Private-Pay Medical Transportation: Rates and Booking

When private pay makes sense

• The appointment is soon. Medicaid and plan benefits usually need several business days of notice. We need three hours for a same-day request.
• A discharge can’t wait. Hospitals discharge on their own schedule. We need three hours notice for a hospital discharge.
• Insurance doesn’t cover it. Original Medicare doesn’t cover wheelchair or stretcher vans; see does Medicare cover wheelchair transportation.
• The plan’s rides are used up, or the plan’s broker can’t schedule the trip.
• The trip isn’t medical. A family event, a move to a new residence or a trip out of the area; see special trips and long-distance transport.
• You want to choose. The same company, and often the same driver, every week.

Wheelchair and ambulatory rates

Every trip is a pick-up fee plus mileage. A round trip is billed per leg, with five miles included on each leg. These are our 2026 private-pay rates:

To compare these rates with the rest of the region, see our 2026 medical transportation cost index.

A ten-mile round trip is $55 plus five extra miles at $3.00 on each leg, so $70 each way and $140 in total. The same ten miles one way, such as a discharge home, is $90 plus $30, so $120.

Stretcher rates

Every stretcher trip runs bed to bed with two crew.

A ten-mile stretcher discharge is $260 plus $40, so $300.

Add-ons, named up front

• Stairs: a stair chair team, $75 each way, for a wheelchair rider who can’t manage steps. An ambulatory rider who can walk the steps with the driver’s help pays nothing extra.
• After hours (before 7am or after 6pm): $30 wheelchair, $50 stretcher.
• Prescheduled wait time: $75 per hour wheelchair, $100 per hour stretcher.
• Additional stop: $20 wheelchair, $30 stretcher.
• Oxygen: riders can bring their own portable oxygen, or we supply it at $35 per 2L tank.
• Credit card processing: 3%.

A family member or caregiver can usually ride along; tell us when you book. Wheelchairs are free: if the rider doesn’t have a suitable chair, we bring one at no extra cost. The full card is on our rates page.

How booking works

1. Request the trip online, by phone at (703) 304-7889, by email at Reservations@hmtransport.com, or in our mobile app.
2. Tell us about the rider: level of service, weight if over 300 lbs, steps at the home, oxygen, and anyone riding along.
3. Get the quote. We price the trip before you book, and the quote is what you pay.
4. Get confirmation by call or text.

We need a minimum of three hours notice for same-day requests and discharges, and booking 24 hours ahead guarantees availability. Cancel or change at least two hours before pickup to avoid a fee. Standing orders and will-call returns are available for any recurring treatment, so dialysis and therapy rides repeat without rebooking. If you or the clinic can call a little before you’re done, we’ll start a driver your way. The earlier the call, the shorter the wait.

Private pay, Medicaid and facilities

If the rider has Medicaid, a covered trip should cost them nothing, so check that first. In Virginia, call the transportation number on your Medicaid ID card; the brokers we work with are MTM Health and SafeRide Health. Request H&M Transport specifically when you book your ride. Our Virginia Medicaid transportation guide has the details.

Hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, dialysis centers and hospices book on contracted rates through our facilities page. Families always pay the published rates on this page.

Common questions

How much does a private wheelchair van ride cost?

A round trip is $55 per leg with five miles included each way, plus $3.00 per additional mile. A ten-mile round trip is $140.

How much does a private stretcher ride cost?

A round trip is $230 per leg with five miles included each way, plus $4.00 per additional mile. A one-way or discharge trip is $260 plus $4.00 per mile.

Do I need a doctor’s order for a private-pay ride?

No. Private-pay rides need no doctor’s order.

How much notice do you need?

A minimum of three hours for same-day requests and discharges. Booking 24 hours ahead guarantees availability.

Are the rates different in DC or Maryland?

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

What is the cancellation policy?

Cancel or change at least two hours before pickup to avoid a fee.

Can I use my HSA or FSA, or deduct medical transportation on my taxes?

Usually, yes. Under IRS rules, transportation that is mainly for and essential to medical care counts as a medical expense, and that is the same test HSA and FSA plans use. So a ride to a medical appointment can generally be paid from an HSA or FSA or counted toward an itemized medical deduction. We’ll send an itemized receipt for any trip on request. Your plan administrator makes the final call on reimbursement, and a tax advisor can confirm the deduction for your situation.

Does the VA pay for medical transportation?

Eligible veterans can get travel help through the VA’s Beneficiary Travel program, including special-mode transport such as a wheelchair van when the VA approves it in advance. Those rides are arranged through the travel office at your VA medical center. H&M Transport is not a VA travel vendor, but any veteran or family can book with us directly at our published rates, from $55 per leg on a round trip.

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.