Ambulette companies across Westchester closed in March, affecting about 1,000 medical trips a day. The reason, according to Ed Kelley, of United Transportation Providers of Westchester: money. “Westchester has not had a rate increase in 20 years,” explained Kelley. He added that Westchester County ambulettes have the lowest Medicaid rates in the NY-metro area, and a particularly high cost of living.
Kelley says it costs each company about $70 per ride – for gas, driver wages, insurance, vehicle maintenance and pay for the dispatch staff. An ambulette costs about $90,000, plus about $22,000 a year in insurance per vehicle, he said.
Source: News 12 Westchester
