What is private pay?

Private pay refers to non-emergency medical transportation paid out of pocket by the rider or their family, or directly by a facility, rather than by Medicaid, Medicare or a broker. Private-pay trips include seniors going to appointments, post-surgery rides home, wheelchair transport to family events and long-distance transfers between cities.

Why private pay matters for NEMT

Private pay is the highest-margin segment in NEMT. You set the rate, you get paid at booking or on the day, there is no broker taking a cut and no 30-to-60-day payment lag. The trade-off is that you have to market to find the customers: local SEO, relationships with senior living communities and discharge planners, and a booking process simple enough for an adult child to use. Most durable NEMT businesses blend broker volume for base load with private pay and facility contracts for margin.

Use the NEMT pricing calculator to set private-pay rates that cover your real cost per trip.

Related terms

• NEMT Broker
• Managed Care Organization (MCO)
• Facility Contract
• Fee-for-Service Medicaid
• Capitation