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Medical Services – Appendix B, Transportation Procedures 01/01/19 Appendix B Page 2 of 4 Some individuals are excluded from PCP selection. They are nursing home and ICF/IID (Intermediate Care Facilities/Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities), Home and Community Based Waiver, Medicare, DDS Children’s Services, Medically Needy Spend Down recipients, and those who have retroactive eligibility only or who are temporarily absent from the state (e.g., a foster child placed out of Arkansas). There are some Medicaid services a recipient can receive without a referral from a PCP (e.g., dental services for children under age 21). For a list of services that do not need a PCP referral, see DCO-2613. Freedom of Choice (Non-PCP Recipients) When a recipient is not required to have a PCP or a PCP referral to obtain a Medicaid covered service, a recipient may go to any enrolled Medicaid provider he/she chooses. Transportation for non-PCP recipients may also be provided for a recipient if a referral has been made by a physician or other health care specialist (e.g., an RN at the Health Department) to a provider who is not the nearest qualified provider. Methods of Transportation and Payment Medicaid transportation is provided and paid for as follows: 1. The NET (Non-Emergency Transportation) Program - The NET brokers give Medicaid recipients rides (free of charge) to and from doctor appointments or other covered Medicaid services. It is the responsibility of the Medicaid recipient to call the transportation broker (the company that provides the ride) to schedule a ride. To find the broker in his/her region, the recipient can call the Medicaid Transportation Helpline at 1-888-987-1200 or visit https://afmc.org/services/ and select Medicaid Non-Emergency Transportation. The transportation broker must be called 48 hours (two full business days) before the scheduled appointment. Weekends and recognized state holidays are not business days. Rides are offered Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. 2. Ambulance Transportation- Ground and air ambulance transportation providers must be licensed by the Arkansas State Ambulance Board and enrolled in the Title XVIII (Medicare) Program. Ambulance service for eligible Medicaid recipients is covered by Medicaid when a physician certifies that the ambulance transportation is medically necessary. It is the responsibility of the transportation provider to obtain prior authorization for non-emergency transportation from the Division of Medical Services (DMS) Utilization Review Section. All of the above enrolled as Medicaid transportation providers bill Medicaid directly for their services. County offices do not authorize or pay for Medicaid transportation in any situation. Loaded Miles Medicaid transportation costs cannot be reimbursed for loaded miles.