Do you want to start a non-emergency medical transport business in California? If YES, here is how to easily get a non-emergency medical transport license.
If you are looking towards starting a non-emergency medical transport business in California or in any state in the United States of America, you will be required to get a license before you can be permitted to legally run the business.
In California and in other parts of the United States, the Non – Emergency Medical Transport Industry is indeed a highly regulated industry and you may want to know more about the industry before starting your business.
Starting the Process of Obtaining a Non – Emergency Medical Transportation License in California
In order to start the process of obtaining a non – emergency medical transportation license, you are expected to register the business with the State of California and then present the basic requirements as stated in your local government.
Please be informed that if you are interested in starting a non – emergency medical transportation business, it is not compulsory that you have an entire fleet of vehicles to start the business.
If you are diligent and you are serious with your non – emergency medical transportation business, you can start with just one vehicle in a small town and then grow to become a national brand.
Requirements and Steps to Follow
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Step One
The first step that is expected of you is to incorporate your non – emergency medical transportation business in the state of California. You can choose to register the business as a partnership, a corporation or a Limited Liability Company.
The bottom line is that a non-emergency medical transport company is required by the law to incorporate as one of these corporate structures in order to be qualified to apply for county licensing.
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Step Two
The next step is to ensure that you are ready for inspection by the regulating authority when they come knocking. Part of what you need to do in order to be ready is to ensure that you purchase one or more medical transport vehicles that you intend using for your business.
Your ambulette vehicles should be very clean and must have smooth (dent-free) surfaces, it must have good working doors and latches, and it must be able to easily transport a stretcher or wheelchair when the need arises.
So also, it is mandatory that you always have extra-clean linens for bedding because you would need them from time to time. Please note that in California, non-emergency medical transport vehicles are not required to include emergency medical equipment on board, because the California state code states that ambulettes are not required to provide emergency equipment or services.
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Step Three
Another requirement is that you are expected to apply and obtain insurance for your ambulette vehicle operators. This is compulsory because the state of California regulations mandate that ambulette operators must possess both comprehensive general liability and comprehensive auto liability with a combined single limit of $1,000,000 per incident.
Insurance deductibles must be at most $5,000; greater deductibles may be allowable if the county’s risk manager grants permission.
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Step Four
The next step you are expected to follow is to submit your application for an ambulette operator license for each employee who will operate the vehicles for your company.
Please note that in the state of California, an ambulette operator applications must include an applicant’s financial status, geographical area where the operator will work, the amount of insurance liability the operator possesses as well as the age, condition and capacity of each vehicle which the operator may operate.
In general, all applicants must be found to be financially responsible and to be in compliance with all California state ambulette provisions before a license will be issued.
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Step Five
The next step you are expected to follow in the bid to secure your non – emergency medical transportation license is to submit your application to your county’s emergency medical services agency.
Please note that your application must include all applicable profit-and-loss statements, a detailed description of the geographical area within which the ambulette service will do business, a schedule of rates to be charged, insurance and liability coverage as well as a description of business facilities and vehicles. As of 2011, California licensing fees for non-emergency transport services were $361.72 per ambulette.
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Step Six
Once you meet the basic requirements, you will be issued vehicle seals and it is mandatory that you apply all vehicle seals issued by your county’s department of emergency medical services to your company’s ambulettes.
Please note that according to California state regulations, vehicle seals must be displayed continuously on the left rear portion of all ambulettes.
Basic Requirements for Getting a Non-emergency Medical Transportation License
Please be informed that almost all the counties in California have a similar process for applying for state licensure for non-emergency medical transportation license, and these are some of the basic requirements;
- You are expected to apply for federal background checks. They may apply through the state bureau of investigation or a local police department. Results are to be sent directly to the licensing agency.
- Achieve minimum licensure requirements
- Achieve required education/experience for licensure
- Complete fingerprinting process for background investigation
- Complete license application and provide necessary documentation
- Pass state examination
- Maintain state licensure through continuing education and license renewal
- Applicants also need three reference letters; they are to affirm moral character.
There you have it, all you need to know and how to go about applying and getting a non – emergency medical transportation license in California.
Goodluck to you as you go about securing your license and kick – starting your non – emergency medical transportation business.