# Public Aid Pays for Taxi Rides in IL **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 8, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483 "2013-01-08T14:45:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/1 "2013-01-08T14:45:55Z")
IMHO why should IPA recipients in IL get free taxi rides for dialysis? Now other IPA recipients are up in arms wanting the same for nondialysis reasons. Where does it end with Medicaid payouts? My solution: medical transportation where many IPA patients can share a ride for a fee to and from appointments if needed. WTF, they can afford cigarettes, booze, cell phones (of not on the program that gives them away free), and rides to and from elsewhere, such as grocery stores. Not ALL recipients spend on these things, but its my observation that a fair % DO. How long before Medicare recipients get the same perks? šŸ˜• ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/2 "2013-01-08T15:39:45Z")
I donā€™t know the details, since you didnā€™t post any links, but on the face of it, Iā€™d rather pay for their taxi rides than pay for their ER visits when they canā€™t go for dialysis. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/3 "2013-01-08T15:45:30Z")
Yes. Itā€™s so much better if they canā€™t get the taxi ride and thus reduce the surplus population. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/4 "2013-01-08T16:24:21Z")
They should just stay home and practice free, safe, centuries-proven alternative medicine. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/5 "2013-01-08T16:27:41Z")
I donā€™t know about you, but Iā€™d hardly call a taxi ride a ā€œperkā€ these days. Anyway, Iā€™m sure a deal is cut with the taxi companies and the whole thing is pretty cost effective. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/6 "2013-01-08T16:42:51Z")
Agreed, please post a link. I tried Googling and only came up with this thread, an old discussion on allnurses that doesnā€™t provide a cite, and some questionable taxi driver ads that donā€™t seem to mention it once you click through. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/7 "2013-01-08T16:56:27Z")
Yeah, Iā€™m sick of all those people with major kidney failure living like kings! If only they understood what real suffering is like! ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/8 "2013-01-08T17:07:09Z")
One of the women that I work with had a son born with a congenital heart condition. It gradually worsened to the point that walking the five blocks to the bus stop was not good for him. He needed a doctorā€™s note to be able to use the service and have it covered. There were a couple of times where the standard van service wasnā€™t available and they were given vouchers for cabs. Why the hell shouldnā€™t transportation to and from doctors visits for people with certain conditions be paid for? If standard insurance would pay for it, why shouldnā€™t medicare or medicaid? From CHOP regarding transportation: > [@](#): > > Transportation Assistance in Pennsylvania > > Medicaid/PA Medical Assistance contracts with van/cab transportation companies to provide rides to and from medical appointments. They can provide door-to-door service if there is a medical reason that the child is not able to use public transportation. Medicaid is billed for the ride. > > If your child is not able to ride on regular public transportation, your physician will need to complete a form providing documentation of the childā€™s medical issues. The parent should contact the transportation company in their county, because each county program has different documentation needs. Medicaid will reimburse families for money spent on public transportation to and from medical appointments under certain circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/9 "2013-01-08T17:31:08Z")
I, too, would like to see some sort of a link before I get all stabby about the entitled and inconsiderate renal patients. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/10 "2013-01-08T17:35:55Z")
I expect the majority of patients prefer to arrange their own transportation. But people too disoriented and weakened by dialysis to drive shouldnā€™t be on the road. Medical transport cost a fortune compared to a public taxi. Iā€™m not familiar with the program in Illinois, but if it save resources and money I donā€™t see a reason to complain. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/11 "2013-01-08T17:59:43Z")
Forget about the cigarettes, booze, and cell phones. These people usually have shoes. If they can afford shoes, they can walk. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/12 "2013-01-08T18:05:03Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > Forget about the cigarettes, booze, and cell phones. These people usually have shoes. If they can afford shoes, they can walk. No way. Those streets come out of my taxes, you know! ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/13 "2013-01-08T18:40:24Z")
[Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services](http://www.hfs.illinois.gov/rdc/123003_netspap.html) Trips must be pre-approved. Use an approved transport company. Only for certain conditions:renal dialysis, behavioral health services, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and physical therapy. Provided in the least expensive mode (I assume this means they combine trips or use vans for multiple patients when appropriate) You can make standing orders for ongoing treatments (e.g. every Tuesday and Friday at 8 am) Sounds like a real money sink :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/14 "2013-01-08T18:45:43Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Anyway, Iā€™m sure a deal is cut with the taxi companies and the whole thing is pretty cost effective. Iā€™m sure that there is a deal cut. The taxi companies probably pay politicians and bureaucrats money under the table. I live in Illinois. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/15 "2013-01-08T18:52:41Z")
> [@](#): > > My solution: medical transportation where many IPA patients can share a ride for a fee to and from appointments if needed. OK. Are you willing to raise funding to make this possible? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/16 "2013-01-08T19:54:35Z")
Those conditions sound fine to me, too. I suspect itā€™s a cost-savings for the state over risking letting those conditions go untreated and the patientsā€™ conditions deteriorating and requiring even more expensive interventions. ---
**Author:** ![ExcitedIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ea5d25/32.png) [@ExcitedIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExcitedIdiot)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/17 "2013-01-09T00:27:19Z")
Massachusetts has a similar program. It is a cost saving measure. If a patient canā€™t get a ride to their psychiatric appointments, they will end up costing the state thousands of dollars for inpatient care and ambulance rides. Iā€™d imagine the same thing happens when you canā€™t get to a dialysis appointment. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/18 "2013-01-09T11:39:26Z")
If youā€™ve ever seen a person after dialysis, you donā€™t want them driving, nor do you want them on public busses passing out. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-aid-pays-for-taxi-rides-in-il/646483/19 "2013-01-09T14:51:51Z")
Itā€™s conceivable this is a cost-_saving_ measure. It may well be _cheaper_ than establishing a medical transport van service, using ambulances, increasing bus routes, and/or emergency room admissions. In a well-run state or local government, someone would have done some cost-benefit analysis on these alternatives and pitched the best choice to decision makers. Are you sure thatā€™s not the case here?