A ride to a medical appointment can be a Medicaid benefit, and you can ask for it by name: non-emergency medical transportation. Ask the contact named in the instructions you got when you enrolled in Medicaid, your Medicaid managed care plan's customer service if you are in one, or your state Medicaid agency. Original Medicare pays for far less, so settle first which program you are enrolled in; then you can tell whether a ride is open to you, book one and keep it from falling through.
Does any program actually pay for a ride to an appointment?
Each state's Medicaid program pays for rides to appointments on its own terms. Medicaid covers rides for eligible individuals to and from the doctor's office, the hospital, or another medical office for Medicaid-approved care, and every state has to make sure that people on Medicaid can get necessary transportation to and from their providers, with its state plan saying how. What counts as necessary is set by your state, so ask your state Medicaid agency about its rules.
Not having a car that works, or not having a driver's license, is one reason Medicaid may give you a ride. You may also be able to get one if you have a physical or mental disability, or if you are unable to travel or wait for a ride alone. Coverage for these rides may differ with your situation and needs, and you may need your state Medicaid agency's approval before you qualify.
How far Medicare goes toward getting you there
For getting you there, Original Medicare covers an ambulance under set conditions. Part B covers ground ambulance transportation when traveling in any other vehicle could endanger your health and you need medically necessary services from a hospital, a critical access hospital, a rural emergency hospital or a skilled nursing facility. In some cases it may also pay for a non-emergency ambulance if a doctor or other health care provider has written an order saying the ambulance is medically necessary, such as for someone with end-stage renal disease traveling to and from dialysis. Having no car, or no one who can drive you, does not on its own meet either condition.
Someone on Medicare may still find a ride through another program, and some people qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. People with Medicaid may get coverage for services that Medicare doesn't cover or only partially covers, and transportation to medical services is one of them.
| Route | What it may cover | Who can get it | Who to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicaid alongside Medicare | transportation to medical services | people with limited income in several groups, including people 65 or older and people living with a disability | your state Medicaid agency, which can help you find out whether you qualify |
| PACE, the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly | transportation to and from the PACE center and medical appointments, along with its other services | people at least 55 who live in the service area of a PACE organization, need a nursing home level of care as certified by their state, and are able to live safely in the community with help from PACE, only in some states that offer PACE under Medicaid | your state Medicaid agency, which can say whether you are eligible and whether a PACE program serves your area |
| A Medicare Advantage Plan | extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn't cover | people who get Medicare through that plan | your plan, which can say whether rides to appointments are one of its extras |
If none of these fits, look for a local transportation service. State and local agencies, nonprofits and companies offer transportation services for older adults, and some of the government and nonprofit ones are free. Public transit agencies often have discounted fares and other services for older adults and people with disabilities. If you use a wheelchair, walker or electric scooter, ask the service for a vehicle that will take it when you book. The Eldercare Locator can help you find transportation in your area, online or on 800-677-1116.
Some appointments need no trip at all. Through December 31, 2027, Medicare covers telehealth services that you can get from anywhere in the U.S., including your home, and telehealth can provide many services that generally happen in person, including office visits. Ask the office you are booked with whether yours could be done from home (see What a video appointment can do, and when to go in person).
What does Medicaid check before booking your ride?
Before a ride is booked, the person or office that arranges Medicaid rides for you should check that it is one Medicaid can give. Generally, when you enroll in Medicaid, you will receive instructions about when a ride is necessary and how and when you can schedule one, and that contact may be a Medicaid caseworker, a ride service or another agency. They should:
- help you decide if you have an immediate need for care
- make sure you are eligible for Medicaid
- verify that you have an appointment with a Medicaid provider
- make sure that you have no other reasonable way to make it to your appointment
- decide what type of ride Medicaid can give you for your situation
If the need for care is immediate, that is an emergency, and emergency transportation needs no pre-approval from Medicaid. Medicaid covers the cost of emergency medical transportation for eligible individuals when medical needs are immediate, such as a heart attack or a serious injury in a car accident. If you or someone with you cannot wait, phone 911, or the emergency number where you are, to have the emergency team come to you right away.
Before you phone the ride contact, ask the office you are booked with whether it takes Medicaid, since the ride is for an appointment with a Medicaid provider. Then be ready to explain why you have no other reasonable way to make it to the appointment. From your answers, the contact will either set up the ride or tell you how to set it up yourself, and a person or ride service approved by your state's Medicaid program will take you there and back. Depending on your needs and your state's rules, rides might be by taxi, car, van, public bus, or a subway, and you might share yours with others.
If you are enrolled in a Medicaid managed care plan, its customer service staff can generally give you the facts about ride benefits.
If a booked ride falls through
A booked ride can fall through if you are not ready when the driver arrives, because drivers may be authorized only for specific times to pick up the rider. You also have to book the ride ahead with the ride service, and cancel with them if you no longer need it. In some states Medicaid might not pay the ride service for the time a driver waits for you, or for a pickup you do not show up for, and in others there may be a limit on how long the driver can wait if you are late, so be ready at the pickup time.
Plan the trip as the appointment and straight home again. The driver can take you, or a family member who is also eligible for Medicaid rides, only to a medical office and back home, and if the driver takes you anywhere else, you and the driver could be charged with stealing from Medicaid.
A history of missed pickups adds steps. If you make a habit of not showing up for scheduled rides, you may have to phone the ride service more than once to confirm that you intend to keep your appointment, and Medicaid may place further restrictions on your rides, such as requiring you to use only one service.
If the ride does not turn up, call the number you used to set it up and explain the problem; the ride service should help you. Then call the office you are booked with and explain it to them as well. If the appointment itself moves, phone the ride service as soon as you can, say why the time is changing, and set up a new pickup time.
Medicaid and Medicare policies change frequently, so before your first ride, ask your ride contact how far ahead to book, how long a driver will wait where you live and, if your appointment is far away, how long trips are handled.
The weight care NicoCares arranges starts with health questions you answer online, reviewed by a physician whose license covers your state, and a state-licensed pharmacy ships any prescription to your door, but in-person office visits are not part of the subscription, so book an exam in person with your own doctor (see Weight care is not a checkup, so the screenings are still yours to book). If the ride to that exam fails on the day, phone the ride service first and then your doctor's office, rather than sending your NicoCares care team a message in Spruce Health, because NicoCares sets no time for answering messages there.
