As described in the final report, the transportation voucher pilot program was deployed in five counties (Jasper, Newton, San Augustine, Sabine and Tyler) within the Deep East Texas Council of Governments (DETCOG) service region.  It was developed to provide transportation to individuals 60 years of age and older to access grocery stores, appointments not covered by Medicaid, personal care appointments, and other approved trips that contributed to participants’ quality of life. Researchers worked with DETCOG to develop: 1) policies and procedures, 2) provider training, and 3) rider training for the transportation voucher program. A budget of approximately $150 per month was provided to approximately forty approved participants. Unlike
most previously deployed transportation voucher programs that exclusively focused on individuals with disabilities, this program focused on older Americans. Challenges encountered included riders who had difficulty remembering how to book rides, scam phone calls in the region, differentiating between Medicare transportation and the transportation voucher program, and addressing the needs of those who need transportation weekly, monthly, or intermittently. An unexpected benefit identified was that the program has allowed DETCOG staff members to help program participants identify and access other applicable programs (e.g. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)).