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. This includes medical appointments, getting your DME, and filling your medication prescriptions. 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 costs are only covered for parents of children younger than 18 years of age or for children traveling with an adult with a disability. Travel expenses are only covered for the member and one added person. An attendant may be covered in addition to a driver if it is medically necessary.

NEMT payments may also include lodging and meals. Coverage for lodging applies when an overnight stay is needed for the member to get the medical services you need. The Customer Support Center can tell you if these costs may be covered. Payments for meals and lodging are based on a set fee schedule. Meals must be offered by a Medicaid enrolled NEMT providers.

NEMT by an enrolled, non-emergency ambulance may be covered 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 necessary and no other options are available.

Out-of-state NEMT is only 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 necessary 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. Members under the age of 18 cannot be transported alone. They must travel with a parent, guardian, or adult authorized by the parent or guardian.

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 and/or start your enrollment process by filling out the NEMT Individual Application and following the instructions.

Contact Information Mentioned in this Chapter:

  • Customer Support Center, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CT
    • Toll-Free: (866) 614-6005
    • Local: (701) 328-1000
    • TTY: 711
    • Free translation available upon request
    • Email: applyforhelp@nd.gov
    • Mail: Customer Support Center 
      PO Box 5562 
      Bismarck, ND 58506
    • Fax: (701) 382-1006
    • In person: Visit a human service zone office. Find one near you.
       
  • Noridian Healthcare Solutions
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