A0090: Family and personal vehicle mileage code
A0090 is the HCPCS code for non-emergency transportation per mile when the vehicle is provided by someone with a vested interest in the rider: a family member, a neighbor, or the member. It is billed in miles with no base rate. Medicare does not pay it. Each state sets the rate. In 2026, Illinois pays $0.23 a mile and Colorado $0.47.
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What the CMS descriptor says
The CMS HCPCS file for October 2026 describes A0090 as “Non-emergency transportation, per mile - vehicle provided by individual (family member, self, neighbor) with vested interest.” It has been in HCPCS since 1982 and carries Medicare coverage code I, not payable by Medicare. The short descriptor is “Interest escort in non er,” which says little about what the code pays.
What A0090 covers
A0090 is the mileage code for rides a Medicaid member arranges with someone close to them. The driver has a vested interest: a parent, a spouse, a neighbor, or the member at the wheel. The program pays for miles, one unit per mile, with no trip rate. Its sister code, A0080, covers volunteers with no vested interest.
In Colorado and Texas, family mileage is paid to the member or the driver, not to a transportation company. The code still matters to operators for two reasons. Colorado pays for an ambulatory van ride only when the member’s medical professional documents that the member cannot use less costly options such as mileage reimbursement or bus tickets. And the family rule can stop a provider from billing a normal trip for their own relative.
How four states handle family mileage
| State | How it pays | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | A0090 at $0.47 a mile, paid per vehicle on the most direct route, approved in advance with a trip number | Rate effective July 1, 2026 |
| Illinois | A0090 “private auto (mileage)” at $0.23 a mile in every county | Fee schedule effective January 1, 2026 |
| Louisiana | A0090 “gas reimbursement” at $0.36 a mile; policy prohibits paying for an enrollee’s self-transport | Schedule effective October 1, 2025 |
| Texas | Registered individual transportation participants bill S0215, not A0090 | Handbook dated September 2026 |
Arizona’s AHCCCS pays A0090 at $0.44 a mile from October 1, 2026, the same as its volunteer code.
Texas shows why the code is only half the story. Its Medical Transportation Program lets a responsible party, family member, friend, neighbor, or the client register as an individual transportation participant. The participant registers with the state claims administrator but does not enroll as a Medicaid provider. Claims go on Form H3017 with the assigned provider identifier and taxonomy code 347C00000X, billed under S0215.
Where family mileage claims go wrong
- Driving your own family on a company trip. Colorado forbids it under standard NEMT billing. The relative’s rides go through personal mileage reimbursement.
- Assuming “self” is covered. The descriptor lists self, but Louisiana will not pay a member to drive themselves.
- Using A0090 where the state uses another code. Texas pays the same kind of ride under S0215.
- Billing a base rate. A0090 is miles only.
These rules come from each state or its broker, not from CMS. For the full code list, see NEMT billing codes. For the claim steps, read how to bill Medicaid for NEMT. The rider-side process is explained under mileage reimbursement.
Frequently asked questions
- Who can be paid under A0090?
- The descriptor names a family member, the member, or a neighbor, anyone with a vested interest in the rider. Each state narrows that list. Louisiana pays A0090 as gas reimbursement but its policy prohibits paying claims for an enrollee's self-transport. Texas registers these drivers as individual transportation participants and pays them under S0215.
- Can my NEMT company bill A0090 for driving my own relative?
- Not in Colorado. Its NEMT billing manual says providers may not transport their own family or household members under standard NEMT billing. If the relative is a Medicaid member, the trip goes through the personal mileage reimbursement process instead. Check your own state before you schedule a relative.
- Is A0090 paid per trip or per mile?
- Per mile. The descriptor says per mile, and the fee schedules in this article pay it that way. Illinois, for example, pays private auto trips at a loaded mileage rate. There is no separate base rate for a family-driven trip.
