Getting patients to and from medical appointments is a core Medicaid benefit. It's also a $33.9 billion line item — and one of the most fraud-prone categories in the entire program.
The transportation spending in the HHS Medicaid provider spending dataset spans emergency ambulance services, non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), mileage reimbursements, stretcher vans, and even fixed-wing air transport. Here's how it breaks down:
Transportation Spending by Code
| Code | Description | Total Paid | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|
| A0427 | ALS1 emergency transport | $7.67B | 5,789 |
| A0429 | BLS emergency transport | $6.06B | 6,413 |
| A0425 | Ground mileage | $3.45B | 9,292 |
| T2003 | Non-emergency transport, per trip | $2.44B | 5,347 |
| A0428 | BLS non-emergency | $1.83B | 2,690 |
| S0215 | Non-emergency transport mileage | $1.54B | 2,454 |
| A0431 | Rotary wing (helicopter) | $0.92B | 358 |
| T2005 | Non-emergency stretcher van | $0.44B | 425 |
| A0434 | Specialty care transport | $0.28B | 474 |
| A0430 | Fixed wing air transport | $0.27B | 120 |
The Biggest Billers
The top transportation provider is ModivCare Solutions, LLC in Denver, Colorado. Their NPPES taxonomy code classifies them as "Taxi" — and they've billed $3.09 billion in Medicaid payments. Their spending has grown from $347 million in 2018 to $584 million in 2023, though it dipped slightly to $512 million in 2024.
ModivCare (formerly Providence Service Corporation) is actually the largest non-emergency medical transportation broker in the country. They manage transportation networks rather than operating vehicles directly. The "Taxi" taxonomy is technically accurate for their NEMT broker role, but the scale is worth noting.
Other major transportation billers:
| Provider | Location | Total Paid | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Transportation Management, Inc. | Lake St Louis, MO | $894M | NEMT Broker |
| Call The Car | Pasadena, CA | $723M | NEMT |
| Access2Care LLC | Lake St Louis, MO | $600M | NEMT |
| Acadian Ambulance Service, Inc. | Lafayette, LA | $422M | Ambulance |
| Veyo, LLC | Lake St Louis, MO | $416M | NEMT Broker |
| Rocky Mountain Holdings, LLC | Sylacauga, AL | $285M | Ambulance |
Notice that Medical Transportation Management, Access2Care, and Veyo are all based in Lake St Louis, Missouri. MTM and Veyo are actually related companies — Veyo was spun off from MTM in 2019. Together they represent over $1.9 billion in Medicaid transportation billing from one small Missouri city.
Why Transportation Is a Fraud Hotspot
NEMT fraud is well-documented across the country. Common schemes include:
- Billing for trips that never happened ("phantom rides")
- Billing mileage for circuitous routes
- Transporting ineligible patients or transporting to non-medical destinations
- Billing ambulance rates for patients who could have taken a van
- Kickback arrangements between transportation companies and healthcare providers
The Office of Inspector General has repeatedly flagged Medicaid transportation as high-risk. In 2023 alone, multiple states reported NEMT fraud cases involving tens of millions of dollars.
Call The Car in Pasadena is a notable case study — their billing grew 56% in one year, from $175 million to $273 million. Their primary code is A0425 (ground mileage) at $234 million. Whether that growth reflects legitimate service expansion or something else is exactly the kind of question this data is meant to raise.
Explore the Data
Browse all transport-related billing codes: A0427 (ALS emergency), A0429 (BLS emergency), A0425 (ground mileage), T2003 (non-emergency trips), or search for transport providers directly.