives at his/her appointment at the appropriate time;
  • Drivers must ensure that all clients who are under the age of sixteen (16) years of age wear a seat belt and ensure that their vehicle is equipped with an approved child safety seat, if transporting small children;
  • Drivers are responsible for contacting clients if they are unable to provide transportation as soon as the driver is aware that a problem exists. Sufficient time should be granted to allow for the client to obtain alternative transportation.

The only occupants in the Driver`s vehicle while providing transportation services are to be:

  • Other clients (extra passengers);
  • Client escorts, if required; and/or,
  • Individuals required by the driver for safety reasons; unless the client consents otherwise.
  • Drivers are required to maintain the cleanliness of their vehicle which includes but is not limited to wiping down hard surfaces of the vehicle with anti-bacterial cleaner, such as door handles, before and after transporting a client, to minimize the spread of cold and flu-like viruses and have hand sanitizer available for use by clients.
  • Clients are reminded that drivers are not contracted to provide child care for children who may accompany the client to a medical appointment.
  • Drivers are required to provide courteous, comfortable service to clients.
  • Drivers are required to transport passengers in the most economical way by arranging trips with more than one client at a time if possible.

As with all health programs, the client that uses any of the medical transportation services, must remember that the driver’s are providing a transportation service and that each individual is responsible for her/his own health. The transportation services are only designed to help get a person to and/or from the medical facility.

Clients are responsible for:

  • Scheduling and cancelling appointments in compliance with medical facilities’ guidelines, i.e. 24 hours notice;
  • Contacting the C.H.N. or C.H.R. or the coordinator for special or long-term treatments;
  • Contacting the driver to arrange transportation. Clients may call the coordinator to help arrange for a driver;
  • Ensuring they are ready to depart when the driver arrives to transport them;.
  • Notifying the driver at least two (2) hours in advance, if any appointment has been changed or cancelled;
  • Transporting all personal documentation (i.e. X-Rays);
  • Contacting the coordinator for any approvals required under this guideline; and,
  • Payment of any transportation charges if there is no medical appointment.

Clients must:

  • Sign “Consent for Release of Information” form to allow for the verification of medical transportation information;
  • Wear seat belts while being transported; and,
  • Treat drivers with courtesy and respect.

Clients should notify the Driver of any health conditions that the Client feels necessary.

Clients may be accompanied by a family member or care-giver, if required.

Clients under the age of 16 MUST be accompanied by a parent, guardian or a designated adult, other than the driver.

This program or the drivers are NOT to be used for emergency situations. Clients and drivers are expected to use their discretion in determining when a situation is an emergency. Council has a First Response program/Ambulance Service that is better suited to handle emergency situations.

Examples of emergency situations for the purpose of these guidelines include:

  • Unconsciousness;
  • Uncontrolled bleeding;
  • Breathing difficulties;
  • Motor vehicle accident;
  • Heart attacks; and
  • Pregnancy complications/births.

Compensation will be paid only after confirmation that the service was provided as intended under these guidelines. For verification purposes, the following information must be provided to the coordinator:

  • Date of trip;
  • Client(s) name(s), band number(s) and date(s) of birth;
  • Client(s) signature(s);
  • Purpose of transportation and destination;
  • Stamp/signature of Receiving Office (signed by Receiving Office only);
  • Start of appointment time (signed by Receiving Office only);
  • End of appointment time (signed by Receiving Office only);
  • Applicable rate;
  • Total costs;
  • Licence plate number of driver’s vehicle; and,
  • Driver’s signature.

Driver invoices must be submitted weekly and cover the period from Monday to Sunday.

Driver invoices must be submitted before 12:00 p.m. (noon) Monday and will be processed by Friday of the same week. Any invoices received after 12:00 p.m. (noon) Monday, will be processed for the following week.

If the coordinator, in his/her sole discretion determines that a trip requires verification and the trip cannot be verified by 12:00 p.m. (noon) on the Wednesday following submission of the invoice, that trip will not be paid until verification is received. Payment of that trip will be processed as early as possible following verification.

If it is determined that the Driver has been overpaid, the overpayment will be a debt due to Oneida and such overpayment will be deducted from the driver’s next payment

The purpose of the Community Submission Program is designed to provide financial assistance, by way of reimbursement, to clients that arrange for their own transportation available under these guidelines. This program is an alternative to the Medical Transportation Drivers program as laid out above. The Health Division encourages clients to provide their own transportation whenever possible.

