T2001: Patient attendant and escort billing code
T2001 is the HCPCS code for a non-emergency transportation patient attendant or escort. States use it two ways: to pay a transportation company for an extra staff attendant, or to pay for an escort who rides with the member. Medicare does not pay it. South Dakota pays $2.60 per one-way trip, Medi-Cal up to $5.52, and Illinois $20 on service car trips.
On this page
The official T2001 descriptor
The CMS HCPCS file for October 2026 lists T2001 as “Non-emergency transportation; patient attendant/escort.” It was added in April 2002 with the rest of the T2001 to T2005 group and carries Medicare coverage code I, not payable by Medicare. The descriptor joins two different roles with a slash, and states have split them in different ways.
Two meanings of one code
An attendant is an extra staff member on the trip, beyond the driver. An escort is someone who rides along for the member’s sake, such as a parent with a child or a caregiver with an adult who cannot travel alone. Our escort and attendant entry explains the service side.
In California and Illinois, T2001 is an add-on line next to a base code. Medi-Cal lists it with its wheelchair van and litter van codes, such as A0130 and T2005. Illinois lists it with taxi, service car, and medicar trips.
How four states pay T2001
| State | What T2001 pays for | Rate and unit | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| California (Medi-Cal) | Patient attendant or escort on wheelchair van and litter van service | $5.52 maximum | Wheelchair and litter van rates page updated September 2023 |
| Colorado | Escort transportation, the travel fare for an escort | Manually priced, per one-way trip | Effective July 1, 2026 |
| Illinois | Attendant on a taxi, service car, or medicar trip; T2001 with TK for an additional attendant | $20 each on service car and medicar trips; $0.46 on taxi trips | Effective January 1, 2026 |
| South Dakota | Accompanying adult for members 20 or younger, or when accompanied travel is medically necessary | $2.60, one unit per one-way trip | Effective July 1, 2026 |
Colorado’s escort rule is strict. It allows an escort when the member is a child or an at-risk adult who cannot make personal or medical decisions or provide necessary self-care, as certified in writing by the member’s attending provider. A second escort needs written medical certification too. Colorado’s NEMT benefit also excludes charges for additional passengers unless they are acting as the escort for a child or at-risk adult.
North Dakota shows that even the unit can change. Its July 2026 HCBS fee schedule pays T2001 for 1915(i) services at $9.67 per 15 minutes.
Where attendant and escort lines go wrong
- Billing a driver as an attendant. The driver is part of the base rate. T2001 is for an extra person.
- Billing a free rider. South Dakota says not to bill T2001 when the provider’s policy lets the accompanying adult ride free.
- Assuming one rate per state. Illinois pays $20 for an attendant on a service car or medicar trip but $0.46 on a taxi trip.
- Skipping the certification. Colorado escorts need the attending provider’s written statement.
Meals and lodging for an escort on an overnight trip use the ancillary codes, not T2001. For the full code list, see NEMT billing codes, and for the claim steps, see how to bill Medicaid for NEMT. HealthRide lets dispatchers add escorts to a trip and tracks seat and wheelchair capacity on each vehicle.
Frequently asked questions
- Is T2001 for a staff attendant or a family escort?
- It depends on the state. Illinois pays T2001 for an attendant on service car and medicar trips. South Dakota uses it for an accompanying adult who rides with the member. Colorado uses it for the escort's travel fare. Read the state's definition before you bill it.
- Can I bill T2001 when a parent rides for free?
- Not in South Dakota. Its manual says providers should not bill T2001 if their policy lets a parent, guardian, or accompanying adult ride at no charge. When the provider does charge, T2001 is billed under the member's Medicaid number, one unit per one-way trip.
- Is T2001 billed per trip or per hour?
- Usually per trip, but not always. South Dakota pays one unit per one-way trip, and Colorado prices it per one-way trip. North Dakota's 2026 HCBS fee schedule pays T2001 for 1915(i) services at $9.67 per 15 minutes. The unit comes from the program, not the code.
