Stretcher Transportation in Washington, DC

What our stretcher service includes in Washington

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.

DC hospitals and discharges

Most of our DC stretcher discharges begin at MedStar Washington Hospital Center on Irving Street NW, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital on Reservoir Road, George Washington University Hospital in Foggy Bottom, Sibley Memorial Hospital on Loughboro Road, Howard University Hospital on Georgia Avenue, and Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health in Ward 8, which opened in April 2025 and replaced United Medical Center. Tell us the unit and the crew goes to the room.

For case managers, we commit to a three-hour maximum lead time and free cancellation up to two hours before pickup. We run scheduled transfers between facilities when the patient is stable. We do not move patients between hospitals for a higher level of care.

Rehab, long-term care and hospice

Stable transfers out of acute care are a large part of our DC stretcher work: to MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital on Irving Street, to BridgePoint’s long-term care hospitals on Capitol Hill and on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SW, and to skilled nursing facilities across the District, including Unique Rehabilitation & Health Center, Washington Center for Aging Services, Carroll Manor, Stoddard Baptist and Capitol City Rehab & Healthcare Center. We also run hospice discharges home.

For dialysis riders who can no longer manage a chair, we run standing stretcher schedules to centers in every quadrant.

Stretcher transportation prices in Washington

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. The rates are the same in DC, Maryland and Virginia, so a discharge from a DC hospital to a home in the suburbs is quoted on the same card.

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 Washington 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 DC homes

• Rowhouses often have steps from the sidewalk and narrow interior stairs. Tell us the step count and whether the stairway turns; the stair team handles it.
• Apartment buildings need a loading or garage entrance and a service elevator large enough for the cot. Tell us both, and anything the front desk needs.
• Parking. The crew needs a safe place to stop while the cot is loaded; a driveway, alley or loading entrance helps.
• Oxygen. Tell us the flow rate when you book.

Who pays for a stretcher ride in Washington

DC Medicaid. In Washington DC, the only Medicaid plan we serve is UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of the District of Columbia, through SafeRide Health: members book through the plan and request H&M Transport by name. Members of other DC Medicaid plans arrange their rides through the transportation number on their ID card. H&M Transport is not a Medicaid provider in Maryland. In DC, Montgomery and Prince George’s alike, if your health plan’s ride benefit is administered by SafeRide Health, book through the plan and request H&M Transport by name.

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 Washington: common questions

How much does stretcher transportation cost in DC?

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. A ten-mile discharge is $300.

Do you take stretcher discharges from DC hospitals?

Yes, with three hours notice. Tell us the unit and the destination, and whether there are steps at the home.

Can you bring a patient home to Virginia or Maryland from a DC hospital?

Yes. We hold WMATC authority 3449 for trips between the District, Northern Virginia and the Maryland suburbs.

Does DC Medicaid cover stretcher rides with H&M Transport?

Only for members of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of the District of Columbia, through SafeRide Health: book through the plan and request H&M Transport by name. Members of other DC Medicaid plans use the transportation number on their ID card. If any health plan’s ride benefit is administered by SafeRide Health, you can book through the plan and ask for us.

Do you move patients from the hospital to rehab or long-term care?

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

Why are there two crew members?

Every stretcher trip has two trained crew so the transfer at both ends is safe.

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.

More from H&M Transport near Washington

Washington DC: all medical transportation · Wheelchair transportation in Washington DC · Stretcher transportation across the DC region · Stretcher transportation in Silver Spring · Stretcher transportation in Arlington · Hospice discharge