What is a will-call trip in NEMT?
A will-call trip is a return ride that has no fixed pickup time when it is booked. The rider, or the clinic, calls the transportation provider or broker when the appointment is over, and the provider sends the nearest suitable vehicle. Will-calls are common after dialysis, surgery, and specialist visits that run long.
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How a will-call trip works
Most NEMT rides are booked as a pair: a pickup to the appointment and a return home. When nobody knows when the appointment will end, the return leg is booked as a will-call. The outbound leg keeps its normal pickup time. The return leg sits on the schedule with no time attached.
When the visit wraps up, the rider or the facility calls. Depending on the program, that call goes to the broker, who passes it to the provider, or straight to the provider’s dispatch line. Virginia’s fee-for-service member handbook tells riders to call the broker, not the driver. Missouri requires the provider or broker to give riders, at least 24 hours before the trip, the number to call for a return ride when no pickup time was set. Dispatch then picks a vehicle that is close by, has the right equipment, and can make the pickup within the broker’s time limit.
Late-day calls need a plan too. CareOregon asks drivers to try to pick riders up within 15 minutes of the facility closing, so a clinic that shuts at 5 p.m. leaves little room for a slow response.
Why will-calls are hard to plan
A will-call is a trip you know is coming but cannot place on the clock. That creates two problems for dispatch:
- Capacity. You need a vehicle free in the right area when the call comes, which is hard if every van is booked back to back.
- Service level. A wheelchair or stretcher rider needs a vehicle that can carry them. A free sedan nearby does not help.
Dialysis centers are the classic example. Treatment times drift, so return trips often run as will-calls several days a week for the same riders. Our guide on handling will-call trips covers staffing and routing tactics in more detail.
Scheduled return or will-call
| Scheduled return | Will-call return | |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup time known when booked | Yes | No |
| Triggered by | The schedule | The rider or facility calling |
| Planning challenge | Low | Keeping a suitable vehicle free |
| Typical use | Short, predictable visits | Dialysis, surgery, long specialist visits |
Tracking will-calls in dispatch software
On a paper or spreadsheet schedule, will-calls tend to live in a separate list and get forgotten. Dispatch software keeps them on the board next to scheduled trips so nobody loses track of a rider who is still waiting. In HealthRide, flexible return trips hold their place on the dispatch board and activate the moment the passenger is ready.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a will-call the same as a same-day trip?
- No. A same-day trip is booked on the day it happens. A will-call is usually booked in advance as part of a round trip, and only the return pickup time is left open until the rider calls.
- How fast do providers have to pick up a will-call?
- It depends on the broker and the state. MTM's general Transportation Provider Handbook (August 2022) allows 60 minutes from the call, while MTM's 2026 handbooks for Virginia and Rhode Island allow 45. Louisiana allows up to two hours after the will-call request. The limit that binds you is the one in your provider agreement, so check it before you accept will-call work.
- Do will-call trips pay differently?
- Usually not. A will-call return is billed like any other leg of the trip, using the same base rate and mileage codes. What changes is the planning, because you have to keep capacity free for a pickup you cannot schedule.
