Erath County OKs $3,000 pilot for nonemergency medical rides with Cruising Care LLC

Erath County Commissioners Court approved a not-to-exceed $3,000 agreement with Cruising Care LLC for nonemergency medical transportation on Monday and directed staff to track use through trip logs and signed vouchers.

The county plans to fund the pilot from its medical-transport budget line. County financial reporting showed a $50,000 annual allocation for medical transport; $21,000 had been used through the reporting period, leaving $28,936.40 available in the line item, county staff said.

Foley, the presenter, told the court the service would be limited to patients already established in the provider’s CRP caseload and that the county would require documentation for each trip. “This medical non emergent transportation, when it's needed and used, will only be utilized for patients that are currently already established within CRP,” Foley said. Foley proposed a monthly trip log, a voucher signed by the provider and the patient, and monthly reporting to the county.

Commissioner Stevens moved to approve an agreement with Cruising Care LLC and to allocate a not-to-exceed amount of $3,000 from the county’s medical-transport line; Commissioner Buck seconded. The court approved the motion with no recorded opposition. County staff said they will create a discrete line item in the medical-transport account for tracking and will report back at the end of March on usage.

Discussion in the meeting emphasized checks and balances and a pilot approach: commissioners asked to set aside a modest initial amount ($2,000–$3,000 was discussed) to gauge demand and tracking procedures. The county will use monthly trip logs and signed vouchers to document each trip and will return with usage data for further decisions.