What makes senior medical transportation different?
Standard rideshare is not appropriate for most senior medical trips. The differences matter:
- Door-through-door service — the driver does not wait at the curb. They come to the door, help the passenger to the vehicle, assist at the destination, and wait for the return trip when needed.
- Medical passenger experience — DachiPlus drivers are trained for medical passengers, including those with dementia, Parkinson's, post-stroke mobility issues, and oxygen dependency.
- Scheduling reliability — dialysis, chemotherapy, and specialist appointments cannot be missed. Rideshares cancel at high rates; medical transport providers have accountability standards.
- Insurance billing — Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and long-term care insurance all cover medical transportation. Rideshares are not billable to these payers.
What types of trips do Long Island seniors use NEMT for?
The most common senior medical transportation trips on Long Island include:
- Dialysis (typically three times per week, often under a standing order)
- Cardiology and specialty clinic appointments at Northwell, Stony Brook, or NYU Winthrop
- Chemotherapy and radiation — recurring, often early morning
- Physical and occupational therapy after a hospitalization or fall
- Primary care and geriatrics appointments
- Mental health and psychiatry visits
- Hospital discharge back home — arranged with the discharge planning team
- Long-distance trips to NYC specialty centers (Memorial Sloan Kettering, NYU Langone, Weill Cornell)
Does Medicaid cover senior medical transportation in New York?
Yes, if the senior is an active New York Medicaid member and is traveling to a Medicaid-covered medical service. The trip is arranged through MAS (Medical Answering Services) at 1-844-666-6270 — call at least 72 hours in advance. The senior pays nothing.
For full eligibility details, see our Medicaid transportation eligibility guide.
What should I look for in a senior medical transport provider?
When evaluating a NEMT provider for an elderly parent or resident, the key questions are:
- Are drivers background-checked, drug-tested, and trained specifically for medical passengers?
- Does the provider offer door-through-door (not curb-to-curb) service?
- Can they handle passengers with cognitive impairments (dementia, confusion)?
- Are they credentialed with Medicaid via MAS?
- Do they handle the return trip, or is that separate?
- Do they have a dispatch line for day-of issues?
DachiPlus answers yes to all of these for trips in Nassau and Suffolk County.
How do I book senior transportation on Long Island?
For Medicaid-covered trips: Call MAS at 1-844-666-6270 at least 72 hours before the appointment. Have the senior's Medicaid CIN, appointment address, and any mobility needs (walker, cane, wheelchair) ready. Request DachiPlus by name. See our complete MAS guide for the full step-by-step.
For private-pay or insurance-covered trips: Call DachiPlus directly at (516) 754-7777. We accept Medicare Advantage transportation benefits, long-term care insurance, HSA/FSA, and standard credit/debit cards. Same-day trips are available for private pay.