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

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Montana program

Rides, meals and lodging for appointments

Montana Medicaid helps pay for travel to covered appointments.

What it is

Montana Medicaid helps pay for travel to covered appointments.

Clinic travel can become a large part of the treatment budget. Medicaid travel help covers approved journeys to covered care. The transportation center reviews each trip before travel.

Eligibility rules
  • This transportation benefit requires full Montana Medicaid, including Healthy Montana Kids Plus; Healthy Montana Kids CHIP is a different coverage program.
  • An attendant is covered when age or disability makes help necessary.
What you get
  • A ride or mileage when you drive.
  • One attendant when age or disability requires help.
  • Lodging and meals on qualifying overnight trips.
What it covers
  • The trip must be for covered care and approved by the transportation center.
  • Approval is for specified travel costs, not necessarily your full expense. Before a trip you choose to arrange, your social worker can help the transportation center confirm the payable mileage, meal and lodging amounts in writing and explain any balance you would pay. Meals start on the second day of an approved stay.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask the transportation center to register your child and review the planned trips.
  2. Have the Medicaid number, appointment schedule and the oncology team’s letter for a long journey ready.

1-800-292-7114 — The Montana Medicaid transportation center · Official page ↗

After you ask
  • The center gives the trip approval and explains required receipts.
  • Call 1-800-292-7114 before every trip. From October 2026 a company called Modivcare is due to answer that number; ask how much notice it needs and how urgent trips work.
Good to know

Every trip needs approval before travel. Meal coverage starts on the second day of a stay.

Other details
  • Out-of-state treatment approval and travel approval are separate arrangements.
Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Could Medicaid help with our clinic travel and overnight costs? What needs arranging first, and could you help us book the covered parts if we choose this?”

Why I’m asking: I want to understand which travel costs we would still pay ourselves.

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

Register once, then book every trip before you travel.

Your social worker

The social worker gives the clinic schedule so standing trips are booked, and writes the letter for a long trip.

The care team

Records and letters when the application asks for them.

Who decides
The Montana Medicaid transportation centre approves each trip.
Ask the agency
“My child is on Montana Medicaid and in cancer treatment. Can you set up the clinic-day trips in advance, and tell me what you pay for mileage, meals and a hotel?”

How to apply

First step: If you choose to explore travel help with your social worker, the transportation center can review the appointment schedule and explain registration and advance approval.

  1. If you choose to explore travel help with your social worker, the transportation center can review the appointment schedule and explain registration and advance approval.
  2. Give the clinic schedule so the regular trips are set up in advance.
  3. For an overnight trip, ask what lodging and meals are paid before you book anything yourself.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Call the member line and register, then book each trip before you travel.

What to gather

  • The Medicaid number
  • The clinic schedule
  • For a long trip, a letter from the oncology team

How long: Registration is a phone call. Each trip needs booking before you travel; no lead time is published, so ask.

What a yes looks like

Trips booked for clinic days, and a written answer on what lodging and mileage are paid.

What a no looks like, and the next move

No Medicaid yet, or the trip was not approved first. Ask which, and book the next one in advance.

Watch out

  • Every trip has to be approved before you travel.
  • Meals start on the second day of a stay, not the first.
  • The transportation center must confirm the payable amounts for your approved trip and any expenses you would pay.

Dates that change this

2026-10-01: Montana announced that Modivcare is to take over transportation, with an anticipated start of October 1, 2026 and the phone lines live from September 1, 2026. The transition is not confirmed as finished, so use the member line and ask who is handling your trip. (not yet confirmed against the final rule)

2026-09-10: The state fee schedule shows one set of mileage, meal and lodging figures on the rendered page and a different set in the same file’s text. Neither was confirmed as the current payable rate, so no amount is printed here. Ask the transportation line what it pays today. (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

Rides or mileage to covered appointments, one attendant, and meals and lodging on overnight trips. The payable rates are disputed in the state’s own file, so ask.

  • $1 — Attendants covered when age or disability requires help
  • $2 — Day of an overnight stay on which meal coverage begins

Covers: Rides to covered appointments · Mileage when you drive yourself · Meals from the second day of a stay · Lodging on overnight trips · One attendant travelling with the child

What it costs the family: Approved transportation assistance may not cover every expense. The transportation center must confirm the approved service or reimbursement and any amount the family would pay.

The eligibility facts, as published

Coverage
Montana Medicaid
Approval
the transportation centre must approve all trips before travel
Attendant
one attendant when age or disability requires it

The trap: Every trip has to be approved before you travel. Booking after the journey does not work. Meals are only covered from the second day of a stay.

Where I read this

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