Stretcher Transportation in Arlington, VA

What our stretcher service includes in Arlington

Stretcher transportation is for riders who cannot sit upright safely for the length of the trip. We run it bed-to-bed: the crew comes to the room, not the front door.

• Two crew on every trip. Moving an adult between a bed and a cot is not a one-person job, so every stretcher trip has two trained crew members.
• Power-assisted cots. Our stretcher vans carry power-assisted Stryker cots that raise and lower the rider smoothly and ride flat or reclined.
• Bed to bed. The crew transfers the rider from the bed to the cot, out to the van, and at the other end into the bed, chair or exam table waiting for them.
• Trained crews. Stretcher crews complete the NEMTAC Certified Stretcher Operator course, and every employee passes a criminal background check and drug screening.
• Accredited. H&M Transport was the first NEMT provider in Virginia to earn NEMTAC accreditation.

There is no medical care on board, which is why a stretcher van costs a fraction of an ambulance and can be scheduled like any other appointment.

Arlington hospitals and discharges

VHC Health on North George Mason Drive is where most of our Arlington stretcher discharges start. After hours the main hospital is entered through the emergency entrance, so for evening discharges we coordinate the pickup point with the floor; visitors are directed to the green garage in Zone C. Tell us the unit and the crew comes to the room.

Arlington patients are also discharged from Inova Alexandria Hospital, Inova Fairfax Hospital and hospitals in Washington DC, and we bring them home to Arlington from all of them. For case managers, we commit to a three-hour maximum lead time and free cancellation up to two hours before pickup.

Rehab, skilled nursing and hospice in Arlington

Many Arlington stretcher trips go to or from rehabilitation and skilled nursing. Carlin Springs Health & Rehabilitation on South Carlin Springs Road is a frequent stop, and we run scheduled transfers between facilities when the patient is stable, such as hospital to rehab or rehab to home.

For hospice discharges, we plan the trip around the hospital bed at home and the family waiting there. For recurring outpatient care, including dialysis for riders who can no longer sit through the ride, a standing order keeps the schedule on our books.

Stretcher transportation prices in Arlington

Every trip is a pick-up fee plus mileage, and the rates are the same everywhere we drive. These are our 2026 private-pay rates.

A ten-mile hospital discharge home is $260 plus $40 of mileage, so $300. A ten-mile round trip to an appointment is $230 plus five extra miles at $4.00 on each leg, so $250 each way and $500 in total. Because Arlington is compact, many local stretcher trips are short: a four-mile discharge home is $276.

Add-ons, named up front. Stair team, $75 each way. After hours (before 7am or after 6pm), $50. Prescheduled wait time, $100 per hour. Oxygen, $35 per 2L tank. Additional stop, $30. Credit card processing, 3%. We quote the trip before you book; the full rate card is on our rates page.

Why paratransit and rideshare are not options for stretcher riders

Public paratransit such as MetroAccess and the county services near Arlington is built for riders who travel seated or in a wheelchair, and a rideshare or taxi needs the rider to sit up and get in on their own. A rider who has to travel lying down needs a stretcher van or, if they need medical care on the way, an ambulance. That is why most of our stretcher bookings come from discharge planners, skilled nursing facilities, hospice teams and families arranging a single important trip.

Getting a stretcher in and out of Arlington buildings

• Service elevators. Most towers in Rosslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon, Ballston and Pentagon City require the service elevator for a cot. Tell us if it must be reserved.
• Garage clearance. Give us the loading or garage entrance and the clearance if you know it; our stretcher vans are taller than a car.
• Garden apartments and townhouses often have steps at the entry and narrow halls. Tell us the step count and whether the stairway turns, and we send the stair team when needed.
• Oxygen. Tell us the flow rate when you book. Riders can bring their own portable oxygen, or we supply it.

Who pays for a stretcher ride in Arlington

Medicaid. If the rider is a Virginia Medicaid member and the trip is to a covered medical service, the ride should cost them nothing, and it is not booked directly with us. 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. See our Virginia Medicaid transportation guide.

Medicare. Original Medicare does not cover a stretcher van. It covers ambulance transport when an ambulance is medically necessary and documented. Some Medicare Advantage plans include a limited transportation benefit; if yours does, book through the plan and ask for H&M Transport by name.

Private pay and facilities. Families booking directly pay the published rates above, and the quote is what you pay. Hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and hospices book on contracted rates, with a three-hour maximum lead time for discharges; see our facilities page.

Booking, notice and cancellations

• Same-day requests and discharges: call (703) 304-7889. We need a minimum of three hours notice, and we cover most requests inside that window. Booking 24 hours ahead guarantees availability.
• Trip details: tell us the room or unit, the destination, the rider’s weight, any oxygen and flow rate, and the number of steps at the home and whether the stairway turns.
• Stairs: when a stairway needs the stair team, it adds $75 each way.
• Weight: for riders over 300 lbs, select bariatric service so the reinforced cot is assigned.
• Changes and cancellations: cancel or change at least two hours before pickup to avoid a fee, by phone, by email at Reservations@hmtransport.com, or in our mobile app.

Stretcher transportation in Arlington: common questions

How much does stretcher transportation cost in Arlington?

A round trip is $230 per leg with five miles included each way and $4.00 per additional mile. A one-way or discharge trip is $260 plus $4.00 per mile, so a four-mile discharge is $276.

Can you pick up a stretcher discharge at VHC Health in the evening?

Yes. After hours the main hospital is entered through the emergency entrance, so tell us the unit and we coordinate the pickup with the floor. We need three hours notice.

Can you bring a patient home to Arlington from a DC hospital?

Yes. We hold WMATC authority 3449 for trips between DC, Northern Virginia and the Maryland suburbs, at the same rates.

Can you get a stretcher out of a high-rise?

Yes. Tell us the loading entrance and whether the service elevator must be reserved, and the crew brings the cot to the unit.

Do you move patients from the hospital to rehab?

Yes, when the patient is stable. We do not move patients between hospitals for a higher level of care; that is an ambulance trip.

Why are there two crew members?

Every stretcher trip has two trained crew so there is always a second pair of hands for the transfer at both ends.

Does Medicaid cover stretcher rides in Arlington?

For covered medical trips, yes, and the rider pays nothing. 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.

Stretcher van or ambulance?

A stretcher van carries a stable rider lying down. It is not an ambulance: there is no medical care or monitoring on board, we do not take anyone to an emergency room, and we do not move patients between hospitals for a higher level of care. We do run scheduled transfers between facilities when the patient is stable, such as hospital to rehab or hospital to a nursing home. If this is a medical emergency, call 911.

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