Medical, Dental & Pharmacy

Transportation

Refer to the Minnesota Department of Human Services NEMT Guide for information about transportation. PrimeWest Health guidelines may vary from State guidelines in some instances.

Nonemergency Medical Transportation Services (NEMT)

NEMT provides Medical Assistance (Medicaid) members with the safest, most appropriate, and cost-effective mode of transportation to get to and from nonemergency medical service appointments. Members can arrange NEMT as one-way or round trips. Medical necessity determines which of the following types or levels of transport and ancillary services the member is to be certified for:

  1. PrimeWest Health NEMT Services (sometimes called “common carrier”): Local agency NEMT includes private automobiles, volunteer drivers, buses, taxicabs, light rail, or other commercial carriers for transportation to and from covered medical services.
    1. Volunteer drivers (Mode 2 – volunteer driver mileage)
    2. Bus, taxicab, or dial-a-ride; light rail or other commercial carriers (Mode 3 – unassisted)
  2. Modes 4 – 7: Transport services for members with physical or mental impairments.
    1. Assisted transportation (Mode 4)
    2. Ramp or lift-equipped vehicle transportation (wheelchair, scooter) (Mode 5)
    3. Protected transport services (Mode 6)
    4. Stretcher transportation (Mode 7)

Emergency Medical Transportation

Ambulance Transportation Services is the transport of a member whose medical condition or diagnosis requires medically necessary services before and during transport. This includes air and ground and emergency and nonemergency ambulance services.

Community Paramedic Services

Community paramedics assist in the care of members living in underserved communities.

Eligible Members

To be eligible to receive NEMT services, the member must meet one of the following criteria:

  1. Be enrolled in one of the following PrimeWest Health Medical Assistance (Medicaid) programs:
    1. Families and Children
    2. Special Needs BasicCare (SNBC)
    3. Minnesota Senior Care Plus (MSC+)
    4. Prime Health Complete (HMO SNP)
    5. PrimeWest Senior Health Complete (HMO SNP)
  2. Be a MinnesotaCare enrollee under age 19
  3. Be a pregnant woman enrolled in MinnesotaCare

 

Transportation to services provided for a waiver program is the responsibility of the waiver program.
 

PW_11-19_594
Updated_08/13/2025