A0160: Caseworker and social worker mileage code
A0160 is the HCPCS code for non-emergency transportation per mile when a caseworker or social worker provides the ride. It is billed in miles, one unit per mile, with no base rate. Medicare does not pay it. Arizona pays $0.44 a mile from October 1, 2026, while Colorado, North Dakota, and South Dakota leave it off their NEMT fee schedules.
On this page
The official A0160 descriptor
The CMS HCPCS file for October 2026 lists A0160 as “Non-emergency transportation: per mile - case worker or social worker.” The code was added in 1984. It carries Medicare coverage code I, not payable by Medicare. The short descriptor is “Noner transport case worker.”
What A0160 covers
A0160 pays mileage when a caseworker or social worker drives a Medicaid member to a covered service. The descriptor names the driver’s role, not the organization that bills, so who can claim A0160 depends on who the state enrolls for it. The unit is one mile. There is no base rate for the trip.
The code fills a gap between the other per-mile codes. A0080 covers volunteers with no vested interest. A0090 covers family, neighbors, and the member. A0160 covers the professional who is already working with the member and gives them a ride as part of that work.
How states pay A0160
A0160 appears on two of the five 2026 fee schedules below:
| State | A0160 status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona (AHCCCS) | Paid at $0.44 a mile | Effective October 1, 2026. The rural TN modifier pays the same $0.44. No rate is set for transportation network companies. |
| New York | Listed as “case worker transportation” | The fee schedule dated April 5, 2026 shows one county line, in Schoharie County, at $0.404 with modifier HB, a rate in effect since April 2011. |
| Colorado | Not listed | The July 2026 NEMT fee schedule pays volunteer and individual miles under A0080 and A0090 only. |
| North Dakota | Not listed | The July 2026 NEMT schedule includes A0080 but not A0160. |
| South Dakota | Not listed | Recipient, escort, volunteer driver, and nonprofit miles are paid at a flat $0.70 a mile without a HCPCS code on that line. |
In Arizona, A0160 sits on the same fee-for-service NEMT schedule as the van and taxi codes. Chapter 14 of the state’s provider billing manual counts NEMT mileage in loaded miles, the distance traveled with the member on board.
Where A0160 goes wrong
- Billing it where the state does not list it. If the fee schedule has no A0160 line, there is no rate to pay the claim against. Ask the state or broker which code covers caseworker rides.
- Using it for a paid NEMT driver. A driver employed by a transportation company is not a caseworker, even when the company also offers case management.
- Counting unloaded miles. Arizona pays loaded miles, the distance traveled with the member on board.
Codes and rates here are set by each state, not by CMS. For the full code list, see NEMT billing codes. For the claim process, read how to bill Medicaid for NEMT.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a NEMT company bill A0160?
- Not for its own drivers. A0160 describes a caseworker or social worker doing the driving, not a transportation company's driver. A NEMT company bills the trip and mileage codes for its vehicle type.
- Which states pay A0160?
- It is uncommon on NEMT fee schedules. Arizona's AHCCCS lists it at $0.44 a mile, urban or rural, from October 1, 2026. New York's transportation fee schedule defines it as case worker transportation and lists it in one county. Colorado, North Dakota, and South Dakota do not list it on their 2026 NEMT schedules.
- How is A0160 different from A0080 and A0090?
- The driver. A0080 is a volunteer with no vested interest, A0090 is family, a neighbor, or the member, and A0160 is a caseworker or social worker. All three are paid per mile, and Arizona pays all three at the same $0.44.
