Resource · Suffolk County

Updated May 2026

Medicaid transportation in Suffolk County, NY

Suffolk County Medicaid members book free medical rides through MAS (Medical Answering Services) at 1-844-666-6270 — call at least 72 hours before your appointment, have your Medicaid CIN ready, and request DachiPlus as your provider. DachiPlus serves all 71 Suffolk County towns from Amityville to Montauk.

Everything Suffolk County Medicaid members need to know to book a free medical ride — the MAS process, eligibility rules, what's covered, and which towns DachiPlus serves.

Medicaid transportation in Suffolk County

Suffolk communities served: All towns; West Babylon to Montauk & the East End
With Medicaid via MAS: $0; No out-of-pocket cost
Stony Brook, Good Samaritan, Mather…: Hospitals; Plus dialysis & specialists
Request via MAS: DachiPlus; 1-844-666-6270

How does Medicaid transportation work in Suffolk County?

Suffolk County is served by MAS (Medical Answering Services), the statewide broker contracted by New York State Medicaid to manage Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT). MAS verifies your eligibility, confirms the appointment, and assigns the trip to a credentialed provider like DachiPlus. The provider is paid by Medicaid; you pay nothing.

The booking rules are statewide, and our complete MAS guide sets them out in full. What makes a Suffolk trip different is the county itself — and on that, Suffolk is a genuinely harder transportation problem than anywhere else on Long Island.

Distance is the defining fact of a Suffolk Medicaid trip

Suffolk covers roughly 912 square miles, more than three times Nassau, and its medical centres are not distributed evenly across them. Tertiary care concentrates on the western and central spine — Stony Brook University Hospital, Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip, South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, Huntington Hospital, and Mather and St. Charles in Port Jefferson. A resident of Riverhead, Southold or the South Fork travelling to any of them is facing a trip measured in tens of miles, not blocks.

That distance changes how you should book. A long East End run occupies a vehicle for most of a morning, so it is far more likely to be declined at short notice than a short western-Suffolk trip. Book earlier than the 72-hour minimum when the destination is off the Forks, and say the destination plainly on the call — MAS assigns by distance and vehicle availability, and a trip logged as "Stony Brook" from Mattituck is planned very differently from one logged the same way from Setauket.

Recurring treatment on the East End

Suffolk has fifteen dialysis centres in our network — Fresenius units in Bay Shore, Commack, Centereach, North Babylon and Port Jefferson Station among them — but coverage thins markedly east of Riverhead. For a patient dialysing three times a week from the Forks, ad-hoc booking is not a workable plan: each trip is long, each is individually placeable, and one refusal means a missed session. A standing order, which authorises the whole recurring schedule at once, is the single most useful thing an East End dialysis patient can arrange, and our dialysis transportation page explains how to put one in place.

The same logic applies to the county's eight adult day programmes and forty-plus skilled nursing facilities, several of which sit in Southampton, Mattituck and Hampton Bays where a substitute provider may simply not be available that morning.

Who qualifies for free Medicaid rides in Suffolk County?

You qualify if all three apply:

You are an active New York State Medicaid member (Medicaid, Medicaid Managed Care, HARP, or dual-eligible).
You are traveling to a Medicaid-covered medical appointment (doctor, dialysis, chemo, therapy, imaging, lab work, etc.).
You have no other free transportation option (public transit, family, facility-arranged transport).

How do I book a Medicaid ride in Suffolk County?

Call MAS at 1-844-666-6270 at least 72 hours before your appointment.
Have ready: your Medicaid CIN, appointment date and time, medical provider's name and address, your pickup address, and your mobility needs (ambulatory, cane, walker, wheelchair).
Request DachiPlus as your provider by name.
Write down your confirmation number.

For a detailed walkthrough including the 72-hour rule, standing orders for dialysis, and how to handle problems, see our complete MAS Medicaid guide.

Which Suffolk County towns does DachiPlus serve?

