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

Childhood Cancer Lantern
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Maryland program

Rides to appointments through your county health department

Free rides to covered appointments when your child has Medical Assistance and no other way there. Your county arranges them.

What it is

Free rides to covered appointments when your child has Medical Assistance and no other way there. Your county arranges them.

Repeated treatment trips can be hard to arrange. Medical Assistance transportation covers eligible trips when there is no other means of getting to care. The county, not one statewide booking service, checks the request.

Eligibility rules
  • The child needs Medical Assistance and no other transportation to a covered, medically necessary service.
What you get
  • Free rides to and from covered, medically necessary appointments.
  • An accompanying adult can travel with a minor.
What the help covers
  • An attendant is allowed with a minor. County arrangements govern the actual ride.
  • For distant treatment the county can sometimes cover meals, a room and mileage, but only if approved before you spend. Ask what it will pay and what receipts it needs.
If you decide to apply
  1. Contact your county health department's transportation office with the clinic schedule.
  2. Have your child's Medical Assistance card, hospital address and the accompanying adult's details ready.
  3. Ask about the booking notice, pickup and return trip before relying on a ride.

Your county health department transportation office · Official page ↗

After you apply
  • Anne Arundel asks for 48 hours at 410-222-7152. Howard asks for 48 business hours at 1-877-312-6571. Prince George's asks for 24 hours at 301-856-9555.
  • Montgomery County: 240-777-5890, weekdays 8 to 4:30. Baltimore County: 410-887-2828 (Baltimore City is separate). If your county is not listed here, the state office at 410-767-7283 can point you to it.
Good to know

Anne Arundel and Howard ask for more notice than the 24-hour state floor. Short-notice treatment needs a separate county conversation.

Other details
  • The county health department directory leads to the correct local office. Anne Arundel's phone number is not a statewide booking line.
Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Could the county arrange our child's treatment rides and a seat for an adult? What notice and limits apply, and could you help us set it up if we qualify?”

Why I’m asking: I need a dependable way to get our child to treatment when we cannot arrange transportation.

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

Book each ride with the notice your county asks for, and give them the standing clinic schedule.

Your social worker

The oncology social worker knows which county line families here use.

The care team

Records and letters when the application asks for them.

Who decides
The county health department or its transport grantee.
Ask your social worker
“Which number do families in our county call for Medical Assistance rides, and can I book the whole clinic schedule at once rather than one visit at a time?”

How to apply

First step: Call your county health department's transport line with the clinic schedule in hand.

  1. Call the county transport line with the whole clinic schedule, not one appointment.
  2. Ask what notice this county needs and whether an attendant can travel.
  3. If the county is not listed here, call the local health department and ask for the transport line.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Call the county health department's transport line and book the ride in advance.

What to gather

  • The Medical Assistance card
  • The clinic schedule for the next few weeks
  • The hospital's address

How long: Booked in advance; 24 hours is the state floor and some counties want 48.

What a yes looks like

A booked ride with a pickup time, and a seat for the adult travelling with the child.

What a no looks like, and the next move

If the notice was too short, ask whether a same-day contractor exists in your county.

Watch out

  • Book early. Less than 24 hours' notice can be refused, and some counties want two business days.
  • Ask about mileage back if you drive yourself; the rules differ by county.
  • Payment for meals and lodging is not established. Do not count on it.

Dates that change this

2026-09-10: Only Anne Arundel, Howard and Prince George's booking numbers and notice periods could be read. Montgomery County and Baltimore County pages were restricted or returned an error, so call the local health department for those.

The numbers and the rules

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

What it is worth

Free rides to covered appointments. Book at least 24 hours ahead, and more in some counties: Anne Arundel 410-222-7152 wants 48 hours, Howard 1-877-312-6571 wants 48 business hours, Prince George's 301-856-9555 wants 24 hours.

  • $24 — Minimum notice below which the state rule lets a grantee refuse
  • $48 — Notice Anne Arundel County asks for
  • $24 — Notice Prince George's County asks for

Covers: Rides to and from covered appointments · A place for an attendant accompanying a child

What it costs the family: None.

The eligibility facts, as published

Coverage
Medical Assistance
Condition
No other means of transportation to a medically necessary covered service
Escort
An attendant accompanying a minor is allowed

The trap: Book early. The state rule lets a grantee refuse a request made less than 24 hours ahead, and several counties ask for more: Anne Arundel wants 48 hours or two business days, Howard wants 48 business hours, and Prince George's wants a minimum of 24 hours.

Where I read this

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