T2005: Stretcher van billing code
T2005 is the HCPCS code for non-emergency transportation by stretcher van. It pays the base rate for one trip for a rider who must lie flat but needs no medical care on the way. Mileage is usually billed separately with T2049. Medicare does not pay it. Medicaid base rates include $49.09 in urban Arizona, $49.42 in Colorado, and $230 in New York City.
On this page
The official T2005 descriptor
The CMS HCPCS file for October 2026 lists T2005 as “Non-emergency transportation; stretcher van.” It was added in April 2002, and the file shows an action effective date of July 2004, the same month its mileage partner T2049 was added. It carries Medicare coverage code I, not payable by Medicare. New York’s fee schedule calls the same code a “non-ambulatory stretcher van,” and Medi-Cal calls the vehicle a litter van.
What T2005 pays for
T2005 is the base charge for one stretcher transportation trip. The rider travels lying down, on a stretcher, board, or gurney, but does not need medical care during the ride. That line between stretcher van and ambulance decides the code. Colorado puts it plainly: medical or safety needs must be the reason for transporting a member prone or supine, and the member must not require medical attention en route.
The unit is one trip, and in Colorado that means one one-way leg. Mileage goes on a separate line, usually T2049. An extra attendant may add a line under T2001 where the state pays for one, as Medi-Cal does on litter van trips.
How five Medicaid programs pay T2005
| State | T2005 base rate | Mileage | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona (AHCCCS) | $49.09 urban; $86.70 rural with TN | T2049 at $1.54 or $1.66 a mile | Effective October 1, 2026 |
| California (Medi-Cal) | $26.29 maximum; $32.42 with UJ at night | A0380 at $1.50 a mile | Rates page updated September 2023 |
| Colorado | $49.42 per one-way trip | T2049 at $1.86 a mile | Effective July 1, 2026 |
| North Dakota | $97.37 | T2049 at $2.57 a mile | July 1, 2026 schedule |
| South Dakota | $109.66; $54.83 for each additional rider with TK | T2049 at $2.61 a mile outside city limits | Effective July 1, 2026 |
New York sets T2005 county by county. Its schedule dated April 5, 2026 lists $230 in New York City, Nassau, and Suffolk (effective May 20, 2024) and $101 in Erie and Monroe (effective April 1, 2023).
Arizona’s rural rate stands out. Trips that start outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas are billed with TN and pay 77 percent more than urban trips. The state says the rural rate reflects unmaintained or dirt roads, long distances, and a lack of providers.
Common T2005 mistakes
- Billing T2005 for a rider who needs care on the way. That trip belongs to an ambulance.
- No written medical reason. Colorado pays stretcher van service only with the medical professional’s written statement.
- Missing the rural modifier. Arizona requires TN on every trip that starts outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.
- Using the wrong mileage code. Medi-Cal wants A0380, not T2049.
For every code in one list, see NEMT billing codes. For the claim process, read how to bill Medicaid for NEMT. In HealthRide, wheelchair, stretcher, and oxygen needs are matched to the right vehicle on the dispatch board.
Frequently asked questions
- When does a trip qualify for T2005 instead of an ambulance?
- When the rider must be transported lying down but does not need medical attention on the way. Colorado defines a stretcher van as a vehicle that can legally carry a member prone or supine when the member does not require medical attention en route. If the rider needs monitoring or care, the trip is an ambulance transport under ambulance codes.
- What mileage code goes with T2005?
- Usually T2049, stretcher van mileage per mile. Arizona, Colorado, North Dakota, and South Dakota list T2049 for stretcher van miles. Medi-Cal is the exception and bills litter van mileage under A0380.
- What paperwork does a T2005 trip need?
- A medical reason for the stretcher. Colorado requires the member's medical professional to state in writing that the member must be transported prone or supine and cannot use less costly modes. Medi-Cal requires a Treatment Authorization Request for litter van service.
