Non-emergency medical transportation, or NEMT, is a special kind of transportation for rides to doctor’s appointments or other non-emergency medical appointments. Here is what you need to know:

• If you have Medicaid, you have a right to use NEMT at no cost. You should never pay for NEMT if you have Medicaid.
• A Medicaid NEMT ride will take you anywhere in the state you need to go for essential medical appointments.
• NEMT can only be used for non-emergency medical transportation. You cannot use NEMT to travel to shopping, recreation, or any other non-medical activity outside of your transportation provider’s normal service area.
• You also should not try to use NEMT in an emergency. You should call 911 for medical emergencies.
• If you receive Medicaid through a health maintenance organization (HMO), you can call the phone number on your Medicaid HMO card. You will work with the staff at the HMO to set up your ride to the doctor or other medical appointments.
• If you have straight Medicaid, you can call the Community Resource staff person at your county’s Department of Health and Human Services office.
• If you do not have Medicaid, some public transit providers have NEMT programs that will take you to medical appointments outside their normal service area for a fee. Sometimes, your doctor’s office will pay for rides.

If you are denied help or unable to speak to someone about how to get NEMT, call DRM for advocacy assistance at 1-800-288-5923.