Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

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Arkansas program

Rides to appointments through Arkansas Medicaid

Free rides to covered appointments for eligible Arkansas Medicaid members. The transport company depends on your county.

What it is

Free rides to covered appointments for eligible Arkansas Medicaid members. The transport company depends on your county.

Repeated treatment visits can make transport a major cost. Arkansas Medicaid's NET program arranges rides through a county broker. ARKids B children are excluded even though they have children's coverage.

Eligibility rules
  • Arkansas Medicaid coverage is required. The state transport rule expressly excludes ARKids First-B.
What you get
  • Free rides to Medicaid appointments through your county's transport company.
Coverage and limits
  • A parent or friend who drives you can sometimes be paid mileage. The broker registers the driver first, so ask before the trip, not after.
  • Distant or out-of-state treatment can need separate clinic, treatment and travel approvals. The payer must confirm any meals, lodging or escort payments and their limits in writing. Hospital lodging assistance is a separate source of help.
  • A temporary disability parking placard is separate from Medicaid rides. Your child can qualify as a passenger if the mobility or cardiopulmonary criteria are met. Cancer alone does not establish eligibility.
If you decide to apply
  1. With your social worker, identify the current county broker and discuss routine, recurring or urgent trips. Include whether a parent will travel with your child.
  2. Have ready: your child's Medicaid details, clinic schedule, pickup address and any special travel needs.

Medicaid transport helpline, 888-987-1200, option 1 · Official page ↗

After you apply
  • Book a routine ride three full business days ahead; weekends and holidays do not count. The broker has a faster process for urgent trips and for going home from hospital.
  • The NET waiver approval runs April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2028. It does not establish a current meal or lodging payment for a particular trip.
Good to know

Routine notice excludes weekends and holidays. ARKids First-B is excluded from this Medicaid ride benefit.

Other details
  • Your social worker can confirm the current county broker through the DHS directory or Medicaid transport helpline. The directory controls when broker assignments change.
Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Could Medicaid rides cover our treatment schedule, including a parent traveling with our child? What are the limits, and could you help us arrange them if they fit?”

Why I’m asking: I want a reliable way to get to treatment without stretching the family budget.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

Call the broker at least three working days before each appointment.

Your social worker

The hospital social worker can set up rides for a whole clinic schedule at once.

The care team

Records and letters when the application asks for them.

Who decides
The transport broker for your county.
Ask your social worker
“Can you help me set up Medicaid rides for the clinic schedule, and tell me which broker covers my county?”

How to apply

First step: Call 888-987-1200, option 1, and ask who your county's broker is; in Pulaski, Faulkner or Lonoke call Modivcare on 888-833-4135.

  1. Find out who your county's broker is: call 888-987-1200, option 1.
  2. Book each appointment at least three working days ahead.
  3. Ask about an escort and about long trips to Little Rock.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Pulaski, Faulkner or Lonoke county: Modivcare, 888-833-4135. Other counties: call the helpline on 888-987-1200, option 1, and ask who your broker is.

What to gather

  • Your child's Medicaid number
  • The appointment dates and the clinic address

How long: Routine trips need three full business days. The broker confirms the separate urgent or discharge process.

What a yes looks like

A booking reference and a pick-up time.

What a no looks like, and the next move

If the broker refuses, call the helpline on 888-987-1200, option 3, which takes Medicaid complaints.

Watch out

  • ARKids First-B is excluded from these rides by name.
  • Three whole days notice, not counting weekends or holidays.
  • The payer must confirm any meals, lodging or escort payment and limits in writing before the family relies on reimbursement.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.

What it is worth

Free rides to covered Medicaid appointments through the current county broker, with a separate process for urgent and discharge trips.

  • $72 — Routine ride notice, interpreted as three full business days excluding weekends and holidays

Covers: Rides to and from Medicaid appointments

What it costs the family: None.

The eligibility facts, as published

Coverage condition
Arkansas Medicaid; ARKids First-B recipients are excluded
Booking
Routine rides require three full business days, excluding weekends and holidays. Urgent and discharge needs use the current broker's separate process; 2026 operational notices and the DHS county directory control.
Residency
Arkansas; the broker depends on the county

The trap: Routine rides need three full business days of notice. Urgent needs and hospital discharge have a separate broker process.

Where I read this

← Back to your options