Reference

NEMT billing codes: the HCPCS codes and modifiers on a transportation claim

NEMT billing codes are HCPCS Level II codes: the A codes for transport type and mileage, the T codes for trips, attendants and wait time, and the S codes some programs use for mileage. Each line also carries a two-letter origin and destination modifier.

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Which codes a program accepts, and at what rate, is set by each state Medicaid program or broker, so the fee schedule is always the final word. NEMT billing services covers the work around the codes: broker portals, trip reconciliation and denials.

Last reviewed November 3, 2026 by the Remitwright billing team. Editorial policy

A0130
T2003
T2005
S0215

HCPCS

Transportation codes

Explanations are ours, written for operators. The official code set is published by CMS and linked in the sources.

HCPCS Level II transportation codes, what each covers, its unit, and notes on use.
Code	What it covers	Unit	Notes
A0080	Mileage when a volunteer with no stake in the trip drives the member	Per mile	Volunteer driver programs.
A0090	Mileage when someone with a stake in the trip, such as a relative or the member, does the driving	Per mile	Mileage reimbursement to individuals in some state programs.
A0100	A single trip by taxi	Per trip	Used where a program pays taxi trips at a flat rate.
A0110	A bus trip or fare, inside one state or across a state line	Per trip	Public transit passes and fares in some programs.
A0120	A ride on a mini-bus, a mountain-area service or another transit system the program recognizes	Per trip	Programs define what qualifies; check the state fee schedule.
A0130	A single trip in a wheelchair-accessible van	Per trip	The wheelchair van base code. Mileage is billed separately where the program allows.
A0140	A flight for non-emergency care, private or commercial, in-state or out of state	Per trip	Long-distance and rural programs. Each program sets its own prior authorization rule for air travel.
A0160	Mileage when a caseworker or social worker drives the member	Per mile	Agency staff transporting members.
A0170	Out-of-pocket costs on the trip, such as parking and tolls	Per item	Keep the receipt: programs that pay it set the proof of cost they need.
A0180	A night's lodging for the member when care is out of the area	Per night	Out-of-area care. Program rules on rates and approval apply.
A0190	Meals for the member while traveling for care	Per meal or day	As above.
A0200	A night's lodging for the escort who travels with the member	Per night	Where the program covers an escort.
A0210	Meals for the escort who travels with the member	Per meal or day	As above.
A0425	Miles driven on a ground trip, counted one mile at a time	Per mile	Medicare's ground ambulance mileage code. Which mileage code a state accepts for NEMT (A0425, S0215 or S0209) is set by its fee schedule.²
T2001	An attendant or escort who rides along with the member	Per trip or per unit as defined	When the program pays for an attendant beyond the driver.
T2002	A flat daily rate for a member's transport	Per diem	Programs that pay a daily rate rather than per trip.
T2003	A flat rate for a single trip or encounter	Per trip	A per-trip base code; each program sets the level of service it covers.
T2004	A transit or bus pass good for several trips	Per pass	Where the program buys passes rather than paying single fares.
T2005	A trip lying flat in a stretcher van, with no ambulance crew	Per trip	Stretcher level of service without ambulance staffing. Not an ambulance code.
T2007	Time a non-emergency vehicle or air ambulance spends waiting, counted in half-hour blocks	Per 30 minutes	Where the program pays wait time, it sets how the wait must be documented.
S0209	Miles driven on a wheelchair van trip	Per mile	An S code. The CMS HCPCS file marks S codes as temporary codes set up for private payers and not valid for Medicare; a state program that pays it lists it in its fee schedule.¹
S0215	Miles driven on a general non-emergency trip	Per mile	As above, for general NEMT mileage in programs that use S codes.¹

In the CMS HCPCS file, every code in this table except A0425 carries the coverage code for not payable by Medicare.¹ NEMT trips are billed to state Medicaid programs, their brokers and their plans.

Modifiers

Origin and destination modifiers

One letter for where the trip started, one for where it ended, combined into a two-character modifier on the transport line.

Place letters

Single-letter place codes used in origin and destination modifiers.
Letter	Place
D	A testing or treatment site that is neither a doctor's office nor a hospital
E	A care home, domiciliary or other custodial residence that is not a skilled nursing facility
G	A dialysis unit run by a hospital
H	A hospital
I	The handoff point where the member moves from one kind of transport to another, an airport or a helipad for example
J	A dialysis center that stands on its own, outside a hospital
N	A skilled nursing facility
P	A doctor's office
R	The member's home
S	Where an accident or sudden medical event happened
X	A stop at a doctor's office on the way to a hospital; use this letter only as the destination

Common pairs

Common two-letter origin and destination combinations and the trip each describes.
Modifier	Trip
RH	Residence to hospital
HR	Hospital to residence
RP	Residence to physician's office
PR	Physician's office to residence
RJ	Residence to freestanding dialysis facility
JR	Dialysis facility to residence
RD	Residence to a diagnostic or therapeutic site
NH	Skilled nursing facility to hospital
RE	Residence to a residential or custodial facility

The letters are the set Medicare defines for ambulance claims, where the first position is the origin and the second the destination.² Some state programs add modifiers of their own, such as TK on an Illinois attendant line or U1, U2 or U3 on a Texas T2003 claim; the NEMT state pages name them with the program document they come from.

On the claim

Using the codes on a claim

One line for the trip (A0130, T2003, T2005 and so on) and, where the program pays it, a second line for mileage (A0425, S0215 or S0209) with the number of miles as units.
The origin and destination modifier on the transport line, and on the mileage line where the program requires it.
A round trip is two one-way trips, each with its own lines and its own modifier pair, unless the program says otherwise.
Wait time (T2007), attendants (T2001) and ancillary costs (A0170) only where the program covers them and only with the documentation it asks for.
The authorization number, where the program or broker issued one, on every claim.

Questions

Questions about NEMT codes

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Which NEMT code should I use for a wheelchair trip?

A0130 covers the wheelchair van trip itself. Mileage, where the program pays it, goes on a second line with S0209, A0425 or S0215, depending on the program. Which pair applies, and whether mileage is paid at all, is set by the state's fee schedule, so the program's billing manual is the authority.

What are origin and destination modifiers?

A two-letter modifier added to a transport code: the first letter is where the trip started, the second is where it ended. R is the residence, H a hospital, P a physician's office, J a freestanding dialysis facility, and so on. RH means residence to hospital. Medicare requires one on every ambulance trip (Medicare Claims Processing Manual, chapter 15, section 30); each state program's manual says whether it applies to every NEMT line.

Do broker trips use these codes?

Sometimes. Some brokers pay from their own trip records and rate sheets without a HCPCS claim; others require claims with HCPCS codes and modifiers through their portal or clearinghouse. Each broker page sets out which. Where the state pays providers directly, the codes above apply.

Are ambulance codes NEMT codes?

No. Ambulance codes such as A0426, A0428 and A0429 describe staffed ambulance transport under a different benefit with different documentation and medical necessity rules. A stretcher van under T2005 is not an ambulance.

How do I find my state's NEMT fee schedule?

Each state Medicaid program publishes a transportation fee schedule or provider manual listing the codes it accepts, the modifiers it requires and the rates. The NEMT state pages link to the schedule for each state they cover; for any other state, the Medicaid program's provider website publishes it.