In New York City, a Medicaid member books a free ride to a covered medical appointment through Medical Answering Services (MAS), the state’s transportation broker, by calling 1-844-666-6270 or booking online, ideally at least 72 hours ahead. Since 1 March 2024 that also applies to Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) members: their plan no longer arranges rides. Access-A-Ride, run by the MTA, is a separate service for people whose disability keeps them off buses and subways, and it has its own application.
Which transportation option fits which situation?
| Option | Who it is for | Cost to the rider | How to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicaid transportation (MAS) | Medicaid members going to covered medical care | None for authorized trips | 1-844-666-6270 or medanswering.com |
| Access-A-Ride (MTA) | People whose disability prevents them from using public buses or subways | Full subway/bus fare, $3 since 4 January 2026 | Online inquiry, then an in-person assessment |
| MTA Reduced-Fare | Riders 65 or older, or with a qualifying disability, who can use regular transit | $1.50 on subway and local buses | In person at select subway service centers, or by mail |
| NYC Aging transportation | Residents 60 and older who lack transportation or cannot use public transit | Ask the provider when you call | Aging Connect, 212-244-6469 |
| Private medical escort | Anyone who needs a person to go inside and stay through the visit | Private pay | Our medical escort service |
How does Medicaid transportation work in NYC?
The New York State Department of Health runs the Medicaid Transportation program through a broker, Medical Answering Services, LLC. MAS schedules trips, runs the contact centers and reviews requests. The downstate line, 1-844-666-6270, covers all five boroughs plus Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam and Westchester.
Three limits apply. Rides are for medical care only; the state does not provide trips to pharmacies, gyms or grocery stores. Every trip needs MAS approval in advance. And in an emergency, call 911, because MAS arranges non-emergency trips only.
The ride is free: MAS says authorized transportation is provided at no cost to the enrollee, and drivers should never ask for payment. Public transit fare is reimbursable.
How do I book a Medicaid ride, step by step?
- Have the details ready: appointment date, time and address, the provider’s name, and the Medicaid ID (CIN) number.
- Call or book online. Phone: 1-844-666-6270, Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm for regular enrollee services; the contact center also handles hospital discharges and urgent requests around the clock. An online account at medanswering.com needs your CIN or Medicaid number, email, cell phone, date of birth and last four digits of your Social Security number; online scheduling is open at any hour.
- Say how the person usually travels. The vehicle type is decided from that.
- Cancel or reschedule early if the appointment moves.
The state says to contact MAS at least 72 hours ahead. MAS’s scheduling guidelines break the notice down:
| Type of trip | Notice MAS asks for |
|---|---|
| Urgent or sick-visit care | Same day |
| Routine and recurring appointments | At least 3 days ahead |
| Trips by public transit | At least 5 days ahead |
| Long-distance travel | At least 7 days ahead |
What kind of vehicle will MAS send?
Medicaid requires the most medically appropriate and cost-effective mode, and MAS’s rule of thumb is that you travel the way you travel for everyday errands. Someone who rides the bus to the market is generally expected to ride it to the clinic. The modes MAS lists:
- Public transit: passes or fare reimbursement.
- Private vehicle: mileage reimbursement when a relative drives, if the trip was booked with MAS in advance.
- Ambulatory taxi: needs prior authorization and a NYS 2015 form from the doctor showing medical necessity.
- Ambulette: a specially equipped van, also on the doctor’s 2015 form, for people who use a wheelchair, must travel lying down, or cannot manage a taxi or transit. Service is door-to-door; drivers do not go into the home.
- Ambulance: only when medically necessary, with prior authorization.
State regulation (18 NYCRR 505.10) provides for a “transportation attendant” authorized in advance to help a patient travel safely, with no salary for a family member. Whether one is approved for a given trip is MAS’s decision, so ask when you book.
What changed for MLTC members?
Per the state’s MLTC transportation FAQ, non-emergency transportation was carved out of the MLTC benefit package effective 1 March 2024 and is now provided fee-for-service through MAS.:
| Question | Current answer (state guidance) |
|---|---|
| Who arranges rides for an MLTC member? | MAS, not the health plan. The plan no longer sets up this benefit. |
| Number to call in NYC | 1-844-666-6270, or book online with a MAS account |
| Notice for routine appointments | 72 hours; same-day for urgent needs such as sick visits, discharge or dialysis |
| Dual-eligible (Medicare and Medicaid) | MAS prior authorization is required, except for BLS or ALS ambulance |
| Recertifying Medicaid, status pending | Limited to dialysis and chemotherapy trips; contact MAS Customer Care at 315-915-9498 |
Adult day programs are a special case. Under MLTC Policy 24.01, from 1 January 2025 social adult day care programs arrange and pay for their own members’ transportation to and from the program; those rides are not booked through MAS. The policy excludes PACE plans; PACE members should ask their plan. See our adult day care guide and what Medicaid covers for home care.
Original Medicare is narrower: Medicare.gov says it may cover a medically necessary non-emergency ambulance with a written doctor’s order, with 20% coinsurance after the Part B deductible.
Who qualifies for Access-A-Ride, and how do you apply?
Access-A-Ride (AAR) is shared-ride paratransit for people whose disabilities prevent them from using public buses or subways, per the MTA’s application page (updated 7 May 2026). It runs 24 hours a day in the five boroughs plus a three-quarter-mile corridor into nearby Nassau and Westchester. Unlike Medicaid transportation, it is not limited to medical trips, and eligibility turns on disability rather than age.
- Submit an inquiry at aar.mta.info/inquiry. A paper application packet arrives by mail.
