NORWICH – In an area encompassing Norwich, Binghamton, Oneonta, Owego, and Cooperstown, it’s the City of Norwich that saw the highest demand for non-emergency medical transportation in 2017, according to a progress report from Mobility Management of South Central New York.

Mobility Management, a collaborative of the Rural Health Network of South Central New York, reports that nearly 200 of the 1,979 calls to its call center last year sought rides to medical appointments, most of which were outside the Norwich area.

It’s a number that dwarfs those of other locations within Mobility Management’s five-county coverage area. The agency services Chenango, Broome, Otsego, Delaware, and Tioga counties. In comparison, Mobility Management took just 150 calls from zip codes in Binghamton and Endicott; approximately 100 from Johnson City and Owego; and between 50 and 100 calls from Walton and Waverly.

“It is a little surprising to me that the Norwich zip code is the highest point of origin than any other zip code in the area,” said William Wagner, Director of Mobility Management of SCNY. “If someone needs to travel 30 miles for an appointment, and they’re struggling with transportation or don’t have it available, I can see where that expense quickly adds up.”

Mobility Management’s annual report cites that rural cases comprised nearly 60 percent of its calls in 2017, made mostly by elderly Medicare recipients who don’t qualify for reimbursement programs from Medicaid.