Transportation is one of the most persistent problems in family caregiving. An oncology course means twenty visits. Dialysis means three mornings a week, indefinitely. Families absorb this with vacation days, car services, and arguments about the bus, and many never learn that New York already pays for these trips when the person receiving care has Medicaid.
A Single Statewide Office
All of it runs through one broker, Medical Answering Services. Calling the health plan or the doctor’s office instead starts in the wrong place, and a ride arranged outside the system is unauthorized and will not be paid for. The requirement covers every Medicaid member, including those in managed care and managed long-term care plans.
For New York City and the surrounding counties, the number is 844-666-6270. Elsewhere in the state, 866-932-7740. Trips can also be booked online, which avoids the hold queue and leaves a written record.
Seventy-Two Hours
Requests should be made three days ahead so the broker can find an appropriate vehicle. Every trip must be approved in advance, so a ride arranged on the day of the appointment will not be covered.
How the Type of Ride Is Decided
State policy requires the least costly option that is medically appropriate, measured against how the person travels for ordinary errands. Someone who takes the bus to the supermarket will generally be assigned public transit, and an Omny fare is a legitimate fulfillment of the benefit rather than a failure of it.
The assignment changes when there is a stated reason it must. A person who cannot stand for long, who becomes disoriented, who relies on a walker, or who cannot manage stairs is not a candidate for a bus, and a wheelchair user can be assigned an ambulette with a lift. Specificity during the call decides the outcome, and caregivers tend to understate limitations out of dignity or habit.
What Is Not Included
Only travel to Medicaid-covered medical services. Not the pharmacy, the grocery store, a gym, or a senior center. Some non-medical trips may be available through the state’s Social Care Networks, which a care manager can explain.
Mileage Reimbursement
A family member who drives a relative in a personal vehicle may be eligible for mileage reimbursement, and almost nobody claims it. Across a year of appointments the sum is meaningful. It has to be arranged through the broker in advance rather than submitted afterward, so it belongs in the same call that books the ride.
When a Ride Fails
Complaints go first to Medical Answering Services. If nothing comes of that, the State Department of Health takes them at 518-473-2160 or medtrans@health.ny.gov. The Department also publishes an online complaint form for problems with the broker itself. Keep the confirmation number, the appointment time, and a note of what happened, because a documented pattern carries weight that a recollection does not.
Before Calling
Have the Medicaid identification number, the facility’s name and address, the appointment date and time, and a concrete account of what the person cannot do unassisted. The last of these governs everything else.
If you are caring for someone who is chronically ill, frail, or living with memory loss, PSS Circle of Care can be reached by call or text at (866) 665-1713.
Sources: New York State Department of Health, Medicaid Transportation program overview and enrollee frequently asked questions; Medical Answering Services;