Does Medi-Cal Cover Transportation to Medical Appointments?

Yes. Medi-Cal covers transportation to medical appointments at no out-of-pocket cost when you have no other way to get there. The benefit ranges from a standard car or rideshare to a wheelchair van, stretcher van, or non-emergency ambulance, depending on what your condition requires. How you book the ride depends on whether you’re in a Medi-Cal managed care plan or on fee-for-service (FFS) Medi-Cal.¹

What Kind of Ride You Get

Medi-Cal splits covered transportation into three types, and which one you qualify for depends on your medical needs, not your preference.

Non-Medical Transportation (NMT) is a ride in a regular vehicle: a taxi, rideshare, bus, or private car. It’s for members who can travel safely in a standard vehicle but have no other way to get to the appointment. You don’t need a doctor’s prescription, but you do have to confirm to the transportation provider that you have no other available ride.²

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) is a specialized vehicle such as a wheelchair van, stretcher van, or non-emergency ambulance, for members whose condition rules out a regular car or public transit. NEMT requires a written prescription from your doctor and prior authorization from your plan.³

Emergency Medical Transportation (EMT) is ambulance transport for a medical emergency, typically through a 911 call. No prior authorization is needed.

Covered trips include medical appointments, dental visits, mental health and substance use disorder treatment, and picking up prescriptions or medical equipment.¹

Who Qualifies

Two conditions have to be met. The appointment must be for a Medi-Cal covered service, and you must have no other reasonable way to get there, whether that’s your own car, public transit, or a ride from someone you know. For NMT, you confirm this yourself when booking. For NEMT, your doctor documents the medical justification on a Physician Certification Statement (PCS) form.²

Your plan is required to authorize the least costly type of transportation that meets your needs. A sedan if a sedan is safe, a wheelchair van if it isn’t. There’s no cap on the number of trips, so long as each one is for a covered service and medically appropriate.⁴

How to Book a Ride

If You’re in a Managed Care Plan

Call the member services number on your Medi-Cal health plan ID card. Many plans use a transportation broker to coordinate rides. DHCS recommends calling at least five business days before your appointment, though you can call sooner for urgent needs.³

Have your Medi-Cal ID number, the provider’s name and address, and the appointment date and time ready when you call. For NEMT, your doctor will need to complete a PCS form documenting your condition and the type of transport required. If you have recurring appointments like weekly dialysis, ask for a standing authorization; plans must authorize recurring NEMT trips for up to 12 months at a time.⁴

If You’re in Fee-for-Service Medi-Cal

You arrange transportation through DHCS directly, not through a plan. Visit the DHCS transportation page and submit your name and email address through the online form. DHCS staff will reply with a secure email that includes a transportation request form. You can also contact NMT providers directly if you already have their information. For NEMT, tell your doctor about the transportation need first, then submit the same online request.¹

Driving Yourself

If you drive yourself to a covered appointment, you can request mileage reimbursement. FFS members use a specific DHCS mileage reimbursement form, and the rate follows the IRS standard mileage rate, set annually.⁵ Managed care members should contact their plan’s member services department, because each plan handles reimbursement differently.

The same eligibility rule applies: reimbursement is for members who have no other way to get to the appointment, not a payment for anyone who prefers to drive. Keep records of the appointment date, provider address, and round-trip distance.

Bringing Someone with You

Medi-Cal covers transportation for one attendant to ride with you when necessary. For NMT, a parent, guardian, or spouse can ride along, subject to prior authorization when you first set up the request. For NEMT, the attendant’s transportation and related expenses like meals and lodging on long-distance trips are also covered, and if the attendant is not a family member, Medi-Cal can even cover their pay.⁴

Mention the attendant when you schedule the ride so the authorization covers both of you.

Door-to-Door Assistance for NEMT

If you’re approved for NEMT, your managed care plan must provide door-to-door assistance, not just curbside pickup. The driver should help you from your door to the vehicle and from the vehicle into the provider’s facility.⁴ If the driver drops you at the curb and leaves, that’s a legitimate grievance.

Distant Providers and Overnight Trips

Medi-Cal generally covers transportation to the nearest qualified provider who can deliver the service you need. If a closer provider can treat you, the plan can deny transportation to a more distant one.⁶

There are exceptions. If you have an established relationship with a distant specialist and switching would harm your care, or the distant provider offers capabilities closer providers lack, the plan should cover the trip. The plan also cannot deny a farther ride when the cost difference is negligible, and if it denies transportation to a specific provider, it should help you find a qualified alternative closer to home.⁶

For long-distance trips that require overnight travel, your plan must cover related expenses like meals and lodging for both you and a necessary attendant.⁷

If Your Ride Is Late or Doesn’t Show

Managed care plans must provide transportation in time for you to make your appointment. If your ride doesn’t arrive, call your plan’s member services line right away and ask for a replacement. Document the date, time, and what happened. Plans have to meet timely access standards, and a pattern of late or missed pickups is something your plan needs to correct.⁸

If problems continue, file a grievance with your plan. A grievance is a complaint about service quality, not a dispute over a denial. You can file by phone or in writing. If the plan doesn’t resolve it, contact the Medi-Cal Managed Care Office of the Ombudsman at 1-888-452-8609.⁹

If Your Request Is Denied

A denial arrives as a written Notice of Action explaining the reason. What you do next depends on your coverage type.

Managed care members file an appeal with the plan within 60 days of the date on the Notice of Action. You can start by phone but need to follow up in writing. The plan has 30 days to decide. If it rules against you, or doesn’t respond within 30 days, you can request a state fair hearing within 120 days of the plan’s written decision.⁹

If waiting the normal 30 days could harm your health, ask for an expedited appeal. The plan must decide it within 72 hours.¹⁰ An expedited state fair hearing must be decided within three working days of the agency receiving the case file.¹¹

FFS members skip the plan-level appeal. You can request a state fair hearing right away, within 90 days of the date on the Notice of Action, and you may be able to file late for a good reason such as illness or disability.¹²

For help along the way, the Medi-Cal Managed Care Office of the Ombudsman acts as a neutral party. Reach them at 1-888-452-8609 or MMCDOmbudsmanOffice@dhcs.ca.gov.⁹

1
DHCS – CA.gov. Transportation Services
2
DHCS – CA.gov. Frequently Asked Questions for Medi-Cal Transportation Services
3
DHCS – CA.gov. Frequently Asked Questions for Medi-Cal Transportation Services
4
Department of Health Care Services. All Plan Letter 22-008
5
DHCS – CA.gov. FFS NMT Member Reimbursement Form Mileage
6
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicaid Transportation Coverage Guide
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Medicaid.gov. Medicaid Transportation Coverage and Coordination Fact Sheet
8
Department of Health Care Services. APL 22-008 NEMT/NMT Services FAQs
9
Department of Health Care Services. Medi-Cal Help Center
10
DHCS – CA.gov. Grievances and Appeals
11
eCFR. Subpart E – Fair Hearings for Applicants and Beneficiaries
12
DHCS – CA.gov. Medi-Cal Fair Hearing