T2003: Non-emergency trip billing code
T2003 is the HCPCS code for one non-emergency transportation encounter or trip. It is a flexible per-trip code: Texas and Louisiana use it for ordinary NEMT rides, while Nevada uses it with modifier UA for secure behavioral health transports. Medicare does not pay it. Texas pays $33.83 to $79.63 per leg from September 1, 2026.
On this page
The official T2003 descriptor
The CMS HCPCS file for October 2026 lists T2003 as “Non-emergency transportation; encounter/trip.” It was added in April 2002 and carries Medicare coverage code I, not payable by Medicare. The descriptor names no vehicle, only the unit: one encounter or trip.
What T2003 covers
T2003 is a generic trip code, the per-trip counterpart to the daily code T2002. States use it for very different rides and tell them apart with modifiers. Louisiana pays its standard NEMT trip under T2003, Texas pays every demand response ride under it, and Nevada pays a secure behavioral health transport. Nevada pairs it with mileage on S0215.
How three Medicaid programs use T2003
| State | What T2003 pays for | Rate | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Demand response rides in the fee-for-service Medical Transportation Program, such as taxi and wheelchair van trips, including rideshare companies enrolled as providers | U1 metro or urban $33.83, U2 rural $79.63, U3 micro or suburban $62.31, per leg | Effective September 1, 2026 |
| Louisiana | The base rate for an ordinary NEMT trip | $13.50 per trip leg, plus $1.10 a mile from mile zero | Schedule effective October 1, 2025; rate set January 1, 2022 |
| Nevada | Non-emergency secure behavioral health transports, billed with UA | Base is one unit per claim, mileage on S0215 with UA | Billing guide updated July 27, 2026 |
Texas pays by seats. A 2021 notice from the state’s claims administrator says reimbursement is calculated from the number of seats the Health and Human Services Commission authorized for each leg. The Texas handbook lists diagnosis code Z75.3 for Medical Transportation Program claims. It covers fee-for-service only, because Medicaid managed care plans approve their own members’ rides.
Nevada limits who rides along. Family members and other unaccredited attendants may not travel in the secure vehicle during these transports. Nevada does not require prior authorization for these trips, and its other NEMT runs through the state’s contracted NEMT vendor.
T2003 also shows up outside NEMT. Colorado’s HCBS waivers for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities bill waiver transportation under T2003 in three mileage ranges, 0 to 10 miles, 11 to 20 miles, and a third range for longer trips, set by modifiers that differ inside and outside Denver County (manual revised August 25, 2026). Colorado’s NEMT manual says transportation to HCBS services must go through this non-medical transportation benefit, not NEMT.
Where T2003 claims go wrong
- Leaving off the modifier. Texas prices T2003 by U1, U2, or U3. Nevada requires UA on both the base and the mileage line.
- Billing a round trip as one unit. Texas and Louisiana pay per leg.
- Assuming modifiers travel between states. U modifiers are defined by each state. UA marks a secure behavioral health transport in Nevada, and it can mean something else in your state.
- Billing mileage the payer includes. Nebraska’s NEMT base rates include the first five loaded miles, so check the base before you add a mileage line.
States pick their own uses for T2003, and brokers and health plans can bill on their own formats. For every code in one list, see NEMT billing codes. For the claim steps, read how to bill Medicaid for NEMT. Texas readers can start with the Texas NEMT guide.
Frequently asked questions
- Is T2003 billed per trip or per mile?
- Per trip. The descriptor says encounter or trip, and the programs in this article pay one unit per leg or per trip. Mileage goes on a separate line when the program pays it. Nevada bills it under S0215, and Louisiana pays its T2003 mileage rate from mile zero.
- What do the U1, U2, and U3 modifiers mean on T2003 in Texas?
- They tell Texas where the trip took place. U1 is a metro or urban county, U2 is a rural county, and U3 is a micro or suburban county. From September 1, 2026, the rates are $33.83, $79.63, and $62.31 per leg. The U modifiers are defined by each state, so they mean something else elsewhere.
- Can T2003 be used for waiver transportation?
- Yes, in some states. Colorado's HCBS waivers for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities bill non-medical transportation under T2003, tiered by trip distance with modifiers. That is a different benefit from NEMT, billed under Colorado's non-medical transportation provider specialty 661.
