Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP)

724-375-2895 or 1-800-262-0343

MATP provides free non-emergency medical transportation to residents of Beaver County who hold a valid Pennsylvania Medical Assistance (MA) card.  In Beaver County, the Beaver County Transit Authority administers the MATP Program.

This special program offers transportation or mileage reimbursement to help clients access medical care or other services from Medical Assistance providers.  We are required to provide you with the least-costly, most appropriate transportation service available that will meet your needs.

What Transportation is Available

Depending on your origin and destination, your specific needs, and the costs involved, we can provide transportation in one of the following ways:

  • Public fixed route bus
  • Shared-ride, lift-equipped vehicles
  • Mileage reimbursement

Depending on need, service may be provided into adjacent counties.

We will arrange for the least costly, most appropriate way to get you to and from your appointment.

Visitation

Parents or Legal guardians can be transported for child visitation to an inpatient program.

Closest Medical Provider

Under the MA fee-for-service system, we will arrange or provide transportation to the medical provider closest to your home, who can meet your medical needs.  You can be transported to a more distant provider only if the authorizing physician who substantiates the need provides medical verification.  Verbal and/or written verification may be required.

Under the MA managed care system, we will arrange or provide transportation to any provider in this Managed Care Organization (MCO) region.  We will only transport you to providers in your MCO network, or to providers who are out-of-network but to whom your MCO has referred you.

The MATP County Office shall transport MA eligible recipients to a qualified MA-enrolled provider of the receipt’s choice, with the following exceptions:

Pharmacy providers- Transportation to a pharmacy provider shall only be provided to a choice of two pharmacies closest to the recipient’s residence or two pharmacies closest to the recipients prescribing physician’s office.

Methadone Treatment

Transportation to methadone treatment shall only be provided up to the closest in-network methadone treatment program to the recipient’s residence unless the recipient is granted an exception.

Urgent Care

Urgent care is defined as any illness or severe condition which under reasonable standards of medical practice would be diagnosed and treated within a 24-hour period and if left untreated, could rapidly become a crisis or emergency situation.  Urgent care transportation requests include a call from the consumer’s medical provider to come to the office, or to obtain other medical treatment or service that same day or within a 24-hour period.

Is your trip eligible?

MATP services can be used for medical appointments or most other services paid for by Medical Assistance.  These other medical services include therapies, tests, dental visits, trips to the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions, mental health treatment, drug and alcohol addiction treatment, and trips to medical equipment suppliers.

A client cannot use MATP:

  • For emergency or ambulance transportation
  • For non-medical trips such as shopping and social activities
  • To obtain medical care that is not covered by Medical Assistance

Who is eligible for MATP?

Beaver County residents holding a valid Pennsylvania Medical Assistance (MA) card may be eligible for MATP services.

The first step is to determine a client’s eligibility by calling the Medical Assistance Department at BCTA at 724-375-2895, between the hours of 1:00pm to 3:00pm, Monday through Friday, to complete a telephone interview.  Following the telephone interview, the Medical Assistance Clerk will determine eligibility, complete the Eligibility Form, and mail it to the client for the client’s signature.  This Eligibility Form must be returned by the client within 30 days in order to begin the client’s participation in the Medical Assistance Transportation Program.

The Eligibility Form is available below if a client would like to fill out this form in advance, to aid in the telephone interview process.

Click here to download and print an MATP Eligibility Form

Contacting the MATP office

If you have a car available, or if you know someone who can transport you to your appointment, we will provide mileage reimbursement.  The reimbursement rate is subject to change; please ask the MATP office for the current rate.  Mileage is calculated using the shortest distance between points as shown on MapQuest.  We will also reimburse you for parking charges and tolls incurred in travel to and from your appointment.

If you would like to claim mileage reimbursement for a MATP-eligible trip, you must notify the MATP office at least one week before your appointment, so that we can send you verification forms to be completed by the physician.  If this form is not completely filled out by your physician, you will not be reimbursed.  You can turn in the form right away or before the end of the month.  All reimbursement requests received by the 1st of the month will be processed by the 15th of the same month.

You may reach the MATP office at:

Beaver County Transit Authority
Attn:  MATP Department
131 Pleasant Drive
Aliquippa, PA 15001

Phone:  724-375-2895 or 1-800-262-0343

Fax: 724-512-2035

Our office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:00am until 5:00pm. 

If you call after hours, on weekends, or on designated holidays, you will be able to leave a message on the answering machine, which is available 24 hours a day.  Someone from the MATP office will return your call the next business day.  We would recommend that you do not leave appointment information on the answering machine.  Our outgoing message will advise you on the procedures to follow if you need urgent care transportation and where to call for emergency transportation.