DachiPlus serves all 71 major Suffolk County towns and hamlets, from the western towns to the East End:

Amityville
Babylon
Bay Shore
Bayport
Bellport
Bohemia
Brentwood
Centereach
Central Islip
Cold Spring Harbor
Commack
Copiague
Coram
Deer Park
Dix Hills
East Hampton
East Islip
East Northport
East Setauket
Farmingville
and all other Suffolk towns and hamlets east to Montauk

See the full list on our Suffolk County service area page.

FAQ

Suffolk County medical transportation — FAQ

How do I book Medicaid medical transportation in Suffolk or Nassau County?

In New York, Medicaid transportation is coordinated through Medical Answering Services (MAS) at 1-844-666-6270. You call MAS at least 72 hours before your appointment, provide your Medicaid ID, appointment information, and any mobility needs, and request that DachiPlus be assigned as your provider. MAS will confirm the trip and notify us to dispatch a vehicle.

What is MAS (Medical Answering Services)?

Medical Answering Services, commonly called MAS, is the broker that manages Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation across most of New York State, including Long Island. MAS verifies your Medicaid eligibility, confirms your appointment, and assigns a transportation provider. You can request a specific provider, like DachiPlus, when you call.

How far in advance do I need to schedule a Medicaid ride in New York?

New York State requires Medicaid transportation requests be made at least three business days (72 hours) before your appointment. Urgent or same-day medical needs may qualify for expedited scheduling — call MAS at 1-844-666-6270 to confirm.

How much does Medicaid medical transportation cost?

Medicaid medical transportation is free to eligible Medicaid members. There is no copay, fare, or out-of-pocket cost for trips approved through MAS. The provider bills Medicaid directly.

Can I request a specific NEMT provider through MAS?

Yes. When you call MAS, you can request a specific provider by name. Ask the MAS representative to assign your trip to DachiPlus. If we have availability for your appointment window and your trip type, MAS will assign the trip to us.

How much does medical transport cost per hour on Long Island?

Most non-emergency medical transportation on Long Island is priced per trip, not per hour. With DachiPlus, a typical private-pay one-way trip in Nassau or Suffolk County runs $35 to $75 depending on distance; wheelchair-accessible trips start around $90 to $120. Waiting time is the hourly part: after the first 15 minutes free, wait or sign-and-release time is billed at $60 per hour. Medicaid members pay $0 when booking through MAS at 1-844-666-6270. For an exact quote, call (516) 754-7777.

Will Medicare pay for transportation for seniors?

Original Medicare (Parts A and B) generally does not cover routine rides to doctor appointments; it covers ambulance transport only when medically necessary. However, many Medicare Advantage plans on Long Island include a yearly allowance of non-emergency rides as a supplemental benefit. Check your plan documents or call the number on your plan card and ask about a transportation benefit. DachiPlus works with several Medicare Advantage transportation programs, and seniors with Medicaid can ride free through MAS. Call (516) 754-7777 and we will help you sort out which coverage applies.

Can I just order an Uber to a medical appointment instead?

You can, but rideshare and NEMT are built for different situations. A rideshare driver waits at the curb; an NEMT driver provides door-through-door service, helps you to and from the vehicle, assists with walkers and folding wheelchairs, and is trained in passenger assistance. NEMT trips are also scheduled in advance around your appointment time, with the return leg arranged, and Medicaid or insurance can cover them. For a senior or patient who needs any help at all, trained medical transportation is the safer choice. Book with DachiPlus at (516) 754-7777.

Is there a Medicaid cab or taxi service in New York?

Yes, though it is not called a taxi officially. What most people mean by a "Medicaid cab" is free non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT): a scheduled car ride to a medical appointment, paid for by Medicaid. In New York you book it through MAS (Medical Answering Services) at 1-844-666-6270 at least 72 hours ahead, and a local transportation provider drives the trip. On Long Island, request DachiPlus as your provider and a sedan or wheelchair-capable vehicle picks you up door-to-door at no cost to you. Regular street taxis and rideshares are not covered.