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

Childhood Cancer Lantern
Search Saved

Idaho program

Help getting to treatment (Medicaid rides and travel)

Idaho Medicaid helps with travel to covered treatment, including trips outside Idaho.

What it is

Idaho Medicaid helps with travel to covered treatment, including trips outside Idaho.

Travel can become a major treatment cost when the hospital is far from home. Idaho's transport broker can arrange rides or approve reimbursement. Meals and a room need approval before travel.

Who and which trips qualify
  • Your child must have Idaho Medicaid and travel to care it covers. Emergency transport uses a different route from routine non-emergency booking.
  • Routine rides normally need two business days’ notice. Long-distance arrangements need at least ten calendar days; MTM recommends fourteen business days.
  • MTM can verify a medically necessary urgent trip outside the routine notice period. Urgent-trip assistance is available around the clock; other approval and reimbursement rules still apply.
What you get
  • Approved mileage reimbursement; MTM confirms the rate for your trip.
  • Approved meal costs for a qualifying trip lasting more than one day.
  • Approved lodging and necessary accompanying-person expenses.
Reimbursement and accompanying adults
  • MTM’s May 2025 handbook lists 30 cents per mile, meals up to $20 a day on qualifying trips longer than one day, and lodging up to $80 a night. MTM confirms the approved rates for the actual trip.
  • A medically needed parent or escort’s approved travel costs can be covered. That does not pay wages to a family attendant or approve every accompanying family member.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask MTM about the trip, with your child’s Medicaid number, appointment location and dates ready.
  2. Ask which people and expenses are approved before spending money. If you choose reimbursement, keep the trip number, signed mileage log and receipts.

MTM, Idaho Medicaid transport: 877-503-1261 · Official page ↗

Paperwork and payment
  • The mileage log needs the treating office’s signature. Keep dated receipts and the trip identification number with the reimbursement request.
  • The submission deadline runs from the first appointment, not from the date you finish collecting receipts. Ask MTM to confirm that it received the request.
Good to know

Treatment and travel need separate approvals. MTM can check urgent trips without the usual notice; reimbursement paperwork is due within 90 days after the first appointment.

Treatment and travel
  • The receiving hospital’s enrollment and ability to bill the plan must be checked separately from the ride, meals and room.
Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Could Medicaid help with our treatment trips, including someone traveling with our child? What would we still pay, and could you help us arrange the approvals?”

Why I’m asking: I want to know the travel costs before we commit to a trip.

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

Ask MTM about the trip, with your child’s Medicaid number, appointment location and dates ready. Ask which people and expenses are approved before spending money. If you choose reimbursement, keep the trip number, signed mileage log and receipts.

Your social worker

The broker arranges the ride and the reimbursement.

The care team

The clinic confirms the appointment date and that the care is covered.

Who decides
The transport broker approves the trip and any meals or room.
Ask your social worker
“Could Medicaid help with our treatment trips, including someone traveling with our child? What would we still pay, and could you help us arrange the approvals?”

How to apply

First step: Ask MTM about the trip, with your child’s Medicaid number, appointment location and dates ready. Ask which people and expenses are approved before spending money. If you choose reimbursement, keep the trip number, signed mileage log and receipts.

  1. Ask MTM about the trip, with your child’s Medicaid number, appointment location and dates ready.
  2. Ask which people and expenses are approved before spending money. If you choose reimbursement, keep the trip number, signed mileage log and receipts.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Ask MTM about the trip, with your child’s Medicaid number, appointment location and dates ready. Ask which people and expenses are approved before spending money. If you choose reimbursement, keep the trip number, signed mileage log and receipts.

What to gather

  • Your child's Medicaid number
  • The appointment date, time and address
  • Whether an overnight stay is needed

How long: The mileage log needs the treating office’s signature. Keep dated receipts and the trip identification number with the reimbursement request. The submission deadline runs from the first appointment, not from the date you finish collecting receipts. Ask MTM to confirm that it received the request.

What a yes looks like

A booked ride, and a written approval for the room and meals before you leave.

What a no looks like, and the next move

If a trip is refused, ask which rule it failed and whether the care counts as covered.

Watch out

  • Treatment and travel need separate approvals. MTM can check urgent trips without the usual notice; reimbursement paperwork is due within 90 days after the first appointment.

Dates that change this

2026-09-11: The mileage, meal and lodging amounts come from the broker's Idaho member handbook, revision May 2025. No effective interval or contract date is published for them, so confirm the current figure when you book. (not yet confirmed against the final rule)

The numbers and the rules

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

What it is worth

Approved mileage reimbursement; MTM confirms the rate for your trip. Approved meal costs for a qualifying trip lasting more than one day. Approved lodging and necessary accompanying-person expenses.

  • $0.3 — Mileage reimbursement (May 2025 handbook; MTM confirms trip approval and current rate)
  • $20 — Meals, on a trip that takes longer than one day (May 2025 handbook; MTM confirms trip approval and current rate)
  • $80 — Lodging (May 2025 handbook; MTM confirms trip approval and current rate)

Covers: Rides to and from care Idaho Medicaid covers, in state and out of state · Long-distance trips, booked at least ten calendar days ahead · Meals and lodging reimbursed when approved before you travel

Legal protection: The programme covers out-of-state care Medicaid covers, not only trips inside Idaho

What it costs the family: An approved ride is covered; reimbursements and any family costs depend on the approved people, expenses and rates. MTM confirms before costs are incurred.

The eligibility facts, as published

Who
Idaho Medicaid members travelling to care Medicaid covers
Notice
Routine notice is two business days; long-distance arrangements need at least ten calendar days, with fourteen business days recommended. MTM can verify medically necessary urgent trips outside the routine notice rule.
Ancillary
Meals and lodging need approval before the date of travel. Meal money is for a trip taking longer than one day.
Rate caveat
The May 2025 handbook lists 30 cents/mile, meals up to $20/day for qualifying trips longer than one day, and lodging up to $80/night. MTM confirms approved rates for the actual trip.
Escort
Necessary parent or escort travel expenses require approval. Approved expenses are not family-attendant wages and do not cover every accompanying family member.
Reimbursement
Reimbursement paperwork is due within 90 days after the first appointment. A trip number, treating-office-signed mileage log and applicable dated receipts are required.

Decisions this site cannot make: Broker approval of the trip, and separate approval of meals and lodging before travel

Expect friction on: Approval must come before travel, which collides with appointments made at short notice · No published escort rule for a parent travelling with the child

The trap: Treatment and travel need separate approvals. MTM can check urgent trips without the usual notice; reimbursement paperwork is due within 90 days after the first appointment.

Where I read this

← Back to your options