Need help getting to your doctor appointments? Our non-emergency medical transportation services are here to help. Across the nation, no-show rates to doctor appointments range between 5% and 50%! The main reasons people miss their doctor appointments are: 

  • High deductibles and out-of-pocket costs can make visiting the doctor unaffordable at times.
  • Fear of going to the doctor and receiving bad news, being uncomfortable, etc.
  • Time constraints—busy lives with family and work can make it difficult to attend your appointments.
  • And, one of the most common reasons, is not having a ride or reliable transportation. This is an especially common reason that seniors miss their medical appointments.

Drawbacks to Missing Your Doctor Appointments

Missed medical appointments cost the American healthcare system as much as 150 billion dollars each year! There are countless drawbacks to missed doctor appointments, including:

  • Fines for missed appointments—fines range depending on the total cost of the visit. In general, no show rates vary between 5% and 30% of the total visit cost. Some doctors offer 1 free ‘missed appointment.’ You can always check ahead at the time of scheduling to see if your doctor offers this, as well as how far in advance you need to cancel to avoid penalties and fines.
  • In almost all cases, your insurance provider will not cover the cost of a missed appointment.
  • Unable to diagnose and treat a disease or illness on time, leading to worsening of the issue or even fatal consequences.
  • If you miss too many appointments, there’s always the chance a doctor will no longer book appointments for you any longer.

4 Tips to Help You Never Miss Another Doctor Appointment

Book a Ride with Stellar

There’s no need to miss your next doctor appointment simply because you don’t have a ride.

Our reliable and affordable transportation services can get you anywhere you need to go, from doctor’s appointments to physical therapy, or even dialysis treatment.

Plan Rides Before Appointments

Make sure you have a ride set up before committing to a certain appointment time. You could set up an appointment and then right thereafter try and schedule a ride to that appointment. That way, if you can’t secure transportation, you can cancel the appointment and reschedule way ahead of time. Thus, avoiding fees or hassles.

Book Multiple Appointments for the Same Day

Do you visit the same general area for various medical appointments? Try and book appointments for the same day so you only must find one ride. Just make sure that you have plenty of time to get from one appointment to the next.

Carpool with Friends, Family, or Neighbors

Do you know anyone who goes to the same medical building or doctor as you? Find out when they plan to go to the doctor next. That way, you can schedule an appointment around the same time and carpool with them.

If you must miss your next doctor appointment, make sure to call and cancel ahead of time. The general window to do this to avoid paying a fee is 24 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment. Avoid making a ‘rain check’ appointment until you know for sure that you can make it on that date. You don’t want to have to call again and repeat the same process.

Make it to all Your Doctor Appointments on Time

Stellar Transportation offers top-notch non-emergency medical transportation in Melbourne, FL and beyond. We offer both local and long distance transportation, specializing in senior transportation, as well as wheelchair and stretcher patients. Contact us today to get a free quote.