Rides to Medical Appointments

Written by: Jeneli Almonte; Lead Care Manager
Last updated: October 10, 2026
Read time: 5 min

Key points

Original Medicare pays for an ambulance when any other ride could harm your health. In 2026 you pay 20% of the cost, once you have paid $283 that year for doctor and outpatient care.
Original Medicare does not pay for a car, taxi or wheelchair van to a regular doctor visit.
Every state's Medicaid program must give its members rides to their care.
KFF is a health policy research group. In 2026, 22% of people in regular Medicare Advantage plans had a ride benefit, down from 28% in 2025, KFF found.

Medicare pays for an ambulance in an emergency, and for some planned ambulance rides. It does not pay for regular rides to the doctor. For those, try Medicaid, your Medicare Advantage plan, paratransit or a senior ride program. If you no longer drive, getting to the doctor can be the hardest part.

Medicare may pay for an ambulance if

You have an emergency, and riding in any other vehicle could put your health at risk.
Your doctor orders an ambulance because of your health. For example, you cannot get out of bed without help, cannot walk, and cannot sit in a chair or wheelchair.
The ambulance takes you to the nearest place that can give you the care you need.

Not sure Medicare will pay? Ask anyway, because the ambulance company can check before a planned ride. If you would rather not sort it out alone, a Pair Team advocate can find you a ride in one call.

Ways to get a ride to the doctor

Option	Who it is for	What it covers
Original Medicare	Everyone with Medicare	An ambulance when other rides could harm your health. Not cars, taxis or vans.
Medicare Advantage plan	People whose plan offers rides	Some plans give a set number of rides a year. Check your plan's list of benefits.
Medicaid	Medicaid members, including people who also have Medicare	Rides to covered care. Depending on your state: bus pass, taxi, wheelchair van, ambulance, or gas money.
Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)	People in a PACE program	Rides to the PACE center and to medical visits.
Paratransit	People whose disability keeps them off the regular bus or train	Shared van rides for any trip near bus and train routes.
Area Agency on Aging	Usually people 60 and older	Senior rides and volunteer drivers. Rules vary by town.

Does Medicare pay for rides to the doctor?

No, Medicare does not pay for regular rides to the doctor. It pays only for an ambulance, and only when you cannot safely go another way. Medicare looks at your health, not whether you have a car.

If the ambulance company thinks Medicare may not pay for a planned ride, it must give you a notice first. It's called an Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN). Read it before you sign, because you may owe the full bill.

Do Medicare Advantage plans cover rides?

Some Medicare Advantage plans cover rides as an extra benefit, but fewer offer it now. Special needs plans, most of them for people with Medicare and Medicaid, offer it more often. In 2026, 73% of their members had one (KFF).

Call the number on your plan card. Ask how many rides you get a year and how far ahead to book.

Does Medicaid pay for rides to medical appointments?

Yes, every state's Medicaid program must give its members rides to and from their care, federal rules say. This is called non-emergency medical transportation. Each state runs it its own way. In California and New York, people with both Medicare and Medicaid can use it to see Medicare doctors.

What is paratransit?

Paratransit is a shared van for people whose disability keeps them from using the bus or train. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, bus and train systems must run it near their routes, during the same hours. It can cost no more than twice the bus fare. You can book the day before.

You apply to your local transit agency. In Los Angeles County, that's Access Services, and in New York City, it's Access-A-Ride.

Where can I find a senior ride program?

To find a senior ride program, call or text the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116. It connects you to your local Area Agency on Aging, which knows the senior rides near you.

Rides to dialysis

Most people on dialysis go to a center three times a week, for about four hours each time. That's from the National Institutes of Health. A missed ride can mean a missed treatment.

Medicare. It pays for an ambulance to the nearest dialysis center only when your health requires one. Being on dialysis is not enough by itself.
Approval for repeat rides. Planned ambulance rides three times in 10 days, or weekly for three weeks, may need Medicare's OK by the fourth trip. If Medicare says no and you keep riding, you may get the whole bill.
Medicaid. Ask for a standing order: one request that covers every trip on the same days and times.
Your dialysis center usually has a social worker on the care team, so ask them to help set up rides.

What a Pair Team advocate does

When a ride falls through, the visit usually goes with it. Then the refill and the follow-up visit slip too. This is what we do:

Find out which ride benefit you already have, in one phone call.
Book rides with you, and set up standing orders for dialysis and other repeat visits.
Call the ride company or your plan when a ride does not show, and file the complaint with you.
Help you apply for Medicaid or paratransit, and help with what comes with it: food, utilities and housing.

An advocate is covered by Medicare if you qualify. It takes two minutes to find out.

Check if you qualify for a Pair Team advocate

Frequently asked questions

Will Medicare pay for an ambulance to take me home from the hospital?

Medicare pays for an ambulance to take you home from the hospital when your health requires it. If you could safely ride home in a car, it will not pay. Ask your plan or Medicaid about a ride. See what Medicare covers after a hospital stay.

What if Medicare will not pay my ambulance bill?

You can appeal the ambulance bill, and your Medicare Summary Notice lists the steps and the deadline. Ask your doctor for a letter that says why you needed an ambulance. See how to appeal a Medicare denial.

Does Medicare pay for a wheelchair van?

No, Medicare does not pay for a wheelchair van. Medicaid may pay when your doctor says you need one, so ask your doctor.

Can a family member drive me and get paid for gas?

A family member can't get paid for gas through Medicare. But Medicaid pays mileage in California and New York, if you set it up before the trip.

Does Medicare pay for an air ambulance?

Medicare may pay for an air ambulance in an emergency, if a ground ambulance cannot get you there fast enough. It can be a plane or helicopter, and you can appeal if Medicare won't pay.

Find the rules for your state

Medicaid ride rules change at the state line.

California: two kinds of Medicaid rides, booked through your plan.
New York: one company, Medical Answering Services, books Medicaid rides in every county.
Nevada: most people 65 and older book Medicaid rides with one company, Medical Transportation Management, three business days ahead.

In other states, call your Medicaid office, or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at 1-877-839-2675 for free help.

Sources

About the author

Jeneli Almonte

Lead Care Manager

Jeneli Almonte is a Lead Care Manager at Pair Team. Since 2022, she has helped patients with benefits, housing and food.

Read bio