You must contact the MATP office immediately for any of the following reasons:

  • You have moved or changed your mailing address
  • You have a new or different telephone number
  • You have new or different information regarding your Medical Assistance (MA) card
  • Your eligibility for Medical Assistance (MA) status has changed

Telephone, fax, and postal mail are the only ways to contact the MATP Department Staff.

Escort policy

When using MATP services, escorts are permitted at no cost to you under the following circumstances:

  • If you are under 18 years of age, a parent or guardian may escort you.  Children under 14 years of age must be escorted.
  • If you cannot travel independently, or if you need assistance (this must be verified by an escort certification form).  Click here to download and print an MATP Eligibility Form
  • If you do not speak English, you may bring along an escort as an interpreter.

Physician Certification

Your doctor must complete a physician certification if special transportation needs must be met.

Please call the MATP office at 724-375-2895 to begin this process.

Fixed Route Ticket Reimbursement

If your permanent residence and your appointment are both serviced by BCTA’s Fixed Route, you are eligible for BCTA’s Ticket Reimbursement program.  Travel by bus to your appointment and have your medical provider complete your Physician Verification form.  You may then present your form in person or mail your form to BCTA’s Rochester Transportation Center.  BCTA will then reimburse you with tickets for the travel expenses that you have already incurred, after we verify your appointment and MATP eligibility.

Scheduling Shared Ride Trips (DART and Subcontractors)

You can schedule transportation to and from an appointment from a week in advance up until 2 days before your appointment by calling the MATP office.  We encourage you to schedule your trip as soon as possible to be sure that we can accommodate you.  After scheduling a trip, you must call the MATP office back in several days to receive your pick up time.

You must be ready to board the vehicle upon its arrival.  On the day of your appointment, the vehicle will arrive within 15 minutes before or after your given pick up time.  Once the vehicle arrives, it will wait up to 2 minutes for you to board.  Failure to board during that time period will result in the assessment of a “no show.”

The standard method for shared ride service delivery is “curb-to-curb.”  “Door-to-door” service is only available when compelling circumstances dictate.  Be prepared to share the vehicle with other passengers—no exclusive rides are provided.

Canceling Shared Ride Trips

If you determine that you do not need transportation that has already been scheduled with the MATP office, you must call and cancel the trip.

To cancel a scheduled trip you must contact the MATP office by 12 noon the working day before your scheduled trip.  Failure to properly cancel a trip will result in a “no show.”  Excessive “no shows” can result in suspension from the MATP program.

“No Shows” for Shared Ride Trips

A “no show” is defined as any scheduled trip that is not taken or not cancelled within the required time frame.

A passenger is considered a no-show in the following situations:

  • The passenger does not call their transportation provider at least 24 hours prior to their pick-up time to cancel their ride.
  • The passenger is not present at the designated pick-up site when the driver arrives.

A passenger that accumulates two (2) no-shows within a ninety (90) day period is required to call in the day before their next trip or the trip will be automatically cancelled. To keep the reservation for the next days trip call 724-375-2895 and press 2 (the cancellation line) to confirm your appointment.  This will continue for a 30 day period.

Sanction Policy

Actions that will lead to suspension and/or termination of services include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Excessive “no shows”
  • Use of obscene or vulgar language
  • Uncooperative behavior
  • Smoking or drinking on board the vehicle
  • Any dangerous or unlawful actions
  • Any transfer or misuse of MATP trip tickets

What Are Your Rights?

We are required to provide you with a written notice if we deny your request for MATP transportation or for mileage reimbursement.  We are also required to give you notice in advance if we plan to change your service or suspend you from service.  The notice will provide the reasons for our action, when the action will go into effect, and your rights of appeal.  You have a right to appeal any suspension.  MATP clients will have 30 days to complete the MATP appeal form.

Procedure for Mileage Reimbursement

Multiple Reimbursements

The Department will not fund multiple reimbursements for recipients traveling together in one privately-owned vehicle. The Medical Assistance Transportation Program is a shared-ride program. If more than one individual is in a vehicle going to covered services, the reimbursement is the same as if only one individual was receiving service.

Click here to download and print an MATP Mileage Reimbursement Form

I Have A Complaint – What Is the Process?

Contact the MATP office within 5 days of any incident to register a complaint.  We will record your complaint in writing, investigate the circumstances, and respond to you within 5 business days, if it is requested and the complaint is found valid.

Fraud

All suspected cases of fraud are documented and forwarded to the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare for investigation and action.

Other MATP Resources

If we are for some reason unable to meet your medical transportation needs, you will be referred to your local County Assistance Office (CAO).