Ambulette service in Suffolk County, NY

Who does the driving: DachiPlus or a partner?

We want to be plain about this, because the wrong vehicle at the curb is the most common way a wheelchair trip fails. DachiPlus runs sedans and SUVs. We carry riders who walk, riders with a cane or walker, and wheelchair users who can transfer to a vehicle seat, with the folded chair riding in the trunk. Those trips we drive ourselves.

If you have to stay in your chair for the ride, because you use a power chair, a tilt-in-space chair, or cannot transfer safely, that is an ambulette trip. For those we arrange the ride with a licensed wheelchair-accessible van (WAV) operator in Suffolk, confirm the pickup time with you, and stay your point of contact. You make one phone call either way. If you are not sure which side of the line you fall on, our explainer on NEMT vs. ambulette walks through the transfer question.

Why a Suffolk ambulette trip takes longer than you expect

Suffolk is more than three times the size of Nassau, and its larger hospitals cluster in the west and along the middle of the county. From Brentwood, South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore is 4.1 miles, about 13 minutes. From Patchogue, Stony Brook University Hospital is 13.5 miles. Those are short runs.

The East End is different. From Montauk, the closest hospital, Stony Brook Southampton, is 26.6 miles and roughly 52 minutes away. Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead is 44.4 miles. A specialist visit in Manhattan is 105 miles from East Hampton and 77.9 miles from Riverhead, one way.

An ambulette adds time a sedan does not. The chair is wheeled onto a lift or ramp, positioned, anchored at four points, and the rider gets a separate lap and shoulder belt. That takes several minutes at each end of the trip. Put the two together and a round trip from the forks can occupy a van and driver for most of a day, which is why East End ambulette requests are the hardest to place at short notice.

SCAT paratransit or an ambulette?

Suffolk's public option is Suffolk County Accessible Transportation (SCAT). It is an ADA shared-ride service, so it is built to carry riders who use wheelchairs, and the fare is low ($4.00 per trip). The rules matter for medical trips, though:

• Booking: 1 to 5 days ahead, no same-day trips. A same-day hospital discharge is not possible.
• Timing: 30-minute pickup window that scheduling can move by up to an hour, shared ride. Riders can share the van with others headed elsewhere.
• Area: any two points in Suffolk except Shelter Island; the earliest and latest hours only within 3/4 mile of a Suffolk County Transit route. Trips that start and end inside the Town of Huntington go to HART paratransit instead.
• Crossing into Nassau: trips into Nassau transfer to NICE Able-Ride in Farmingdale or at the Walt Whitman Mall in Huntington, paying both fares.
• Getting certified: Suffolk decides within 21 days of a complete application (631-853-8333).

SCAT works well for a regular, flexible trip inside the county. It works poorly for a dialysis chair time that cannot slip by an hour, a discharge from Good Samaritan that is ready at 3 PM today, or an appointment at a Nassau or Manhattan hospital. Those are ambulette trips. Medicaid covers them through MAS, and private-pay riders can book directly.

Where Suffolk ambulette riders are usually going

Stay-in-chair trips in Suffolk tend to fall into a few patterns:

• Dialysis, three times a week. Fresenius units in Bay Shore, Commack, and Lindenhurst, DCI Stony Brook Kidney Center in East Setauket, and Barbara Lord Dialysis in Hampton Bays, the main option for much of the South Fork. Ask your dialysis center to request a standing order through MAS so your recurring sessions are approved ahead of time; only your medical provider's office can enter one, and it lasts up to six months. Our dialysis transportation page covers how.
• Nursing home residents going out to appointments. Residents of facilities such as Gurwin in Commack, the Long Island State Veterans Home in Stony Brook, or San Simeon by the Sound in Greenport often need an ambulette for every outside visit.
• Hospital discharges. Patients leaving Stony Brook University Hospital, Mather or St. Charles in Port Jefferson, or NYU Langone Hospital Suffolk in Patchogue, often going home in a chair for the first time.
• Specialist care off the Island. Cancer centers and specialty hospitals in Nassau and Manhattan, where the length of the trip makes a shared paratransit ride impractical.

How to book a Medicaid ambulette in Suffolk County

1. Get the paperwork started. Your doctor completes Form 2015, the Verification of Medicaid Transportation Abilities, which tells MAS why you need a wheelchair van rather than a car. Our guide to Medicaid transportation forms explains what it has to say.
2. Call MAS at 1-844-666-6270 at least 72 hours ahead, earlier for East End trips. Have your Medicaid CIN, the appointment, and both addresses ready.
3. Say "ambulette" and describe the chair. Manual, power, or tilt-in-space, and whether it is extra wide or heavy. Mention steps without a ramp or a narrow hallway at the pickup.
4. Request DachiPlus. If you can transfer, we drive you. If you need to stay in the chair, we coordinate the WAV partner and confirm with you before the day.

The county-level details for every Medicaid trip, ambulette or not, are in our guide to Medicaid transportation in Suffolk County. For coverage questions, see does Medicaid pay for an ambulette.

Private pay and other coverage

If you are not on Medicaid, you can book directly with DachiPlus at (516) 754-7777. Private-pay trips are priced by distance, so a Bay Shore run and a Montauk run are very different trips. The cost estimator gives a figure for your actual addresses. Some Medicare Advantage plans include a transportation benefit; check coverage and payment options before you book.

Towns we cover

DachiPlus serves every Suffolk town and hamlet, from ambulette service in Brentwood and Central Islip in the middle of the county to Riverhead, Hampton Bays, and Southold on the East End. The full list is on our Suffolk County service area page. Looking at the whole Island? Start with ambulette service on Long Island.

Frequently asked questions

Does DachiPlus run its own ambulettes in Suffolk County?

No. DachiPlus drives sedans and SUVs for riders who walk or who can transfer from a wheelchair to a vehicle seat. When a Suffolk rider has to stay in the wheelchair for the trip, we arrange the ride with a licensed wheelchair-van (WAV) partner and confirm the pickup with you. Call (516) 754-7777 to set it up.

Does Medicaid pay for an ambulette in Suffolk County?

Yes, when your doctor documents that you cannot safely ride in a car or on a bus. Your medical provider completes Form 2015, the Verification of Medicaid Transportation Abilities, and the trip is booked through MAS at 1-844-666-6270. There is no charge to the member for an approved Medicaid ambulette trip.

Can SCAT take me instead of an ambulette?

Sometimes. SCAT is Suffolk County's ADA paratransit service. It is a shared ride booked 1 to 5 days ahead with no same-day trips, and it does not serve Shelter Island. Trips into Nassau require a transfer to NICE Able-Ride in Farmingdale. For a direct, door-through-door ride to dialysis, a hospital discharge, or a specialist off the Island, an ambulette is usually the better fit.

How far ahead should I book an ambulette on the East End?

MAS asks for at least 72 hours for routine trips. From the North Fork, the South Fork, or Montauk, book earlier than that when you can. Wheelchair vans are a smaller fleet than sedans, and a long East End run ties one up for most of a morning.

What does a private-pay ambulette trip in Suffolk cost?

Private-pay trips are priced by distance, and Suffolk distances vary widely, from a few miles in Bay Shore to well over 100 miles from Montauk into Manhattan. Use the DachiPlus cost estimator for a figure based on your actual addresses, or call us for a quote.