MTA Announces Access-ARide E-Hail Expansion

By Forum Staff

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Tuesday announced an expansion of the E-Hail pilot, tripling its participants to 3,600 paratransit customers beginning August 2023.

E-Hail is an on-demand service that offers Access-A-Ride customers the opportunity to book trips in real-time through existing taxi or for-hire vehicle service. The next phase of this program is set to run through February 2024, and could be extended through August 2024 after a six-month review. This expansion will be launched with a larger, more representative sample of Access-A-Ride customers with a $4 co-pay and has two programs: one with a greater per trip subsidy, the Distance option, and the other with a greater number of subsidized trips per month, the HighVolume option.

The distance-based program will provide up to 25 trips a month for up to $40 each and the high volume-based program will provide up to 40 trips a month for up to $25 each. Customers can travel further than their allocation of $25 or $40 and pay the balance of the trip cost.

The customer co-pay for each program is $4 and will be fully applied to the cost of the trip, allowing customers to take a $29 trip or $44 trip before paying any additional cost. E-Hail trips will be provided by Uber, Arro, Corporate Transportation Group and the Drivers Cooperative, with the potential for one or two more on-demand providers to be brought on soon.

Federal regulations allow for agencies to charge twice the fixed-route fare for paratransit services, which would mean a charge of up to $5.50 for Access-A-Ride’s traditional services of reserving a trip a day in advance. The MTA has elected to match the subway/bus fare of $2.75. E-

Hail is a premium service, much like express buses, and this expansion carries a $4 co-pay which falls below the amount that other organizations charge for their standard paratransit service. The additional 2,400 participants joining the pilot will be selected at random from AAR’s customer base based on factors such as borough, disability, and age.

The parameters set for this second phase are based on the findings from Phase 1 and structured comparably to ondemand paratransit services from agencies across the country making this a more fiscally sustainable pilot. The trip and subsidy allocations will impact a minority of Phase 1 participants, with only 14 percent of participants having taken 40 or more trips per month on average in spring 2023 and 22 percent having taken 25 trips or more.

According to MTA officials, by establishing a set number of trips per month and MTA subsidy per trip, the agency is able to expand the benefits of E-Hail to 2,400 additional customers, with an adjusted budget of $17.6 million for the E-Hail pilot, compared to the estimated $16 million allocated in the first phase. Additionally, the majority of Phase 1 participants will continue to benefit from the on-demand service with little to no modification in their travel patterns. Phase 1 participants will be assigned to a program based on their travel patterns in the first phase.

Participants in the E-Hail pilot will continue to have access to the standard AccessA-Ride service, which has no limit on travel within the AAR service area at the current transit fare of $2.75. The on-demand service is intended to serve as an additional option to traditional paratransit service, enhancing flexibility and spontaneity for customers.

PHARMACISTS & PHYSICIANS COLLABORATING FOR BETTER PATIENT CARE

It used to be a common perception among physicians and other health care professional that the role of the community pharmacist was basically limited to filling prescriptions and following their orders.

But thankfully with progression of time and the advances in technology, the role of the community pharmacist in their patients health care has escalated to a point that serves the pool of patients dependant on their medications in ways it never has before.

Today, whether it's a matter of the complex reporting of medication histories to health databases or the simple act of sending a fax, the need for pharmacies to collaborate and communicate with prescribers on many more levels than ever before has led to increased health and awareness among patients.

Common sense tells us that pharmacists are like first responders where medication is concerned. The integral role we play in today's complicated health care system is continually expanding and contributing to ensuring a standard of excellence in patient healthcare that can save more lives.

To begin with, pharmacists are well aware that we can’t always rely on patients to remember some important details or in some cases, to tell the whole truth when faced with questions about their medication adherence. Key communication with physicians and other members of a patients healthcare team is working everyday to address these critical issues.

Over 95% of community pharmacists and physicians agree that mutual cooperation among themselves is a vital tool in improving patient outcomes .

Additional areas of the benefits of healthcare professionals working together include making recommendations to modify patient's drug therapies and providing drug information to aid in the selection of medications.

Pharmacists play a key role in assisting with medication insurance claims, helping patients navigate their way through the often frustrating and confusing world of health coverage.

We also now assist in the adjustment of medication dosages, provide information about drug interactions, help patients adhere to a proper schedule of medication and the management of side effects.

Admittedly there are some concerns with barriers that exist in the expanding integration of pharmacists and physicians, such as the potential for the fragmentation of patient care, concern over liability where shared responsibility and information exists and of course the amount of time needed to invest. But none of those have put a damper on the willingness to work together to guarantee the better health of our patients. and it is obvious in the medical community that there is a widespread desire for the continuance of these relationships that clearly benefit our collective patients.

Until next week...

For your family’s prescription needs, please call CROSS BAY CHEMIST at 718-659-9500 or 718-880-1644 or