- Attend an in-person assessment with a healthcare professional, which may include functional testing. Centers are in each borough, and round-trip transportation to the assessment is free.
- Get the decision. The MTA says it is made within 21 days of the assessment.
Outcomes include full, temporary, continual, conditional and ineligible. Conditional riders can book only when disability-related conditions stop them using the bus or subway, such as extreme cold (39°F or below), extreme heat (90°F or above) or an inaccessible subway station. A denial or conditional result can be appealed within 60 days.
Full and conditional eligibility need recertification every five years. Once approved, trips are booked 1 to 2 days ahead, 7am to 5pm every day, at 877-337-2017 (choose your language, then option 2) or through the MY AAR account online or in the MTA app. Cancel at least two hours before pickup. The fare is the same as the full subway and local bus fare; each rider and guest pays the driver in exact change, and an attendant rides free only if “PCA” appears on the AAR ID card.
What about the reduced fare and NYC Aging programs?
Riders 65 or older, and riders with qualifying disabilities, pay half fare on the subway and local buses: $1.50 against the $3 base fare, per the MTA Reduced-Fare page. The page lists the online application as unavailable. Apply in person at select subway customer service centers (people 65 and older may get the card the same day), or by mail with a photo, a copy of valid ID and, if relevant, disability documentation; mail can take up to three months.
For rides, NYC Aging funds local transportation providers for residents 60 and older who lack access to transportation or cannot use public transit, for essential medical and social service appointments. Call Aging Connect at 212-244-6469 (212-AGING-NYC) or use the Service Finder on the NYC Aging site.
When does a home care aide or medical escort make sense?
Every option above gets a person to the building. None provides someone who goes inside, sits through the visit and remembers what the doctor said.
That gap matters most with dementia, after surgery, with limited English, or when anesthesia means the clinic wants a responsible adult to take the patient home. Our medical escort service sends a home health aide to pick the person up, stay through the appointment, take notes and bring them home. It is private pay, not a Medicaid-funded alternative to MAS; some families use MAS or AAR for the ride and an escort only for visits that need one. For ongoing help see in-home care, post-surgery care and the cost of home care in New York.
What should you prepare before the appointment?
- Medicaid ID (CIN), plus the appointment date, time, address and provider name.
- The doctor’s office contact, in case a NYS 2015 form (taxi, ambulette) or 2020 form (care outside your local area) is needed.
- Whether the person uses a walker or wheelchair, plus a medication list, insurance cards and questions for the doctor.
Medical escort or Medicaid ride? Advice from our nurse director
Anna Klyauzova, RN, MSN, MPA, Director of Patient Services at ProLife Home Care, on what she sees in practice:
Most older New Yorkers get to appointments with a relative, a Medicaid ride or a regular taxi. The ride is rarely the hard part. The hard part is the visit: who helps at the front desk, finds the right office, explains the symptoms to the doctor and remembers what was said? That is tough for someone with dementia, limited mobility or limited English.
Medicaid transportation and Access-A-Ride get a person to the clinic. An escort stays with them. If your father walks slowly, forgets what the doctor said or gets lost in a big hospital, I would book an escort. Our Medical Escort service sends a trained home health aide (HHA) to the home, goes with the patient to the clinic, sits in on the appointment if the patient agrees, helps with the conversation, writes down the doctor’s instructions and brings the patient home. We can arrange the transport too. It is available in all five boroughs and Nassau County and is private pay.
The mistake I see most often with Medicaid rides is booking the wrong kind of vehicle, a regular car for someone who needs wheelchair transport, for example. Check the vehicle type, whether an escort is needed and the return trip ahead of time, and confirm the booking the day before.
We are a licensed home care agency in Brooklyn and Queens (New York State Department of Health licence #2572L001). We are not a transportation broker and cannot book Medicaid rides, but we can help you work out which combination fits. Call (718) 232-2777 or use our contact page.
Rules and phone numbers change. Everything above was checked on 8 October 2026 against health.ny.gov (Medicaid Transportation page revised February 2026), medanswering.com, mta.info, nyc.gov/aging and medicare.gov. Confirm your own eligibility and trip details with MAS, the MTA or your health plan before relying on them.
Frequently asked questions
Who provides Medicaid transportation in NYC?
Medical Answering Services (MAS), a broker contracted by the New York State Department of Health. NYC members call 1-844-666-6270 or book through an online account at medanswering.com.
How far in advance do I need to book a Medicaid ride?
The state asks for at least 72 hours before the appointment. MAS takes same-day requests for urgent care and asks for 3 days for routine visits, 5 for public transit and 7 for long-distance trips.
Does an MLTC plan still arrange rides?
No. Since 1 March 2024 non-emergency medical transportation for MLTC members is provided through MAS rather than the plan.
Is Medicaid transportation free?
Yes, for trips MAS has authorized. Providers should never ask you for payment, and public transit fare to approved appointments is reimbursable.
Who qualifies for Access-A-Ride?
People whose disabilities prevent them from using public buses or subways. You apply by inquiry and an in-person assessment, and the MTA says it decides within 21 days of the assessment.
How much does Access-A-Ride cost?
The fare equals the full subway and local bus fare, $3 since 4 January 2026. Riders and guests pay the driver in exact change; only an authorized personal care attendant rides free.
Can a home care aide go with my parent to the doctor?
Yes, privately. Medicaid transportation and Access-A-Ride bring the patient to the door, while an escort stays through the appointment. Our medical escort service is private pay and is not funded by Medicaid.
