It's About Choice!

For those on Medicaid without a viable means of personal transportation, Medicaid often covers transportation for emergency and non-emergency trips to Medicaid covered medical service facilities. Recipients who have their own transportation are not eligible. Medicaid reimburses for transportation services provided for all Medicaid recipients who have no service limitations. There is a $1 recipient co-payment for transportation services for each one-way trip, unless the recipient is exempt. Round trips require two co-payments. If for some reason it is not paid it comes out of the driver’s or transportation provider’s pocket. Contact the area 5 Medicaid Office at (727) 552-1191. Recipients must be eligible for Medicaid prior to trip authorization, unless they are living in a skilled nursing facility and have applied for Institutionalized Care Program benefits.
Transportation services are available only to eligible recipients who cannot obtain transportation on their own through any available means such as family, friends or community resources.
All transportation must be the most cost-effective and most appropriate method of transportation available to each transportation eligible Medicaid recipient.
BLS and ALS ambulance transportation must be medically necessary.
Hospital to hospital transportation is not covered, unless the level of care or availability of treatment cannot be met by the first hospital.
Medicaid may reimburse for one escort when, due to age or disability, a recipient needs the accompaniment and support of another individual to be able to travel to receive the Medicaid-covered services.
Post authorization for non-emergency transport may be granted only when a recipient experiences an urgent but non-life threatening situation requiring transportation to access immediate medical attention, the local authorizing agent is unavailable, and prior authorization is impossible to obtain. The provider must make a post authorization request within five workdays of the date of service.
Non-emergency ambulance requests must be made within 20 workdays of the date of service. Post authorization requests made after the appropriate five or 20 workday post authorization period will be denied.
Transportation reimbursement is determined by agreement with area transportation providers.
Ambulance transportation, for either the Basic Life Support or Advanced Life Support level of service, is reimbursed at the Medicaid published allowable rate.
Non-emergency transportation services are provided by the local area transportation provider under contract to the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged. If you are eligible and wish to make reservations for a ride, the phone number in Pinellas County is: 727-545-2100. This is the same number you call to make reservations for a TD sponsored trip, but it takes Medicaid reservations as well. Unless the medical need is urgent, transportation should be requested at least 72 hours prior to the medical appointment. Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance services in Pinellas County are provided by Sunstar Ambulance. CALL 911 FOR EMERGENCY TRANSPORT.

| Apply | Contacts | CARE | DART | Glossary | Hurricane |
| Medicaid | Seniors | Services | Transit |