Getting a ride to dialysis and other medical appointments

Transportation is the problem that blocks every other problem. If you can't get to the appointment, nothing else matters. Here is how the pieces fit.

What Medicare covers

Original Medicare (Part B) covers ambulance transportation when it's medically necessary, meaning any other kind of transport would endanger your health. For most people going to dialysis or a routine appointment, that doesn't apply.

Many Medicare Advantage plans include a transportation benefit: a set number of rides per year to medical appointments, booked through the plan. Call the number on your card and ask "Do I have a transportation benefit, and how do I schedule a ride?"

What Medicaid covers

If you have Medicaid, you have a right to non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) to covered services. Every state runs this, usually through a broker you call to book rides, often with a day or two of notice. Dialysis patients can typically set up a standing schedule.

The broker's phone number is different in every state, and sometimes every county. Your state Medicaid office or your dialysis center's social worker will have it. So will we.

County and city programs

• Paratransit. If you live where there's public transit, the transit agency runs door-to-door service for people who can't use regular buses. You apply once, then book rides. Reliability varies a lot by city.
• Area Agency on Aging. Many run or fund senior transportation programs. Find yours through the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.
• Volunteer driver programs. Common in rural areas, often run by churches, senior centers, or nonprofits. Some have a small fee, some are free.

The 5:30 a.m. problem

Early dialysis chairs are hard for every program. A few things that help:

• Ask your dialysis center about a later chair time, even if it's a waitlist.
• Ask the center's social worker directly. Getting patients to treatment is part of their job, and they know which local options actually show up.
• If you have Medicaid, set up a standing NEMT ride so you're not booking every time.
• Ask about home dialysis. It isn't for everyone, but Medicare covers training and supplies, and it removes the ride entirely.

What we can do

Text us "ride" with your town and when your appointments are. We'll find the Medicaid broker if you're eligible, the paratransit registration process, the Area Agency on Aging program, and any volunteer driver programs in your area, with phone numbers.