Guide

Medical transportation and home-delivered meals for seniors

Updated October 15, 2026 · Reviewed against official sources

"Who's taking Mom to the doctor on Tuesday?" and "Is she eating well while we're at work?" are two everyday worries for many families. Our article on free programs for seniors sums up the services of the Older Americans Act. This guide focuses on how to use Medicaid, Medicare and other programs for transportation and food.

Medicaid rides to appointments (NEMT)

Federal rules require each state to ensure necessary transportation for people with Medicaid to and from their health care providers. Since 2021, that requirement has also been part of the Medicaid law. According to CMS, this doesn't mean paying for any ride; it means making sure that people with no other way to get there can get the care Medicaid covers.

What to know:

• The ride fits the person. The state uses the least costly option that's right for your loved one's physical and emotional condition: a car or van, a wheelchair van, a bus pass or another kind of transportation.
• Free options come first. If a family member can drive them, the state may expect that person to do it. But if there's no one to drive them, or if the family car can't be used, Medicaid must arrange the transportation.
• Long trips and an attendant. When needed, related costs include meals, lodging and an attendant. If your loved one has memory problems or needs help walking, ask whether someone can go with them.
• If they have Medicare and full Medicaid. People who are full dual eligible also have a right to transportation when they're going to receive a service Medicaid covers, even if Medicare pays first. Someone who only has a Medicare Savings Program (for example, QMB only) may not have this benefit: ask about it.
• Your rights. Medicaid transportation must include help in your language and respectful treatment. You can file a complaint and, if a service is denied, you have the right to a fair hearing.

How to request a ride

1. Call the member services number on your loved one's Medicaid plan card, or the state Medicaid office. Many states use a broker company to arrange rides.
2. Have ready the Medicaid number, the address, the date and time of the appointment, the doctor's name and address, and whether your loved one uses a wheelchair, walker or oxygen.
3. Ask how far ahead you need to book, what time they'll pick your loved one up and how to request the ride home.
4. Ask for help in Spanish if you need it, and write down the confirmation number.

If the ride is late or doesn't come, tell the plan that same day and ask how to file a complaint. Often, reporting what happened helps the next ride go better.

What Medicare pays for

• Emergency ambulance: Part B covers it when traveling in another vehicle would put your loved one's health at risk, to the nearest appropriate facility.
• Non-emergency ambulance: only with a written order from the doctor saying it's medically necessary; for example, for dialysis.
• Cost: after the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), your loved one pays 20% of the Medicare-approved amount.
• Car or van rides to appointments: Original Medicare doesn't pay for them. Medicare explains that transportation is one of the non-medical long-term care services it doesn't cover.
• Medicare Advantage: some plans offer extra benefits, like rides to medical appointments or meals for a limited time, for example after a hospital stay. They change by plan and year: check the plan's Summary of Benefits or call the plan. Medicare: 1-800-633-4227.
• PACE: if your loved one is enrolled in the PACE program, transportation is included.

Paratransit and community transportation

If your loved one can't use the regular bus because of a disability, they can apply for ADA paratransit. Federal law requires public transit agencies with fixed bus routes to offer this service:

• It covers the area up to three-quarters of a mile on each side of the bus routes.
• It must accept reservations made the day before the trip.
• The fare can't be more than twice the regular fare.

First, you have to apply for eligibility with your city's transit agency. Also ask your Area Agency on Aging about community vans, volunteer drivers or transportation vouchers. Find it through the Eldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time; if you prefer Spanish, ask for it when you call.

Home-delivered and group meals

• Senior nutrition program under the Older Americans Act: according to ACL, it serves almost a million meals a day through about 5,000 local providers, in community settings and at home. It's for people 60 and older and their spouses of any age, and each meal provides at least one-third of the recommended daily nutrients. The person who delivers the meal also says hello and sees how your loved one is doing.
• Medicaid: people with full Medicaid can get home-delivered meals as part of home and community-based services. Read Medicaid home care programs.
• Medicare Advantage: some plans provide meals for a limited time, as explained above.
• Adult day centers: many include transportation, meals and company in one place. Read adult day care for seniors and look for options in adult day centers.

