A Patient's Guide to Non-Emergency Medical Transportation in Florida

Getting to a dialysis chair, a chemo infusion, or a follow-up with your cardiologist should not depend on whether a family member has the day off. Non-emergency medical transportation — usually shortened to NEMT — exists so that Floridians who cannot safely drive themselves still make it to every appointment. This guide explains how NEMT works across the state, who qualifies, what it costs, and how to book a ride you can actually count on.

What is non-emergency medical transportation?

NEMT is scheduled ground transportation for patients who need medical care but do not need an ambulance. That covers a wide range of trips: recurring dialysis three days a week, physical-therapy appointments after surgery, mental-health visits, dental work, wound-care follow-ups, and discharges from a hospital back home or to a skilled nursing facility. If you can wait for a scheduled pickup and you are not experiencing an emergency, NEMT is almost always the right level of transportation.

Florida providers operate three basic vehicle types. Ambulatory sedans and SUVs move patients who can walk with limited assistance. Wheelchair-accessible vans use hydraulic lifts or ramps and secure the chair with four-point tie-downs. Stretcher-capable vehicles carry patients who need to remain lying down but are medically stable.

Who qualifies for a Medicaid-paid NEMT ride in Florida?

Florida Medicaid covers NEMT for enrolled beneficiaries who have no other way to reach a Medicaid-covered service. The state contracts with managed-care plans (Sunshine Health, Simply, Humana, Aetna Better Health, Molina, United, and others) and each plan uses a transportation broker to authorize rides. If you are Medicaid-eligible, you already have this benefit — it is not an extra you need to buy.

• You must be enrolled in Florida Medicaid or a Medicaid managed-care plan.
• The appointment must be for a Medicaid-covered service.
• You must not have another reasonable way to get there (no car, no licensed driver in the household, physically unable to use public transit).
• Trips generally have to be scheduled at least three business days ahead, except discharges and urgent same-day medical needs.

What if I have Medicare, private insurance, or workers' comp?

Traditional Medicare Part B does not cover NEMT. Many Medicare Advantage plans do, as a supplemental benefit — check your Evidence of Coverage or call the number on your card. Workers' compensation insurers routinely authorize NEMT for injured workers attending IME appointments, physical therapy, and specialist referrals. Private-pay patients can book any My Florida NEMT provider directly; ambulatory rates typically run $35–$65 base plus a per-mile charge, with wheelchair and stretcher runs priced higher because of the specialized vehicle.

How to book a ride, step by step

1. Confirm your appointment date, time, and full pickup and drop-off addresses.
2. If you are on Medicaid or Medicare Advantage, call the transportation number on the back of your insurance card and give them the appointment details.
3. Ask for the trip confirmation number, the provider name, and the pickup window. Write these down.
4. Be ready 15 minutes before the pickup window opens. Bring your ID, insurance card, and any paperwork the clinic asked for.
5. If the ride does not arrive within the window, call the broker back and ask them to dispatch a backup provider — this is a routine request, not a complaint.

What a good NEMT experience looks like

A professional My Florida NEMT provider will call or text before pickup, arrive in a marked vehicle with a visibly ID-badged driver, help you into the seat or secure your wheelchair, and give you a written pickup time for the return trip. The driver should be quiet, courteous, and never leave you unattended at a hospital entrance. If any of that is missing — late arrivals, no-shows, unsafe driving, unprofessional behavior — you have the right to switch providers.

When to request a new provider

You do not have to accept poor service. Late pickups that make you miss dialysis, drivers who refuse to help with your wheelchair, unsafe vehicles, or repeated no-shows are all grounds to request a change. Call your plan's transportation broker, state the trip dates and what happened, and ask for a different provider to be assigned going forward. Keep a short log of dates and issues in case you need to escalate.