To be eligible for financial assistance, the Client and the selected driver must meet the criteria set out for clients and drivers of the Medical Transportation Drivers program in addition to the following:

  • Selected driver must provide proof of vehicle ownership;
  • Selected driver must provide proof of valid insurance;
  • Selected driver must provide proof of valid driver’s license.

Reimbursement will be made after the Coordinator receives and verifies the proper documentation, including:

  • The “Community Submission Form”; and
  • The “Consent for Release of Information” form.

Completed forms can be submitted to the coordinator either weekly or monthly. If submitted monthly, all forms must be received no later than the first Monday of every month by 12:00 p.m. It is the eligible clients’ responsibility to ensure their forms are submitted by the due date, under no circumstances will late trips be paid.

Reimbursement under this program will not exceed Two Hundred Dollars ($200) per month per client, with the exception of long term treatment and care.

Requests to exceed the monthly limit must be sent to the coordinator, along with a doctor’s referral note explaining the need for treatment. On-going requests of this nature will be reviewed every three (3) months by the Health Administrator.

The Community Submission Forms are available from the coordinator which requests the following information:

  • Date of trip;
  • Client(s) name(s), band number(s) and date(s) of birth;
  • Client(s) signature(s);
  • Purpose of transportation and destination;
  • Stamp/signature of Receiving Office (signed by Receiving Office only);
  • Start of appointment time (signed by Receiving Office only);
  • End of appointment time (signed by Receiving Office only);
  • Applicable rate;
  • Total costs;
  • Licence plate number of driver’s; and,
  • Driver’s signature.

Individuals who submit false information will be responsible for repayment of any money improperly paid as a result of the false information and may subject to further sanctions which may include:

  • Suspension or withdrawal of eligibility for future participation in the Program;
  • Suspension or termination of Driver contract; and/or;
  • Criminal charges.

All complaints regarding the Program are taken seriously and will be dealt with by the Coordinator. Should a complaint arise with respect to the services delivered through this Program, the following process shall be followed:

Complaints must be in writing, signed by the complainant and delivered to the coordinator in a sealed envelope within five (5) days of the event that gave rise to the complaint. The complaint must describe the situation, the circumstances involved, any actions taken and the desired resolution.

Within five (5) days of receipt of the complaint, a meeting between the complainant(s) and the coordinator will be held to resolve the matter;

If the complaint is not resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant, the complainant must deliver the complaint to the Administrator in writing and within two (2) days of the meeting with the coordinator indicating why the resolution was unsatisfactory.

Upon receipt of the complaint, the Administrator will request a report from the coordinator concerning the meeting with the complainant and the proposed resolution, review the documentation and conduct further investigation, if necessary. The Administrator will contact the complainant and any relevant parties and will meet with them, if necessary. The Administrator will make a decision for resolution of the complaint within five (5) days of receipt of the complaint.

Depending upon the seriousness of the complaint, the Administrator, in his/her sole discretion, may choose to form a committee to deal with the complaint. The committee shall be comprised of three (3) members, including the Administrator, other Administrators, elected Council members and/or Health Committee members.

The decision of the Administrator or the committee, as the case may be, can be appealed to the Council, in writing, within 2 days of the decision of the Administrator or committee as the case may be. If an elected Councillor was a member of the committee formed above, then that Councillor shall not be part of any discussion or decision-making process of the Council with respect to the complaint. Council may choose to hear the complainant and affected parties or may choose to review the written record and make a decision. Council will consider the matter and/or any required further process at the first regular meeting after receipt of the complaint. Council’s decision will be final.

All complaints shall be kept confidential except where disclosure is necessary for the purposes of investigating the complaint or taking measures in relation thereto.

Circumstances, situations and/or requests falling outside the stated provisions of these guidelines can be brought to the coordinator in writing for special consideration, subject to the approval of the Administrator. All such requests must include the amount of funds that will be required to fulfil the request, if any.

Any situation that may arise that is not contemplated by these guidelines will be dealt with in a fair manner by the appropriate party in the circumstances.

Angela Simon

Medical Transportation Coordinator

Jackie Thomas

Medical Transportation Assistant

Medical Transportation Coordinator

Oneida Health Centre
2213 Elm Ave
Southwold, Ontario
N0L 2G0
Tel:  (519) 652-0500
Fax: (519) 652-0504