Florida Medical Transportation — Hospital Transfers, Patient Transport, Physician Travel

The chauffeur assists with folding and loading a personal wheelchair into the vehicle trunk or cargo area. For patients arriving at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute after a procedure, the chauffeur meets at the facility exit, loads the wheelchair, and assists the patient into the vehicle. The chauffeur is not a licensed medical aide and cannot perform medical lifts, but door-to-door physical assistance — steady arm, opening doors, managing the wheelchair between the building entrance and the vehicle — is standard on every medical transport booking.

The Executive SUV (Cadillac Escalade / Lincoln Navigator) provides the most comfortable post-surgical ride. The rear seats recline, the step-in height accommodates patients with limited mobility after knee or hip replacement, and the suspension absorbs road imperfections better than a sedan. For patients returning from Cleveland Clinic Weston after outpatient procedures, the SUV is the default recommendation. Sedan rear seats do not fully recline but offer more legroom than rideshare vehicles.

Ride records contain only the information needed for dispatch: pickup address, drop-off address, pickup time, passenger first name, and a contact phone number. No medical information, procedure type, diagnosis, or physician name appears in the booking system, the dispatch record, or the invoice. The chauffeur does not ask about the nature of the appointment. For practice-billed accounts, invoices show the practice name and a ride reference number — not the patient name — unless the practice specifically requests patient-name line items.

Yes. Medical practices, patient coordinators, and concierge medicine offices book directly by calling +1-305-555-0100 or emailing the account manager. Cleveland Clinic Weston patient coordinators and Bascom Palmer surgical scheduling teams regularly book transport for out-of-state patients arriving at MIA or FLL. The coordinator provides pickup location, time, destination, and a patient contact number. The patient receives a confirmation text with the chauffeur name and vehicle details.

The patient or the oncology practice sets up a recurring account. A standing weekly ride is entered into dispatch — for example, every Tuesday at 8:15 AM from a Coral Gables residence to Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center on NW 14th Street in Miami, with a return ride at approximately 1:00 PM. The chauffeur assignment stays consistent so the patient sees the same driver each week. If the appointment time shifts, the patient or practice calls the account manager to adjust. Billing runs monthly to the account, not per-ride to the patient.

Florida Car Service is a private car service, not a medical transport provider reimbursed by insurance. We do not bill insurance carriers directly. Some patients submit ride receipts to their insurance for out-of-network transportation reimbursement — the monthly invoice provides the documentation needed for a claim. Patients should check with their insurance carrier about non-emergency medical transportation coverage before relying on reimbursement.

Small pets in carriers are permitted in the vehicle. Patients traveling from out of state for extended treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa or Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville sometimes bring a companion animal. The pet must remain in a carrier during the ride. Service animals are always permitted without restriction. Let the booking coordinator know at the time of reservation so the chauffeur can prepare the vehicle.

Medical appointment wait times are unpredictable. On every medical transport booking, the chauffeur waits at the facility for the patient rather than departing and returning. There is no per-minute penalty for the first 30 minutes beyond the estimated pickup time. For appointments at Jackson Memorial or Tampa General Hospital where wait times can extend further, the patient texts the chauffeur with an updated estimate. Hourly charter billing applies for extended waits beyond the included buffer.

Yes. Bascom Palmer at 900 NW 17th Street in Miami is the number-one ranked ophthalmology program in the country, and many patients fly in from out of state for procedures. After cataract surgery, LASIK, retinal procedures, or glaucoma surgery, patients cannot drive. The chauffeur picks up from Bascom Palmer's patient exit on the ground floor, assists with door-to-vehicle transfer, and drives to the patient's hotel or residence. MIA to Bascom Palmer is a 10-to-15-minute ride; FLL to Bascom Palmer runs 35 to 45 minutes via I-95.

Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston sits at 2950 Cleveland Clinic Boulevard, about 20 minutes from FLL and 25 to 35 minutes from MIA depending on I-75 and I-595 traffic. Patients flying in for cardiac surgery, orthopedic procedures, or specialist consultations land at FLL or MIA and need a direct transfer to the clinic or a nearby hotel. The chauffeur drops off at the main entrance on Cleveland Clinic Boulevard. For multi-day stays, the account manager sets up daily rides between the hotel and the clinic at scheduled appointment times.

Yes. Dialysis patients typically need transport three times per week on a fixed schedule. The account manager enters standing rides — for example, Monday-Wednesday-Friday at 6:30 AM from a Hollywood residence to a DaVita or Fresenius clinic in Pembroke Pines, with return transport at approximately 11:00 AM. Same-chauffeur assignment is prioritized. Monthly billing consolidates all rides into a single invoice sent to the patient, a family member, or a designated payer.

The Executive SUV is the standard vehicle for orthopedic recovery patients. The Cadillac Escalade has a step-in height and door width that accommodates patients using a walker or crutches. The chauffeur opens the door fully, provides a steady arm, and allows the patient to enter at their own pace. For patients leaving Cleveland Clinic Weston or Baptist Hospital Kendall after joint replacement, the SUV is pre-positioned at the patient discharge entrance. A sedan is not recommended for the first two weeks post-surgery due to the lower seat height.