Rides to appointments

WellSense helps get you to your scheduled healthcare services and back home. Call Member Services at 1-844-909-7433 at least 48 hours in advance of your appointment to schedule your ride or to get approval for our Family and Friends Reimbursement program, which allows you to get money back when you get rides from friends, family, or public transportation (upon approval).

Rides to a medical appointments

For all WellSense members who require a ride to their covered healthcare service and have no other way to get there.

What types of appointments are available for this benefit?

  • Medicaid-covered dental appointments
  • Behavioral health services
  • Methadone dosing or administration of other medications at a methadone clinic
  • Medical appointments
  • Prescription pick-up following doctor appointment
  • Vision appointments

WellSense does not schedule emergency transportation. Please call 911 immediately if you have an emergency.

More detail about this benefit and the rules for transportation can be found in your member handbook.

How to schedule a ride

Call us at 844-909-RIDE (1-844-909-7433) before your appointment. You must call at least 48 hours in advance. If you call with less notice and the trip is not urgent, we may not be able to set up your ride. We schedule routine trips Monday through Friday from 8am to 6pm. Please have the following information ready when you call:

  • Your first and last name
  • Your Medicaid ID number
  • Your home address and phone number
  • Your doctor’s name and address
  • The date and time of your appointment
  • Any special needs, including if you need someone to ride with you or help getting to or from the vehicle.
  • If you require special equipment like a car seat(s), wheelchair, or other device(s). You must provide these items.

If there is more than one member of your household travelling to the same location, please note that only one member reimbursement will be approved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Just let us know that you have more than one trip to schedule. You can also schedule recurring trips.

If your appointment is urgent, we can set up your ride with less than 48 hours’ notice. An urgent request is considered to be any illness or injury that requires immediate treatment to prevent a serious decline in your health. This may include a hospital discharge.

Well Sense does not schedule emergency transportation. Emergency transportation requires medical care during the trip. Call 911 immediately if you have an emergency.

You will receive the level of transportation that is most appropriate for your medical condition. We may consult your health care provider. Based on your needs, we may offer you:

  • Mileage reimbursement if you, a friend, or family member can drive to the appointment
  • Fixed route public transit reimbursement
  • Sedan, van, or taxi services
  • Vehicle services equipped to transport wheelchairs and stretchers

If you or your family can drive to your Medicaid-approved visit, please follow the below steps:

  1. Call 1-844-909-7433 at least 48 hours before the day of service to obtain a trip number.
  2. Please download and fill out the Family and Friends Ride Reimbursement Form. If access to a computer is not available, please call 1-844-909-7433 to request it be mailed to your home. Take the form with you to your appointment and have a healthcare professional sign it at the time of the appointment.
  3. The form must be submitted within 30 calendar days of your appointment and can be mailed to:

    WellSense
    c/o One Call Ride Request
    Attn: Mileage Reimbursement
    Elk Grove Village, IL 60009-0896
    Or faxed to: 1-877-674-7588

A Family and Friends Ride Reimbursement Form  must be provided for all trips taken and submitted no later than 30 days from the date of service. Failure to submit the form on time will result in a denial of payment.

Payment will be issued within 30 days of receipt and approval of a completed form. Gas mileage is reimbursed at the standard rate determined by the IRS.

We can reimburse you, your friends, or a family member for mileage if you have no other way to get yourself to an appointment. We can also:

  • Pay you to use public transportation
  • Arrange for a taxi, when other options are not available
  • Arrange for a specialty vehicle when needed, such as a wheelchair van or ambulance

Note: Reimbursement will only be allowed from the address that we have on file for you. You must schedule your trip and submit completed reimbursement form within 30 days from the date of your appointment.

  • Be ready for your ride at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled pick-up time. The driver will only wait for you for 15 minutes.
  • If you scheduled a ride back, your driver should pick you up less than 30 minutes after your visit is over. Call 1-844-909-7433 if your driver is late or does not pick you up.
  • If your visit is over and you did not schedule a ride back, call 1-844-909-7433. The driver should arrive in less than three hours. Call us back if you have waited longer.

Call us at 1-844-909-7433 if you need to cancel your trip or make any changes.

Call us at 1-844-909-7433 if you:

  • Have waited more than 15 minutes after the pick-up time scheduled during the original ride request
  • Have waited more than one hour after calling us to schedule a return ride, if a return ride was not scheduled during the original request

We will make every effort to accommodate your request for a certain transportation provider, however, we are not always able to guarantee your provider of choice. When you call to book your trip, please let us know if you have any provider preferences.

As a WellSense member, you have the following rights:

  • The right to confidentiality with regard to your personal and medical information
  • The right to be treated with respect and with recognition of your dignity
  • The right to courteous and prompt service when booking your trips
  • The right to an explanation as to why we may need more information or why a trip is denied
  • To have interpreter services provided to you, if requested in advance.
  • The right to refuse treatment and/or services
  • The right to voice a complaint, file a grievance, or an appeal
  • The right to request program information
  • The right to know and receive all of the benefits, services, rights, and responsibilities you have under your health plan
  • The right to receive services from our drivers without regard to race, age, gender, sexual preference, national origin, religion, health status, economic status, or physical disabilities. Our providers are not permitted to engage in any practice that constitutes unlawful discrimination against members under any state or federal laws and/or regulations

If you are not satisfied with any part of your experience with us, including your driver, you may contact us at 1-844-909-7433 to voice your concerns. You may also contact WellSense immediately should you not be satisfied with any of your transportation services or would like to file a formal grievance. Please see below for instructions on how to file a formal grievance with WellSense either verbally or in writing.

Instructions for how to submit a formal grievance or appeal:

If you want to submit an appeal or formal grievance to WellSense over the telephone, please call Member Services at 1-877-957-1300 or 711 (TTY/TDD). Appeals must be filed within 60 calendar days of the date on your initial denial notice. If you want to submit an appeal or formal grievance in writing, you can fax it to 1-617-897-0805 or mail it to:

WellSense Health Plan
Attn: Member Appeals and Grievances
100 City Square, Suite 200
Charlestown, MA 02129