Transportation
NEMT Members
Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT): Trillium has contracted with Modivcare to provide non-emergency medical transportation to help you get to and from your appointments for Medicaid-covered care. Rides will be arranged with the nearest appropriate provider. This service is free to you. NEMT is for Medicaid members on the Tailored Plan only.
Emergency: If you need emergency transportation (an ambulance), call 911.
NC Medicaid Direct Members: Call your local DSS office to learn more about transportation services.
Trillium can arrange and pay for your transportation to help you get to and from your appointments for Medicaid-covered care. This service is available if you do not have a car or other transportation available to you. If you need an attendant to go with you to your doctor’s appointment, or if your child (18 years old or younger) is a member of the plan, transportation is also covered for the attendant, parent or guardian. Non-emergency transportation includes personal vehicles, taxis, vans, mini-buses, mountain area transports and public transportation.
How to Get Non-Emergency Transportation: Call ModivCare, our transportation provider, at 1-877-685-2415 up to 30 days before your appointment to arrange transportation to and from your appointment. There is no limit to the number of trips during the year between medical appointments, healthcare facilities, or pharmacies.
Transportation must be scheduled for at least 2 business days before, but not more than thirty (30) days before of your appointment.
A customer service representative will ask for the following information:
- Your full name, current address, and phone number
- Your Medicaid ID number
- The date of your appointment
- The name, address, and phone number of where you are going
- The name, address, and phone number of your doctor/provider
- The medical reason you need a ride
- The type of appointment (for example: doctor/provider visit, lab test, therapy appointment)
- The type of assistance or mobility aid you require
Please have this information ready when you call.
ModivCare's reservation hours are Monday - Saturday, 7:00 am - 6:00 pm. ModivCare is closed on Sundays and national holidays (New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day). |
What we expect of YOU
- Be ready at the designated place for transportation pickup.
- Follow the instructions of the driver.
- Respect other passengers and the driver. Do not threaten them or use offensive language.
No-Shows
A no-show is when you do not go to your medical appointment. This includes members who are issued gas vouchers and mileage reimbursement.
- You must be ready and at the designated place for pickup at the time required by the transportation vendor.
- You must complete your trip and show evidence in order to be issued mileage reimbursement.
- You must call the number provided for trip requests to cancel scheduled transportation at least 24 hours in advance.
Cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance may count as one no-show, unless there was good cause for the cancellation.
Members who miss three or more trips within three months may be suspended from transportation services for up to 30 days.
Help for Urgent Trips
If you need transportation services right away, call Trillium at 1-877-685-2415. We will work with ModivCare to handle ride assistance and urgent reservation requests (including discharges) Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. Urgent trips include sick visits, hospital discharge requests and life-sustaining treatment.
Questions about Your Ride
If you have questions about a ride you set up or need to cancel it, call 1-877-685-2415.
Download the Modivcare Mobile App
The Modivcare App makes it easy to book a ride for your doctor visit when and where you like, right from your smartphone or tablet. Just search for the Modivcare App on Google Play® or the Apple App Store®, and download it to your smartphone or tablet.
Qualified members can book and manage trips once the app is downloaded to their device.
With the app you can:
- Book an upcoming trip
- Make trip changes, set up future trips, or cancel your trip
- See where your driver is in real time
- Text or call your driver to make sure your ride is on time.
- Contact a live service agent directly in the app
These resources are available in the Modivcare mobile app. Visit your phone's app store to download a free version.
Frequently Asked NEMT Questions:
- Call Trillium at 1-877-685-2415 between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Request should be made two business days in advance. ModivCare is closed Sundays and national holidays (New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day).
- Call Trillium at 1-877-685-2415 to cancel or change a scheduled ride.
- You can schedule a ride up to 2 days before your appointment and no more than thirty (30) days in advance of their appointment.
- Also, members may schedule recurring “subscription” trips (e.g. for dialysis) up to 3 months in advance.
- Yes. You, a relative, caregiver or facility staff member can schedule rides
- Transportation to and from all your medical appointments. This could be personal vehicles, taxis, vans, mini-buses, mountain area transports, public transportation or other kinds of vehicles.
- Meals and lodging coverage may be available (if verified as medical necessity) for a trip of 75 miles* or more one way. For more information about this coverage, contact Trillium at 1-877-685-2415.
- *Meals and lodging must be determined to be less expensive than daily travel from home (unless deemed medically necessary). Overnight lodging is not to exceed the state rate or the county reimbursement rate.
