Medical transportation for post-stroke and rehabilitation patients on Long Island

Transportation after a stroke or injury

The weeks and months following a stroke, TIA, or significant orthopedic injury involve intensive outpatient rehabilitation — physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and follow-up neurology or orthopedic appointments. This is exactly when transportation becomes the most difficult and the most important.

Here's why standard rideshare is not appropriate for most post-stroke and rehab patients:

• Mobility changes are unpredictable. A stroke survivor who is working on gait with a physical therapist may move slowly, have asymmetric strength, or use a cane or walker. Some days are better than others. A rideshare driver who doesn't expect this — and who has an incentive to complete trips quickly — is not the right solution.
• Getting in and out of a car requires assistance. Post-stroke and post-orthopedic patients frequently need hands-on assistance lowering into the seat and rising out of it. Rideshare drivers provide none of this. DachiPlus drivers are trained in safe patient assist techniques for exactly these transitions.
• Missing PT appointments delays recovery. Physical therapy gains are cumulative and time-sensitive. Skipping a session because a driver didn't show up isn't just an inconvenience — it slows the restoration of function. For post-stroke recovery, which has a critical window in the first 3–6 months, missed appointments matter.
• Folding wheelchairs and mobility aids need to be handled. If a patient is using a folding manual wheelchair (and can transfer to the vehicle seat), the driver needs to fold and store it safely. This isn't complicated, but it requires someone who knows how to do it correctly.

What DachiPlus provides for rehab patients

Our rehabilitation transportation is structured around what PT and OT patients actually need during their recovery:

• Recurring schedule coordination. If your physical therapist has you coming in Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10 AM for six weeks, we set that up as a recurring schedule — not a series of one-off bookings.
• Patience with movement. Drivers working with rehab patients are briefed on the passenger's situation. We don't rush. If getting to the door takes longer than expected, or if the passenger needs a moment before getting in the vehicle, we wait.
• Folding wheelchair handling. For patients using a folding manual wheelchair who can transfer to the vehicle seat, drivers fold and store the chair and retrieve it at the destination. No passenger needs to manage this themselves.
• Help with doors and transitions. At pickup, the driver comes to the door and helps the passenger to the vehicle. At the facility, the driver walks them to the entrance before leaving. On the return, they meet at the exit.
• Same-driver continuity when possible. For multi-week rehabilitation schedules, we aim to assign consistent drivers. A familiar driver who knows your pace, your needs, and your facility reduces friction on every trip.

Recurring physical therapy transportation

Physical therapy and occupational therapy following a stroke, hip replacement, knee surgery, or traumatic injury typically runs 2–3 times per week for 6–12 weeks or longer. That's a lot of trips — and the scheduling discipline to show up consistently is a significant part of the recovery outcome.

DachiPlus handles recurring PT schedules in two ways depending on your payment method:

• Medicaid standing orders: If you're covered by Medicaid, we work with MAS to establish a standing order for your PT transportation. This means your trips are pre-authorized for the duration of your treatment protocol, and you don't need to call before every session. Your prescribing physician or PT clinic can help document the medical necessity for the standing order.
• Direct scheduling for private pay and insurance: Call us at (516) 754-7777 with your PT schedule, and we build the recurring route. We send you confirmation for the full schedule, not just the first trip.

Medicaid coverage for rehabilitation transportation

New York Medicaid covers transportation to physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy appointments — these are classified as Medicaid-covered medical services, not elective procedures. This means the same MAS process that applies to dialysis or specialist appointments applies to your rehab transportation.

To book Medicaid-covered PT transportation:

1. Call MAS at 1-844-666-6270 at least 72 hours before your first appointment.
2. Tell MAS you need transportation to physical therapy (or occupational therapy), provide the facility name and address, and describe your mobility needs (walker, cane, folding wheelchair).
3. Request DachiPlus as your provider.
4. Ask MAS about setting up a standing order if your PT protocol is recurring — your PT clinic or physician's office can help document the authorization.

If you're newly discharged from a skilled nursing facility or hospital and transitioning to outpatient PT, your discharge case manager can help initiate the MAS standing order before you leave the facility. See our MAS guide for the complete process.

Workers' compensation and no-fault auto transportation

Many rehabilitation patients on Long Island are injured workers or motor vehicle accident victims — not Medicaid members. DachiPlus provides direct billing to:

• New York Workers' Compensation. If your injury occurred at work and your employer's workers' comp carrier is managing your claim, transportation to and from covered medical appointments — including physical therapy — is typically a reimbursable expense. DachiPlus bills the workers' comp carrier directly; you do not pay out of pocket and seek reimbursement yourself.
• New York No-Fault Auto Insurance. Under New York's no-fault law, your auto insurer covers reasonable medical transportation expenses following a motor vehicle accident, regardless of fault. DachiPlus bills no-fault carriers directly for qualifying transportation.

To set up workers' comp or no-fault billing, call us at (516) 754-7777 and have your claim number, adjuster name and contact information, and the insurer's billing address available. We handle the billing from there. See our detailed guides on workers' compensation transportation and no-fault auto transportation.

Coordination with rehabilitation centers and hospitals

Post-stroke and post-injury patients frequently transition through multiple levels of care — acute hospital stay, skilled nursing facility (SNF), inpatient rehabilitation, and then outpatient PT or OT. DachiPlus can transport patients at any point along this continuum:

• SNF discharge to home. When a patient is discharged from a skilled nursing facility, DachiPlus provides the transport home — and can be arranged in advance by the SNF's discharge planning team. Drivers are briefed on the patient's mobility status and any equipment needs.
• Inpatient rehab discharge to outpatient PT. The transition from inpatient rehabilitation to outpatient physical therapy is a critical juncture — patients who miss early outpatient PT appointments after discharge tend to have worse long-term outcomes. We can be ready to transport on day one of outpatient care.
• Ongoing outpatient PT and OT. For the weeks or months of outpatient rehabilitation that follow discharge, we provide the recurring transportation schedule described above.

Rehabilitation centers and hospital discharge planners who work regularly with DachiPlus can contact us at (516) 754-7777 to establish a referral relationship.