| Standard NEMT (sedan/SUV) | Ambulette (wheelchair van) | |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger mobility | Can walk or transfer into a car seat | Stays seated in their wheelchair |
| Vehicle | Sedan or SUV | Van with hydraulic lift or ramp + wheelchair securements |
| Door-through-door help | ✓ Driver assists to and from the door | ✓ Driver assists and secures the wheelchair |
| Typical riders | Ambulatory seniors, dialysis, follow-up visits | Wheelchair users, limited weight-bearing, bariatric needs |
| Coverage | Medicaid (MAS), Medicare Advantage, private pay | Medicaid (MAS) — may require ambulette authorization |
| When booking | Request standard NEMT | Specify wheelchair / ambulette so the right vehicle is sent |
What is NEMT?
Non-Emergency Medical Transportation describes the entire category of scheduled, non-emergency, ground-based medical transport. It includes everything from a sedan picking up a senior for a doctor visit to a wheelchair-accessible van transporting a dialysis patient to a stretcher transport moving a bedridden patient.
What is an ambulette?
An ambulette is a wheelchair-accessible van staffed by a trained driver-attendant. It has a hydraulic lift or ramp, four-point wheelchair securement, and seating for ambulatory passengers and companions. Ambulettes are used for NEMT trips where the passenger needs accessibility (wheelchair) and door-through-door assistance but does not need medical monitoring.
Which do I need — NEMT or an ambulette?
- Ambulatory passenger, no mobility device: Standard NEMT sedan or wagon.
- Wheelchair user or significant mobility limitation: Ambulette.
- Cannot sit up, must lie flat: Stretcher transport (a different vehicle).
- Medical emergency or needs monitoring en route: Ambulance, not NEMT.
How do NEMT and ambulette prices compare?
Ambulette trips typically cost more than ambulatory NEMT trips, because the vehicle is more specialized and loading/securement takes more time. Medicaid pays a higher rate for ambulette trips; private-pay rates are also higher — see our pricing.