FNHA Medical Transportation Bulletin
June 2024

Welcome! Wytkp! Gilakas’la! Shhweenustham!

We hope you enjoyed the May issue of the Journeys bulletin. Thank you for your readership as we strive to provide helpful content and updates for your community's Medical Transportation (MT) program. The First Nations Health Benefits and Services (FNHBS) team appreciates your partnership in delivering and transforming the MT Benefit.

Watch our YouTube video here to learn more about the MT Transformation Journey.

Kucén: transforming MT benefit administration

Patient Travel (PT) clerks can now experience enhanced benefit administration with Kucén (pronounced koo-hen), meaning "to wander/travel far away/abroad" in Secwepemctsin. Kucén marks a significant advancement in streamlining processes for a simple, user-friendly MT administration system.

To minimize the impact of onboarding, the MT Project Team has established a three-step streamlined process with full support throughout:

If your Community is interested in adopting the new system, please participate in our Kucén survey or contact us at mtproject@fnha.ca.

Recent Kucén updates:

The MT Project Team is actively gathering feedback from existing users to enhance the overall Kucén experience. The team has recently introduced two highly requested features aimed at making the daily tasks of PT clerks easier.

• PT Clerks can now automatically generate an email for Clients containing the trip status, an itinerary, and all necessary trip documentation, eliminating the need to compile travel information manually.
• Exceptions can now be electronically submitted to MT Operations within Kucén. This submission can include all required information and documentation, eliminating the need to complete a form and send it via email/fax.

Upcoming changes:

A new feature coming soon is the introduction of information pop-ups throughout Kucén to help or remind PT Clerks of relevant policies or information when arranging a trip. These navigation supports will appear in several places across the application, answering many frequently asked questions.

Navigating wildfires

With the summer season approaching, it is crucial to prepare for the challenges caused by wildfires and their potential impact on travel routes.

Wildfires can disrupt travel routes and cause delays, so proactive measures are essential to minimize disruptions. Here are some resources that can help you navigate these difficult situations:

• British Columbia Wildfires Map: Stay updated on active wildfires, at-risk areas, and road closures. Visit the Wildfire Map of BC for real-time updates.
• DriveBC: Stay informed about BC's road conditions, closures, and traffic delays. Drivebc.ca will help you plan alternative routes and minimize travel disruptions.
• Google Maps: Get live updates on road closures, traffic delays, and wildfire boundaries. Check Google Maps for the latest information.

We recognize that these circumstances can be challenging, our team is here to support you throughout the process. If you have any questions or require further assistance, please contact MT Operations at 1-855-550-5454.

Summer accommodation rates

With the high season underway, hotel prices are increasing across the province, particularly in Vancouver. When making a reservation, always inquire about a hotel's medical rate, however, some hotels do not offer these discounted rates during the busy summer months.

The table below serves as a reference to support accommodation planning. It outlines reasonable rates for each season. It is intended to act as a guide, keeping in mind that hotel prices can vary based on availability, location, and specific room requirements (e.g. wheelchair accessibility). If you are having difficulty finding a room at the rates listed below, consider exploring options outside the city center or contact MT Operations at 1-855-550-5454 for suggestions on where to book.

Changes to Mental Health travel

As a reminder, there were changes to the FNHA Mental Health Benefit that took effect on April 15, 2024. Going forward, FNHBS will serve Clients under one Mental Wellness and Counselling program. As a result, PT Clerks in community may notice an increase in the number of travel requests related to mental health. Please refer to Section 5 of your MT Administrator Guide for a detailed guide on assessing travel requests.

Please visit the news post or the Mental Wellness and Counselling Frequently Asked Questions for further details on the above policy changes.

April 1, 2024 MT Benefit Enhancements

Thanks to the ongoing community engagement supported by the MT Transformation Project, we've gained invaluable insights into Clients' needs related to Medical Travel. In response, FNHBS introduced significant changes to MT benefits on April 1, 2024, including:

• Enhanced escort coverage;
• Increase in private accommodation coverage;
• Introduction of hospital parking supports; and
• Updates to mileage rates.

Please visit our news post here for further details on the above policy changes We encourage you to share the news post with all community members to ensure they are informed about the recent updates to MT benefit coverage!

The MT Administrator Guide

We have renamed the MT User Guide to the MT Administrator Guide, which now incorporates all the latest updates to MT Benefits, including changes to mental health travel. For an updated copy, please reach out to MT Operations at transportation@fnha.ca or call 1-855-550-5454.

MT training for PT clerks

The MT Operations team hosts regular training sessions throughout the year. If you or any member of your community would like to attend an MT training session, please contact transportation@fnha.ca to sign up. One of our team members will be in touch about training dates and next steps.

Thank you