Duet

Duet helps NEMT providers grow with easy-to-use dispatching software and services

10/11/2026

If you've ever tried to get auto insurance for your NEMT vehicles, you already know it's the hardest piece to place.

We talked to Aiden from Insurance Pros of America at NEMTAC 2026 about how they put GL, professional liability, and auto together into one policy. And yes, depending on your state, they'll look at a single-vehicle owner-operator.

Aiden was just one of the people we caught up with at NEMTAC. Watch the full video with everyone here: https://youtu.be/6hBIMaQ1oy8

10/08/2026

Ever had a rider tell you yes on the phone the night before, then not come out in the morning?

You're not alone. Plenty of offices spend an hour on confirmation calls the day before and still eat no-shows. And on broker trips, you almost never get paid for one.

We put together what actually helps: who pays when a rider misses, what a normal no-show rate looks like (it's lower than the numbers you see online), the questions worth asking on the call, and what your driver should do at the door so it counts as the rider's no-show and not yours.

Swipe through, and tell us in the comments what your office does the morning of.

Full guide: https://duetinc.com/how-to-reduce-nemt-no-shows?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nemt_no_shows

10/07/2026

Five vehicles, starting from zero tomorrow. What do you do first to get private pay trips?

That's what Josh Hagen from Careway Mobility asked James. James said he'd put a lot into digital right away: a really good website, and real effort to show up at the top of Google in your area. You do that alongside everything happening in the real world.

Then it's your team. Get good dispatchers and drivers, and give them a reason to bring in trips, so everybody in the company is selling.

And then he said the thing I think a lot of operators forget. This isn't just moving people from A to B. It's a service and care business. Build a team that actually cares, treat them right, keep the books balanced and ops tight, and he says you can grow very quickly on private pay.

Watch the clip, then the full episode with Josh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9rhPunK5aI

10/06/2026

Most people opening a NEMT business budget for the van first. It makes sense. It's the biggest single purchase.

But it's not the line that runs new owners out of cash.

Duet broke down what it really costs to open with one used wheelchair van in 2026, line by line: paperwork, the van, insurance, and the six months of bills before payments come in steadily.

The range is $23K to $51K. Slide 8 is where most first-time budgets fall apart.

Full line-by-line budget: https://duetinc.com/nemt-startup-costs

10/05/2026

How many of your riders book once and you never hear from them again?

Josh Hagen from Careway Mobility asked James how to get families booking return trips and standing orders. James said it mostly comes down to how fast you follow up.

The driver can do it right at drop-off. "Glad it went well. Any other appointments coming up?" Maybe it's the dentist next Tuesday. The driver says great, I'll let dispatch know, and dispatch calls to sort out the details.

Some services have dispatch make that call instead, right after the ride. How was the trip, would you leave a review, anything else coming up you want to book?

Either way, you're catching them while they're still happy with the ride and before they've looked at anyone else.

Watch the clip, then the full episode with Josh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9rhPunK5aI

10/02/2026

Most facility cold calls die at the front desk. Usually in the first 30 seconds.

On Ep 24 of the NEMT Growth Podcast, Josh Hagen from Careway Mobility asked James what to actually say when calling a facility for trips.

Step one: don't pitch the front desk. Ask confidently for the right person. Transportation, a social worker or case manager at a hospital, and one role most operators never think to ask for.

Step two: don't open with what you do. James's team opens with an offer to do something nice for the staff or residents. It gets past the gatekeeper because it doesn't sound like a sales call.

And by the end of the conversation, they're usually the ones asking you.

Full conversation with Josh Hagen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9rhPunK5aI

10/01/2026

Most new NEMT owners treat the paperwork as red tape to get through before their first trip. Frank Ciccarella has spent more than 45 years in passenger transportation, and today, when a rider gets hurt and a lawsuit follows, attorneys bring him in to review what the company had in writing.

We'll cover:

1) The startup paperwork, in order. What to file and when, from forming the business to Medicaid enrollment and broker credentialing, and where new applications get stuck.
2) Getting approved on the first try. What brokers and state Medicaid programs look for in a new provider, and the mistakes that send applications back.
3) The policies you need before your first trip The difference between a program, a policy, and a procedure, and which ones a one- or two-van company needs in writing on day one.
4) Driver files and training. What belongs in every driver's file, and how a small company runs real training without a full-time trainer.
5) When a passenger gets hurt. What an attorney asks to see after an incident, and what separates the companies that can defend themselves from the ones that can't.
5) Audience Q&A

09/30/2026

Anyone else tried to get dialysis work and hit the same wall? "The broker handles that."

Josh Hagen from Careway Mobility asked James about exactly this. James said most clinics really do step back from transport. But they lose money when patients miss appointments, so they're not against you.

Here's where it gets interesting. Some clinics have patients waiting two or three hours after treatment because the broker ride never showed. Clinics are often fine with you leaving flyers, so a patient stuck there can call you and pay out of pocket. And even when the broker manages the trips, riders can start asking for you by name.

Then James pointed out something about business hours that's probably costing a lot of operators the earliest runs of the day.

Watch the clip, then the full episode with Josh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9rhPunK5aI

09/29/2026

If you've been trying to get into hospital discharges and can't figure out where to start, this one's worth two minutes.

Josh Hagen from Careway Mobility asked James the fastest way a small company can land regular discharge work. James said the whole pitch comes down to one thing: you're freeing up the bed. Hospitals make serious money on every bed, and a patient who can't get home is costing them.

They'd rather insurance pay for the ride, so it helps if you take private insurance or Medicaid. But when it's you or an overnight stay, they'll pay $200 to $300 to get that patient home.

Then James talked about the run nobody else in your market wants to do, and why the hospital will happily pay for it.

Watch the clip, then the full episode with Josh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9rhPunK5aI

09/28/2026

Live this Thursday: How to Start an NEMT Business: The Paperwork That Protects You.

Frank Ciccarella (Synergize Consulting) joins James to cover startup filings, broker and Medicaid approval, day-one policies, driver files, and what an attorney asks for after an incident. Open Q&A at the end.

Thursday, October 1, 7 to 8 PM EDT.
https://luma.com/grfnpub1

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http://www.duetinc.com/

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