Help buying food

• SNAP (food stamps): according to the Department of Agriculture (USDA), households with a person 60 or older have special rules; for example, they only have to meet the net income limit and can deduct medical expenses over $35 a month. You apply at your state's SNAP office. The rules for some non-citizens changed in 2025: read immigration status and benefits.
• Senior food boxes (Commodity Supplemental Food Program): in participating states, this program provides food to people 60 and older with low incomes. Ask your Area Agency on Aging.

Tips for getting organized as a family

• Put all of the month's appointments on a shared calendar and book transportation as soon as you have the date.
• If you hire a caregiver, ask the agency whether the caregiver can go with your loved one to appointments. See home care agencies and our home care calculator.
• If your loved one lives in a care home, ask how they arrange transportation to specialists and whether someone goes with them.

💬Frequently asked questions

Can I go with my mom on Medicaid transportation?

Often, yes, especially when she needs an attendant. Mention it when you book so they can note it.

Does Medicare pay for a taxi to the doctor?

Original Medicare doesn't. Some Medicare Advantage plans include rides to appointments: check your plan's benefits.

Are home-delivered meals free?

Older Americans Act programs don't have an income test like Medicaid's, and many ask for a voluntary donation. The rules vary by local program.

My dad uses a wheelchair. What kind of transportation works for him?

Ask for a van with a ramp or lift when you book Medicaid transportation, and ask about your city's paratransit.

This guide is for information only and is not legal or financial advice. Programs vary by state and plan.

Sources

• Medicaid.gov, Assurance of Transportation: https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/assurance-of-transportation (accessed October 15, 2026)
• CMS, SMD 23-006, Assurance of Transportation: A Medicaid Transportation Coverage Guide (September 28, 2023): https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/smd23006.pdf (accessed October 15, 2026)
• Medicare.gov, Ambulance services: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/ambulance-services (accessed October 15, 2026)
• CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2026-medicare-parts-b-premiums-deductibles (accessed October 15, 2026)
• Medicare.gov, Medicare & You (official handbook, 2027 edition): https://www.medicare.gov/publications/10050-medicare-and-you.pdf (accessed October 15, 2026)
• CMS, press release on Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits (September 28, 2018): https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/medicare-advantage-premiums-continue-decline-while-plan-choices-benefits-increase-2019 (accessed October 15, 2026)
• CMS, press release on 2023 Medicare Advantage premiums and benefits (September 29, 2022): https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-announces-lower-premiums-medicare-advantage-and-prescription-drug-plans (accessed October 15, 2026)
• eCFR, 49 CFR 37.121, 37.123 and 37.131 (ADA paratransit): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-A/part-37/subpart-F (accessed October 15, 2026)
• ACL, Nutrition Services: https://acl.gov/programs/health-wellness/nutrition-services (accessed October 15, 2026)
• USDA FNS, SNAP Special Rules for the Elderly or Disabled: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligibility/elderly-disabled-special-rules (accessed October 15, 2026)
• USDA FNS, Commodity Supplemental Food Program: https://www.fns.usda.gov/csfp/commodity-supplemental-food-program (accessed October 15, 2026)
• ACL, Eldercare Locator: https://acl.gov/HousingandServices/FindHelp (accessed October 15, 2026)

This is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice. Rules vary by state and by year: confirm with the official agency that applies to you.

👉Keep reading

Free senior programs: meals, transportation and senior centers

Home-delivered meals, community meal sites, transportation and caregiver support: how to find free or low-cost programs for older adults.

Home care

A caregiver from an agency or hired by your family, Medicare home health and Medicaid (IHSS, STAR+PLUS): typical costs and your duties as an employer.

PACE program

PACE, the Medicare and Medicaid Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly: who qualifies, what it covers, what it costs, and how to find a center.

Adult day care

What adult day care is, how it differs from adult day health care, what it costs and how to pay for it with Medicaid, PACE, CBAS or the VA.