Non-Emergency Medical Transportation

Handbook Content

Terms and Meanings

Some terms that we use in this chapter may not be familiar. These terms and their meanings are listed below.

  • Approved/Authorized: The decision Medicaid makes to pay for a service.
  • Facility: A health care building or practice.
  • Long-Term Care: Cares for elderly or disabled members to get in their homes, communities, or facilities.
  • Provider: A doctor, nurse, therapist, or another qualified health care professional.
  • Services: Care, treatments, testing, checkups, equipment, supplies, and other ways your health care providers help you stay healthy.
  • Transportation: Being given a ride.

Medicaid pays for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT). This service is for members who need help getting to their covered medical service appointments with enrolled Medicaid providers. NEMT may use public transport, taxis, personal vehicle transport, non-emergency ambulances, stretcher van or wheelchair van, train, air transport, and transportation network companies. 

Transportation providers can be anyone who helps you get to your medical care appointments. This may be a parent, spouse, foster care provider, guardian, relative, friend, or others who help you travel. Encourage your family or others to enroll as an NEMT provider if you rely on them to get to your medical appointments. This will allow them to get paid. Payments are based on a set fee schedule for NEMT providers using private vehicle.  You can view the most current fee schedule on our website by searching: NEMT fee schedule.

NEMT expenses are not covered for parents of children 18 years of age or older. Members who need a driver, and a separate attendant may have expenses covered for all parties if it is medically necessary for the member to have both attendants.
NEMT payments may also include the cost of lodging and meals. This happens if an overnight stay is needed for you to get the medical services you need. The Customer Support Call Center can tell you if these costs would be covered.
Payments for meals and/or lodging are based on a set fee schedule. Meals must be offered by a Medicaid enrolled entity. Lodging provider must be enrolled in Medicaid.

NEMT by an enrolled non-emergency ambulance may be needed when traveling between two long-term care facilities, between two hospitals, or between hospital and long-term care facility. This service is covered if it is medically needed and no other options are available.

Out-of-state NEMT may be covered if Medicaid has already approved of an out-of-state medical service.  Out-of-state NEMT by an enrolled non-emergency ambulance is a service that may be covered if used when medically needed and traveling between two long-term care facilities, between two hospitals, or between hospital and long-term care facility. The Customer Support Call Center can tell you if your travel expenses will be covered.

You can learn more about getting services outside of North Dakota in the Out-of-State Services chapter of this handbook.
To get more help with NEMT, contact our Customer Support Center. To enroll as a NEMT provider, contact Noridian Healthcare Solutions.

Contact Information Mentioned in this Chapter:

  • Customer Support Center
    • Toll-Free: 1-866-614-6005
    • Local: 1-701-328-1000
    • TTY: 711
    • Free translation available upon request
    • Email: applyforhelp@nd.gov
    • Mail: Customer Support Center 
      PO Box 5562 
      Bismarck, ND 58506
       
  • Noridian Healthcare Solutions

 

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