- The type of transportation you get will be based on your level of need. Types of possible transportation include taxis, vans, mini-buses, , public transportation, or personal vehicles.
- Your ride will arrive at the scheduled time, and they will wait up to 5 minutes after arrival for pick-up. You will arrive to your appointment on time and no earlier than 1 hour before your appointment. Your ride home from the appointment will be within 1 hour after your appointment ends. You will not have to leave your appointment early to catch your ride.
- If you are not happy with your transportation service, you may file a grievance (complaint). If you have any questions about filing a grievance, call Trillium’s Member and Recipient Services at 1-877-685-2415.
- If you have a vehicle or someone you know can give you a ride to an appointment, you may qualify for fuel reimbursement (pay back). To find out if you qualify for the fuel reimbursement program call Trillium at 1-877-685-2415.
- Trillium follows the current IRS rate for reimbursement.
- Yes. If you no longer need transportation to an appointment, please call Modivcare at 855-759-9600 so they can cancel your ride.
- For certain types of trips, Trillium may need to review the request or ask for additional information before we can schedule the trip. This is called preauthorization. Types of trips that may require preauthorization include:
- Trips further than 75 miles from your pick-up location
- Trips out of state that are further than 75 miles from your pick-up location
- Trips in an ambulance that were not an emergency
- Trips that will require overnight stays
- If you disagree with a decision made about your transportation, you have the right to appeal our decision. If you have any questions about filing an appeal, call Trillium’s Member and Recipient Services at 1-877-685-2415.
- You may also request lodging (hotel) when an appointment requires more than 3 hours of travel or if your medical condition or treatment requires an overnight stay near the location of the provider. If you need an attendant to go with you to your appointment their lodging will also be covered.
- In some cases, certain meals may be covered for members and attendants:
- Breakfast: if a member leaves for an appointment before 6 a.m.
- Lunch: if a member is approved for overnight lodging
- Dinner: if a member will not return from a trip before 8 p.m.
- Yes, a caregiver or companion can come with you. If you’re under 18, a parent, guardian or adult over 18 must come with you.
- Yes, if you need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle or other accommodations, let Modivcare know when scheduling your ride.
- Bring any supportive devices you use, like a wheelchair, oxygen tank or child safety seat.
- Call Trillium at 1-877-685-2415 if your ride is late. They will help you find your driver or arrange another ride.
- There are no limits for medically necessary rides.
- Tailored Plan Medicaid members are eligible, except those with dual Medicare/Medicaid eligibility, members in the Innovations Waiver attending Day Supports, members nursing homes or in long-term care, Tribal Option or those under NC Medicaid Direct (NEMT is handled by local county DSS for Medicaid Direct members).
- If your Medicaid status changes, you may need to switch transportation providers. To be sure, call the NC Medicaid Enrollment Broker at 833-870-5500 (TTY 833-870-5588).
- Yes, NEMT can provide rides to pick up medical supplies or equipment that Medicaid covers.
- Trillium Medicaid members can get rides to any Medicaid-covered treatment within North Carolina. Travel outside of the state or more than 75 miles away must be pre-approved by Trillium.
Frequently Asked Modivcare App Questions:
- You can submit a trip up to 30 days in advance.
- Each individual trip is its own trip request. For example, if you have a trip to schedule 10 days from now, and another trip to schedule 20 days from now, you will need to book those trips separately.
- Trips need to be booked two business days in advance. For urgent booking, please call one of our agents to assist.
- Yes. The app has will call functionality if you aren’t sure what time you need to be picked up from your location.
- No. Once you enter your member information the first time, it will be stored within the app, and you will not need to enter it again.
- Not yet, but Modivcare is working on adding that feature!
- Yes, you can cancel a trip request from the app and do not need to call in.
- Yes, you can edit a trip request from the app without having to call in. However, your edit must be at least two business days in advance of your trip. If you need to edit a trip that is in less than two business days, you will need to call 877-685-2415 between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and speak to one of our agents.
- Yes. While a driver is on the way, you can call or text the driver from within the app. Your phone number will remain anonymous and private.
- For a training video on how to download and utilize the Modivcare app.
NEMT Providers
- If you want to Join our Transportation Provider Network:
- Standing Orders for Transportation
- Providers should complete the Standing Order Form for recurring appointments such as Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Program (SAIOP) trips, Day Program trips, etc.
Additional Resources
- Schedule rides online
- TripCare Resource Center | Modivcare
- TripCare Training Videos
- Member Services Website Training Videos
- MyModivcare
For more information on Transportation Services, please call us at 1-877-685-2415 (TTY: 711).