What does wait time mean in NEMT?
Wait time in NEMT means three different things: how long a driver must wait at pickup before calling a no-show, how long a rider may wait for a return ride, and paid waiting time billed with HCPCS code T2007. Each is set by the state or broker. CMS notes that in most states, providers get no extra payment for waiting.
On this page
1. Waiting at the pickup
This is the wait before a driver may leave and report a no-show. The broker sets it:
| Source | Required wait |
|---|---|
| MTM general Transportation Provider Handbook (August 2022) | 10 minutes after the scheduled pickup time |
| MTM Rhode Island handbook (updated July 1, 2026) | 10 minutes after the scheduled pickup time |
| CareOregon provider manual (February 2024) | At least 15 minutes after the scheduled pickup time |
| SafeRide Health | 15 minutes for most NEMT vehicles, 5 minutes for rideshare |
| ADA paratransit, FTA Circular C 4710.1 (2015) | Many agencies use at least 5 minutes, counted from the start of the pickup window |
The clock starts at the scheduled time or the start of the pickup window, not when the driver arrives early. CareOregon also limits waits at extra stops. When a trip includes a stop such as a pharmacy, the driver tells the rider the wait cannot exceed 15 minutes. If it will run longer, the provider tells the broker, which can approve more time or confirm a no-show.
2. Waiting for the ride home
This is how long a rider may wait after the appointment. It matters most for will-call returns.
| Program | Return pickup limit |
|---|---|
| Louisiana (manual sections issued July 14, 2025) | Scheduled returns within 2 hours after the appointment ends. Will-calls within 2 hours of the request. |
| Virginia fee-for-service member handbook (June 2026) | Will-calls: the provider has up to 45 minutes to arrive. |
| MTM general Transportation Provider Handbook (August 2022) | Will-calls: pickup within 60 minutes of notification. |
| MTM Virginia and Rhode Island handbooks (2026) | Will-calls: arrive within 45 minutes of notification. Virginia also allows three hours for hospital discharges. |
| CareOregon (February 2024) | Complaints of arriving more than 30 minutes after a return request or scheduled return time are among the violations that can lead to suspension or termination. |
Our guide on handling will-call trips has more on planning for these limits.
3. Billable waiting time
Some programs pay the driver to wait at the appointment, using HCPCS code T2007. Many do not. CMS’s provider booklet says that in most states providers cannot receive extra payment for wait times, because those costs may already be built into the rates. Colorado’s NEMT billing manual lists waiting time as not covered.
Arizona is an example of a program that pays, with strict limits. Its fee-for-service manual, revised July 31, 2026, bills T2007 in 30-minute units, only for time the driver actually waited at the medical destination when it was not feasible to return to base. It does not pay wait time:
- If the odometer changes between the drop-off and the pickup
- On a one-way trip
- When two different vehicles or drivers handle the round trip
- For waits under 30 minutes
- When the medical destination is 10 miles away or less
With several members aboard, Arizona pays wait time for only one of them.
Here is a hypothetical Arizona trip. A driver takes a rider 40 miles to a specialist, parks, and waits 90 minutes with the odometer unchanged, then drives the rider home. That wait is three 30-minute units of T2007, billed on the third line of the claim after the base rate and loaded miles.
Proof of the wait
HealthRide keeps recorded wait times on no-shows, so the time a driver spent at the door is part of the trip record.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does a NEMT driver have to wait for a rider?
- It depends on the broker. MTM's general handbook (August 2022) and its July 2026 Rhode Island handbook set 10 minutes after the scheduled pickup time. CareOregon and SafeRide set 15 minutes for NEMT vehicles, and SafeRide sets 5 for rideshare. After the wait, the driver reports the no-show to dispatch or the broker before leaving.
- Can I bill for waiting while a rider is at the appointment?
- Only where the program pays for it, and then with conditions. Arizona pays waiting time with T2007 in 30-minute units when the trip is too far for the driver to go back to base, and not for waits under 30 minutes or trips of 10 miles or less. Colorado lists waiting time as not covered.
- How long can a rider wait for a ride home?
- Each program sets a limit. Louisiana requires pickup within two hours after the appointment ends or after a will-call request. Virginia's member handbook gives the provider up to 45 minutes to arrive on a will-call. MTM's general handbook (August 2022) sets 60 minutes from notification, and its 2026 Virginia and Rhode Island handbooks set 45.
