Mike – After learning about Mr. Bryan’s situation, we inquired to the VAMC. Below is the Q&A.

Also, I
wanted to flag for you that the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) announced U.S. Senator
Marco Rubio (R-FL) as a finalist for the 2019 Democracy Awards. CMF recognizes our office for
excellence in the Constituent Service category, which focuses on how an office interacts with and serves
constituents, especially how it utilizes and leverages specific, methodical, and consistent processes for
achieving measurable results in constituent service. Our press release is here.

1. Regarding Special Mode Transportation (SMT), what does that mean, specifically in
Mr. Bryan’s case, i.e. he told me yesterday he wanted to be picked up at home and transported
to and from his VA appointments at the PB VAOPC and VAMC Orlando Lake Nona. Is that what
is going to happen? Is there a phone number he will need to call?

Special Mode of Transportation (SMT) is defined as a mode of transportation specially designed

to transport disabled persons. Specifically for Mr. Bryan, who has been determined to be
catastrophically disabled, this would mean that he has been approved for SMT for all VA or VA
approved appointments. SMT is coordinated by our Beneficiary Travel Section, with our
contracted vendor for SMT (OWL Transportation) and when Veterans are scheduled for
appointments it does include round trip from the departure address (usually Veterans Address)
to appointment destination and back. Mr. Bryan would be able to schedule SMT by calling our
local BT number 407-631-1130. SMT has been coordinated for his upcoming appointment on
May 23, 2019.

Regarding transportation for PB VAOPC: Not sure if you are referring to DB OPC. SMT is
applicable to all Orlando VA Healthcare facilities.

2. The main complaint, besides being told he was ineligible for SMT, is that the vet was told
that only wheelchair bound vets are eligible for SMT. Will Mr. Byran ride in a van with
wheelchair bound vets, what specifically is the SMT that he will utilize?

SMT is mainly used for Veterans who are wheelchair or stretcher bound. However, this does
not mean that a Veteran who is not on a wheelchair would not be eligible. It is ultimately a
clinical decision made by a Licensed Independent Practitioner (LIP) and based on the medical
needs and clinically documented functional abilities and limitations. When Providers are
considering Medical justification for Veterans they are prompted to respond to the following:
• Veteran can safely be transported or transfer in and out of a vehicle, taxi, bus or other
common carrier(public transportation)?
• Or Veteran does not need to be on a stretcher during transport?
• Or Veteran does not require restraints during transport?
• Or Veteran does not require direct supervision during transport?
• Or Veteran does not require acute medical care during transport?

If a Veteran meets any one of the criteria above, they qualify for SMT. In Mr. Bryan’s case it
was determined that he does meet the criteria.
Our contracted Vendor for SMT transfers one Veteran at a time. They utilize wheelchair vans
with lifts for designed for wheelchairs, however, they can transport Veterans who are not on
wheelchair (often attendants are transported with Veterans for scheduled appointments),
without any issues.

3. The reply said Mr. Bryan has been approved for SMT for a year. Is that a normal
protocol, i.e. are all vets who use SMT reevaluated for their eligibility for SMT on an annual
basis? His legal blindness doesn’t appear to be changing.

SMT approval for a year is a normal protocol. When Providers request SMT for Veterans, they
have the option of selecting various date ranges, such as: one time only, 1 month, 3 months, 6
months and 1 year. The one year option, is mainly utilized for Veterans who meet the basic
eligibility criteria and whose clinical condition is not expected to change. It is required that a
new request (BT Consult) be submitted every year.