Medicaid Transportation
Do you receive Washington State Medicaid?
If you have a current Medicaid Assistance ID card and are going to a covered medical service within your community, you may be eligible for Medicaid Transportation.
Covered Medical Services
The Community in Motion provides non-emergency transportation assistance in Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Skamania, and Wahkiakum Counties for those services covered by Medicaid (contact information below). Paratransit Services provides non-emergency transportation assistance in Grays Harbor, Lewis, and Pacific Counties for those services covered by Medicaid. Medicaid transportation services provided by Paratransit Services can be reached at 360-377-7007.
The Community in Motion provides transportation to the closest medical provider of type of care you need in your community. We cannot transport to services which are not covered under your specific Medicaid program.
Typical services to which we provide transportation include:
- Physicians
- Medical Clinics
- Urgent Medical Care
- Mental Health
- Dialysis
Most Appropriate, Least Costly
When you request a ride, we work with you and your medical provider to determine the type of transportation most suited to your abilities. We then locate the lowest-cost option given your needs, and arrange for service with one of our providers. The most common types of transportation available include:
- Public bus tickets and passes
- Gas vouchers
- Mileage reimbursement
- Volunteer Drivers
- Wheelchair van/cabulance
- Taxi
Out of Area Transportation
If a medical service is not available in the local community, we may arrange transport to the closest available provider in another location. Out-of-area transportation must be pre-authorized by your local doctor. We recommend that you call us at least 7 working days in advance to allow us time to arrange and complete the DSHS approval process for trips outside your local community.
Scheduling a ride
To allow us time to schedule your ride, call our office at least two (2) business days before a scheduled medical appointment. We can take requests up to 14 days in advance. Our phone lines are open Monday-Friday from 8 am to 5 pm, excluding the lunch hour and major holidays. Transport to urgent appointments may be scheduled on an "as available" basis. During the evening and on weekends our transporters can also provide service to non-life threatening urgent care, as well as rides home from a hospital stay. If you need to cancel a ride, please call us as soon as possible, but at least 2 business hours before your scheduled pick-up time.
Information to have ready when you call
- Your DSHS Medicaid ID card
- Your complete pick-up address
- The name, complete address, and phone number of your medical provider
- Your exact appointment date and time
- The type of medical appointment (examples: dialysis, OB, primary care, mental health)
- Your return time, if known
- First-time callers will be asked additional screening questions
When to be ready for a ride
When you call us for a ride, we will tell you when you need to be ready to be picked up. Your ride may arrive up to 15 minutes before or after your scheduled pick-up time. For shared rides you may be asked to be ready earlier than you expect. Unexpected delays may occur due to extreme traffic congestion, road construction, or weather conditions.
How to contact Washington State Medicaid Transportation:
- If you are calling from within Clark County, call: 360-694-9997.
- If you are calling from within Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Skamania or Klickitat County, call: 1-800-752-9422, option 1.
- If you are a social or health service provider, you may fax us transport requests on behalf of DSHS clients. Call us at the numbers above to ask for our standard facility transport request form. Our fax number is 360-694-1446.
- The Washington Relay Service is available for callers with hearing impairments.
- Telephone interpretation is available for all non-English language calls.