In Saratoga
County
I am not naïve. I understand that with most everything in
our culture there is always some kind of politics involved. The politics
involved are frustrating enough but when individuals call MAS and request the
cab company they would like to have them picked up they are told they are not
allowed to choose the cab company of their choice; which would be fine if that
were factually correct but it isn’t.
And this is where the real games begin.
First of all, the Medical Answering Service isn’t based out
of Saratoga County
which it should be but it is outsourced to a place in Syracuse which is part of the problem. The
number to MAS is 1-800-850-5340.
Each municipality should have their own medical answering
service so the examples of incompetence I am about to give you and the waste of
taxpayer dollars is minimized.
Disclaimer: The examples are actual case scenarios.
Example one: One male living in our area needed surgery and
needed to go to a hospital in NYC and he ordered a cab through medical
answering service. Shortly before his scheduled surgery in NYC, MAS informed
him that he couldn’t take a cab to NYC ostensibly because it was a burden on taxpayers
and was redirected to AMTRAK. His surgery was scheduled for 10:30am. The only
morning train that leaves from Saratoga Springs Amtrak is the 9:30am and it
never arrives in Saratoga
until at least 10:15am. It takes over three hours by train from Saratoga to NYC.
Needless to say he missed his appointment in NYC and was
subjected to taking the train down anyway and forced to spend the entire day
there and came back later that evening on the AMTRAK. It doesn’t make sense.
There were individuals who called on this mans behalf and
tried to explain to MAS that he was going to miss his appointment if he took
the train but they didn’t care. This case is not an anomaly. This is the
everyday stuff.
Another issue is that when you call MAS and request a specific
cab company, they tell people they can’t do that and say that they must have
what they are calling ‘group ride’ but when ask to define what a ‘group ride’
is they tell the caller something that is not factually correct. They wrongly
tell people that they must share a ride with others on Medicaid that are going
to the same place like Albany Med. for example. Not true. Medicaid passengers
are not required to share a cab with anyone. Sometimes MAS will tell someone
who requests a particular cab company that the requested company isn’t on their
list which isn’t true. Most if not all cab companies take Medicaid calls. Why?
Because that is where the money is. There is a substantial amount of money to
be made on these Medicaid calls which is why every cab company would like their
fair share of the calls.
What ends up happening is that these calls are redirected to
primarily two local cab companies in Saratoga .
One is Saratoga Taxi and the other is Capitaland. What is worse is that many
passengers have specifically told MAS that they do want to ride with these
companies and they are told that they do not have a choice. Again, these people
are being lied to.
Another game that MAS plays with some of the other cab
companies is this example:
MAS will call an alternative cab company and ask the owner
if they will pick up a passenger in North Creek? The owner then asks if the
passenger is going to Saratoga
and is told no. They are going only one mile to another place in North Creek.
The cab owner says no because why would the cab owner send a driver forty-five
miles each way to only drive someone one mile? They wouldn’t as it’s a waste of
time and money and benefits no one. Then MAS uses this against cab companies
for ‘refusing a call’ and that cab company is bumped to the bottom of their
list.
See how this game is played?
The system is broken and is in need of fixing and in the
meantime our tax money is being wasted. Where
are our elected officials on this issue?
I am wondering if anyone has called mr. hellwig at the county, and asked him how much of our taxpayer monies were spent to renovate the Topper Pontiac building? Excuse me, I mean Frank Parillo's cash cow on South Broadway.
ReplyDeleteAnd, while you are at it, assuming anyone is interested, how much money is the county paying mr. parillo, PER MONTH, for the next TWENTY YEARS to lease that property that WE THE TAXPAYERS paid to renovate.
Not only renovate, but landscape, install a new paved parking lot, complete with striping, and all the bells and whistles.
So, as the mental patients are transported by cab to this facility, free of charge, and smoke their last puff of their food stamp cigarette, just give each one of them a gentle wave from your car as you pass by.
You paid for the privilege.
The writing style is Citizen Nancy. Have you defected Captain America?
ReplyDeleteNot at all, still here.
DeleteI would assume this his a plug for your comrade Eddie Miller's cab company.Very poorly written.
ReplyDeleteSorry Pudniski but Eddie Miller is no comrade of mine.
DeleteYour grammar is no picnic to read anon. 6:43 a.m.
ReplyDeletejune 21, 5:45
ReplyDeletequestion still not answered.
No takers?
C'mon, what did it cost the taxpayers to remodel Topper Pontiac.
You can find that out through County records. When you find out let us know. You have to broaden your horizon, many Counties build offices or facilities like the new one on S. Broadway without owning the property, you have to get out of Saratoga a little and see the world.
Delete