Frequently Asked Questions

Browse answers to our most commonly asked questions.

How do I get in touch with you?

Follow the Transportation prompt at 1-800-542-8227.

Our office locations are:

• 97 Water Street, Waterville, ME 04901 859-1564
• 225 Western Avenue, Augusta, ME 04330 622-4761
• 28 Research Drive, Skowhegan, ME 04976 474-8487

For MaineCare covered trips, contact Penquis Brokerage at 1-844-736-7847. Effective August 1, 2014 Penquis will be the broker assigned to process MaineCare covered trips for Kennebec and Somerset County residents.

What are your hours?

Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. We are closed on the following State of Maine recognized holidays:

How do I cancel a previously scheduled ride?

A direct line is available following the Transportation prompt at 1-800-542-8227 if you need to cancel a ride. This line is only to be used for same-day and weekend cancellations.

Why do you have a deadline of two full business days?

Each and every day we arrange over 1,000 trips. The two full business day deadline allows us to review all trip requests, locate and assign drivers, get the information to a driver and enter trip assignments into our computer system. We do try to accommodate late requests whenever possible, but can’t guarantee that a driver will be available.

How do I know when you are going to cancel transportation due to bad weather?

If schools appear to be closing due to inclement weather, we often will cancel all transportation to ensure the safety of our passengers. We announce this on WLBZ and WABI television stations, as well as all local radio stations, at the same time school closings are being announced. We will also post a notice on our website. When KVCAP cancels transportation, dialysis appointments are the only exceptions and will still be done.

Why are we told we can’t eat or drink in your vehicles?

We ask our passengers not to eat or drink in our vehicles for several reasons. The most important is passenger safety. If the vehicle needs to stop quickly while a passenger is eating or drinking, the passenger may choke on the food or beverage. Another reason is cleanliness. Food often gets dropped onto the seats that other passengers will be sitting on. Spilled soft drinks are sticky, difficult to clean, and can stain other people’s clothes. Spilled coffee can pose burn hazards. Also, consuming drinks while riding often makes the need to use a bathroom more urgent and we do not make stops at public restrooms. This is an especially difficult problem when we are transporting children long distances without a parent or guardian present.

Why do you pick me up so far ahead of my appointment?

We try to pick up as many passengers as possible with one vehicle within a one-hour time frame. This helps to ensure that everyone who needs a ride gets a ride. We also have peak time periods when lots of people need to get to their appointments around the same time. Because of this, some riders may get picked up perhaps an hour plus travel time before their appointment. Normally we ask customers to be ready at least one-half hour plus travel time before their appointment. It is always best to be ready early for your ride.

Why won’t your drivers wait longer when I’m not ready to go? It’s not always possible for me to know exactly when to have myself or my child ready to go out the door.

We have hundreds of people who need rides each day and very often your driver will need to pick up other people after they have picked you up. The drivers’ schedules are built around appointment times and our dispatchers try to allow a 3-5 minute wait time when picking up passengers. If the drivers are required to wait too long for you, it makes other people late for their appointments.

I forgot to give you my new address when I called in my appointment. Why can’t I be picked up at this new address today?

In rare circumstances this might be possible, but generally our drivers are scheduled to pick up other people in the area of your old address, and do not have time to drive the additional distance with such short notice.

Why do I have to give you a return pick up time? I don’t always know and could call you when I am ready.

Because of the large volume of trips we do each day, it is impossible for us to have drivers available to go wherever, whenever each person is ready to be picked up. The most efficient way for us to schedule rides for everyone is to establish a pick up time in advance, and then work around those appointments that run over the planned time. It is easier to work with a few each day that run late than to make all trips on a will-call basis. For safety reasons, not all of our drivers are accessible at all times by cell phone, again reducing our ability to respond “on demand”.

Why do you limit the number of people I can bring with me when I have an appointment? Sometimes I don’t have a babysitter or I want a relative to go with me.

We try to accommodate those times when childcare or a disability is an issue, but as a rule, we ask that only the person who needs the ride be in the vehicle. This allows us to meet all of the trip requests by scheduling more than one rider to a vehicle at a time. The more “tag-along” riders we allow, the fewer seats are available for those people who have scheduled appointments. Those riders who have a specific need for an attendant are allowed to request a seat for that person, but we need to know that in advance. We always encourage one parent to accompany a child to an appointment whenever possible.

Why do I have to share rides with other people?

We generally have 18 agency vehicles and over 100 volunteers on the road on any given day. We may have 1,000+ trips scheduled that will require transportation by one of our agency vehicles or volunteers. In order to ensure the most efficient transportation, and that everyone who needs a ride gets one, we must schedule more than one rider to a vehicle whenever possible.

Why can’t I select the driver I want?

Our practice is to accommodate a rider’s request not to go with a certain driver, but we cannot allow riders to request only certain drivers. Our schedules are built each day to be as efficient as possible and no two days are alike. We may need a driver starting from a different location to pick you up on route. It would be inefficient to bring a different driver to your location because of personal preference. We also cannot guarantee that a specific driver will be available on any given day. If you are having problems with a specific driver, please call our office and speak with a supervisor.

What is this “nearest provider” rule I keep hearing about?

If you are on MaineCare, are going to a MaineCare covered service, and use KVCAP for your transportation, we must follow MaineCares policies and regulations. MaineCare allows people to select their medical provider, but will only assist with transportation to the nearest provider accepting MaineCare. You can request that MaineCare approve your going to a provider outside the catchment area.

The Department of Health & Human Services is paying for my case-managed transportation. Why can’t I call and arrange my own trips?

Our contract with the Department of Human Services specifically states that all trip referrals must come from the caseworker or an assigned case manager and that the referral must be in writing. We have to abide by the rules of our contracts.

I do my own transportation and am reimbursed. Why do you sometimes send my paperwork back indicating something is missing?

We return paperwork when beginning and ending odometer readings are missing, when information specific to the appointment is missing, or the signed verification of the appointment is missing. We are required to keep this information on file, and when it is not there, we will return the documents for corrections. MaineCare requires that we have advanced notice of each medical appointment, even if you are doing your own transportation. Please be sure you call our office before leaving for your appointment.

Why do you say yes to some trips and no to others?

Each funding source we rely on to cover the cost of your transportation has different rules and regulations that we must follow. We need to evaluate each request for transportation separately to determine if the request can be met. For example: routine dental work is covered for eligible children, but is not covered for adults except in certain instances. Mental health counseling through a mental health facility would be covered, but counseling with an LCSW who is not affiliated with a mental health facility, or whose work is not supervised by a doctor, may not be covered except in circumstances involving children. There are a number of different conditions that we must consider before providing the ride. There are private pay arrangements that can be made if a funding source won’t pay for the trip.