Maryland Medicaid Transportation: Montgomery and Prince George’s

How Maryland Medicaid transportation works

Unlike Virginia, Maryland keeps non-emergency transportation out of its Medicaid health plans. The Maryland Department of Health funds each county’s program, and the county decides who rides and which vendor drives. In most of the state the local health department runs it; in Montgomery County the Department of Transportation does.

All the programs have the same basic rules:

• Last resort. The member must have no other way to get to the appointment.
• Covered services only. The trip must be to a Medicaid-covered service.
• A doctor’s certification. The county needs a medical certification of the member’s need, especially for a wheelchair or stretcher.

Montgomery County: the Medical Assistance Transportation Program

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation runs the Medical Assistance Transportation Program for ambulatory, wheelchair and stretcher riders. According to the county:

• Scheduling: 240-777-5899, weekday mornings.
• Notice: rides can be scheduled up to seven days ahead, and next-day rides must be booked by noon the working day before.
• Same day: not available, except for hospital discharges.

Our Silver Spring, Bethesda and Rockville pages cover private-pay service across Montgomery County.

Prince George’s County: the Health Department program

The Prince George’s County Health Department runs the county’s non-emergency medical assistance transportation program through contracted vendors. According to the county:

• Scheduling: 301-856-9555, weekdays during business hours.
• Notice: at least 24 hours ahead.
• Certification: the member’s primary care physician certifies the need, and longer trips need a referral.
• Availability: rides are not guaranteed, except after a hospital discharge.

Where H&M Transport fits in Maryland

We drive in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties every day, for families, facilities and health plans:

• SafeRide Health benefits. In Montgomery, Prince George’s and DC alike, if your health plan’s ride benefit is administered by SafeRide Health, book through the plan and request H&M Transport by name. That includes some Medicare Advantage plans; see our Medicare Advantage transportation guide.
• Private pay. When the county can’t schedule a trip, or the rider doesn’t qualify, families book us directly. Wheelchair trips start at $55 per leg and stretcher trips at $230 per leg, the same as in Virginia and DC, and no doctor’s order is needed.
• Facilities. Hospitals such as Holy Cross and Adventist White Oak, and skilled nursing facilities, book on contracted rates through our facilities page.
• Across the line. Under WMATC authority 3449 we take Maryland riders into DC and Northern Virginia at the same rates.

When families use private pay

The county programs were built as a last resort, and their rules show it: several days of notice, no same-day trips except discharges, and weekday-only scheduling. Families come to us when the appointment is tomorrow, when a rider is going home from rehab on a Saturday, or when the rider needs the same driver every dialysis day.

Private pay. When a ride is not covered, or the plan cannot schedule it in time, families can book H&M Transport directly at our published rates. Wheelchair trips start at $55 per leg on a round trip and stretcher trips at $230 per leg, the same in Virginia, Maryland and DC. No doctor’s order is needed for a private-pay ride. See our private-pay guide or the full rates page.

Common questions

Does H&M Transport take Maryland Medicaid?

No. H&M Transport is not a Medicaid provider in Maryland. Medicaid rides in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties go through each county’s program.

How do I get a Medicaid ride in Montgomery County?

Call the Montgomery County Department of Transportation’s Medical Assistance Transportation Program. The county schedules up to seven days ahead, with no same-day rides except hospital discharges.

How do I get a Medicaid ride in Prince George’s County?

Call the Prince George’s County Health Department’s transportation program at least 24 hours ahead. A physician’s certification is required.

Can I use my health plan’s ride benefit with H&M Transport in Maryland?

Yes, if the plan’s ride benefit is administered by SafeRide Health. Book through the plan and request H&M Transport by name.

Can you pick up same day in Maryland?

Yes, as a private-pay trip. We need a minimum of three hours notice for same-day requests and discharges.

Are your rates different in Maryland?

No. Our published rates are the same in Maryland, Virginia and DC.

What we don’t do

H&M Transport runs non-emergency medical transportation. There is no medical care or monitoring on board, we never take anyone to an emergency room, and we do not move patients between hospitals for a higher level of care. We do run scheduled, stable transfers between facilities, such as hospital to rehab or to a nursing home. If a rider becomes unwell during a trip, the driver stops safely and calls 911. In an emergency, call 911.