Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT)
Get Rides to Medical Appointments - At No Cost to You
Emergency: If you need emergency transportation (an ambulance), call 911.
Non-Emergency: Carolina Complete Health can arrange and pay for your transportation to help you get to and from your appointments for Medicaid-covered care. This service is free to you. If you need an attendant to go with you to your doctor’s appointment, or if your child (18 years old or younger) is a member of the plan, transportation is also covered for the attendant, parent or guardian. Non-emergency transportation includes personal vehicles, taxis, vans, mini-buses, mountain area transports and public transportation.
What appointments are covered?
- Medical, dental & vision
- Behavorial health
- Prescription pick-up following Primary Care Provider (PCP) appointments
How to Get Non-Emergency Transportation
Call MTM, our transportation provider, at 1-844-784-8931 up to 30 days before your appointment (only plan services are covered) to arrange transportation to and from your appointment . There is no limit to the number of trips during the year between medical appointments, healthcare facilities, or pharmacies.
Transportation must be scheduled at least 2 business days before but not more than thirty 30 days before of your appointment. Drivers will wait up to 5 minutes after arrival for pickup.
A customer service representative will ask for the following information:
- Your full name, current address, and phone number
- Your Medicaid ID number
- The date of your appointment
- The name, address, and phone number of where you are going
- The name, address, and phone number of your doctor/provider
- The medical reason you need a ride for
- The type of appointment (for example: doctor/provider visit, lab test, therapy appointment)
- The type of assistance or mobility aid you require
Please have this information ready when you call.
Level of Need
Those that need a wheelchair or some other accommodation will need a Level of Need form (PDF). This form must be completed by your primary care physician or treating provider. MTM will need this form when you make your appointment. In addition, certain transportation services require prior authorization by Carolina Complete Health, including:
- Trips over 75 miles one-way
- Out-of-state trips (40+ miles over border)
- Air ambulance
- Trips requiring hotel, flight, and/or meals
You must call MTM first, then they will inform Carolina Complete Health. We will contact your primary care physician or treating provider. This is required to complete the steps for prior authorization. The transportation broker will follow up with you to finish scheduling the appointment.We may deny you this service.
If denied service, you may appeal. To appeal:
- Call 1-833-552-3876 (TTY: 711)
- Selection option for Member assistance on appeals
If a member harms the driver, we will address it with the member’s care manager and primary care physician. MTM drivers are trained to de-escalate.
Members will receive a written notice about poor behavior. NEMT services can be suspended for this behavior.
If a Medicaid-covered service is scheduled before suspension, we will reimburse the miles.
Download the MTM Link Member mobile app!
The MTM Link Member mobile app makes it easy to book a ride for your doctor visit when and where you like, right from your smartphone or tablet. Just search for the MTM Link Member mobile app on Google Play® or the Apple App Store®, and download it to your smartphone or tablet.
Qualified members can book and manage trips once the app is downloaded to their device.
With the app you can:
Book an upcoming trip
Make trip changes, set up future trips, or cancel your trip
See where your driver is in real time
Text or call your driver to make sure your ride is on time.
Contact a live service agent directly in the app
These resources are available in the MTM Link Member mobile app. Visit your phone's app store to download a free version.
Uber and Lyft
In certain situations, MTM will contact Uber or Lyft for your transportation such as short notice trips or when a driver cancels at the last minute.
MTM will handle everything, and no member action is needed. You will receive text message updates on your trip if Uber or Lyft is called, please make sure you are opted in for text message communication with MTM. You CAN NOT schedule NEMT services directly though the Uber and Lyft applications.
Supplemental Transportation (Value-added Services Benefit)
Carolina Complete Health offers additional transportation support for member traveling to and from Value-added Services locations.
To access this VAS benefit,
- Members must be actively enrolled Carolina Complete Health members.
- Members must be 18+ or the parent/guardian of Carolina Complete Health member(s), under the age of 18, in need of transportation to an approved VAS covered service or to a Member Advisory Committee meeting.
- Eligible members can request up to two (2) round trips per health plan year.
- Trips cannot exceed 20-mile radius one-way.
Visit our Supplemental Transportation page for additional information.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Call MTM reservations at 1-844-784-8931 between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Request should be made 48 hours in advance. MTM is closed Sundays and national holidays (New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day).
Call MTM at 1-844-784-8931 to cancel or change a scheduled ride.
You can schedule a ride up to 2 days before your appointment and no more than thirty 30 days in advance of their appointment.
Also, members may schedule recurring “subscription” trips (e.g. for dialysis) up to 3 months in advance.
Yes. You, a relative, caregiver or facility staff member can schedule rides.
Transportation to and from all your medical appointments. This could be personal vehicles, taxis, vans, mini-buses, mountain area transports, public transportation or other kinds of vehicles.
Meals and lodging coverage may be available (if verified as medical necessity) for a trip of 75 miles* or more one way. For more information about this coverage, contact MTM at 1-844-784-8931.
*Meals and lodging must be determined to be less expensive than daily travel from home (unless deemed medically necessary). Overnight lodging is not to exceed the state rate or the county reimbursement rate.
You can submit a trip up to 30 days in advance.
Each individual trip is its own trip request. For example, if you have a trip to schedule 10 days from now, and another trip to schedule 20 days from now, you will need to book those trips separately.
Trips need to be booked 48 hours in advance. For urgent booking, please call one of our agents to assist.
Yes. The app has will call functionality if you aren’t sure what time you need to be picked up from your location.
No. Once you enter your member information the first time, it will be stored within the app, and you will not need to enter it again.
Yes, you can cancel a trip request from the app and do not need to call in.
Yes, you can edit a trip request from the app without having to call in. However, your edit must be at least 48 hours in advance of your trip. If you need to edit a trip that is in less than 48 hours, you will need to call 1-844-784-8931 between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and speak to one of our agents.
Yes. While a driver is on the way, you can call or text the driver from within the app. Your phone number will remain anonymous and private.
Join Our Transportation Provider Network
To find out how to join the MTM Transportation Provider Network, please click here.
Member Rights
- Know the availability of Medicaid NEMT services
- Have the NEMT policy explained
- Arrive on time for appointments
- Members under age 18 can ride with an attendant at no additional cost
- Request an appeal if NEMT assistance is denied
Member Responsibilities
- Use available NEMT services appropriately
- Use transportation services appropriately
- Travel to the requested pickup spot and receive a Medicaid-covered service
- Make timely requests for NEMT service
- Be ready at the pickup spot
- Follow driver instructions
For more information on Transportation Services, please call us at 1-833-552-3876 (TTY: 711).