A0080 Billing Code: Volunteer Driver Mileage, Who Can Bill It, and State Rates

What A0080 means

CMS lists A0080 in the national HCPCS code set as “Non-emergency transportation, per mile - vehicle provided by volunteer (individual or organization), with no vested interest.” The October 2026 quarterly file shows the code has been in the set since January 1, 1982. It carries coverage code I, which means Medicare does not pay it.

Three parts of that description matter on a claim:

• Per mile. One unit is one mile. There is no base charge for the trip. North Dakota’s July 1, 2025 schedule, for example, listed no base rate for A0080, only a rate per mile.
• Vehicle provided by a volunteer. The code pays for a volunteer’s own car, whether the volunteer is one person or an organization.
• No vested interest. The volunteer has no personal stake in the rider. That is what separates A0080 from A0090.

A0080 is one of four per-mile codes that look alike. The official descriptions from the October 2026 file:

Code	Official description	Who is driving
A0080	Non-emergency transportation, per mile - vehicle provided by volunteer (individual or organization), with no vested interest	A volunteer or a volunteer organization
A0090	Non-emergency transportation, per mile - vehicle provided by individual (family member, self, neighbor) with vested interest	The rider, a relative, or a neighbor
A0160	Non-emergency transportation: per mile - case worker or social worker	A caseworker or social worker
S0215	Non-emergency transportation; mileage, per mile	A transportation provider, next to a base code for the trip

A paid transportation company bills its rides with a base code for the level of service plus a mileage code, such as T2003 with S0215. See NEMT billing codes for the full set.

Who can be paid under A0080

Federal rules leave the details to the states. 42 CFR 440.170(a) counts “other appropriate means” of transportation as a Medicaid travel expense. It also says transportation comes only from a provider the state can pay directly, except under a broker program. So a volunteer driver is usually enrolled or registered with the state, a health plan, or a broker before any mileage is paid.

The CMS Medicaid Transportation Coverage Guide (SMD 23-006, September 28, 2023) says states must first use any free rides available, such as from family or friends, and then the least costly mode that suits the rider. See least costly mode and Medicaid mileage reimbursement.

The same guide describes the minimum driver standards in section 1902(a)(87) of the Social Security Act. They apply to any provider or individual driver paid for NEMT, except public transit authorities:

1. The provider and each driver are not excluded from federal health care programs or on the HHS Inspector General’s exclusion list. See the OIG exclusion list.
2. Each driver has a valid driver’s license.
3. The provider has a process to address any violation of a state drug law.
4. The provider has a process to disclose each driver’s driving history, including traffic violations, to the state.

States add their own rules. North Dakota’s manual, updated January 2026, lets friends, family, neighbors, foster and kinship caregivers, guardians, and court-ordered guardians of vulnerable adults enroll to drive. Every driver needs a valid government-issued license, and the vehicle’s registration and insurance must stay current. A nonprofit planning a volunteer program can start with nonprofit NEMT.

Which states pay A0080 and how much

Program	What the schedule shows	Rate per mile	Effective
Arizona AHCCCS	A0080, and A0080 with TN outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas	$0.44 for both	October 1, 2026
North Dakota Medicaid	A0080, described on the July 1, 2025 schedule as non-commercial or volunteer	$0.72 (it was $0.70 on July 1, 2025)	July 1, 2026
South Dakota Medicaid	One mileage rate for a recipient, escort, volunteer driver, or nonprofit service organization, with no code on the schedule	$0.70	December 1, 2025
Oregon Health Plan	A0080 listed as the volunteer code, with all NEMT prior authorized through the local brokerage	No rate in the guide	Guide last updated December 22, 2025
Indiana	A0080 listed as not covered	None	Fee schedule updated June 9, 2026

North Dakota’s schedule has no A0090 line. Its A0080 line is the one for non-commercial and volunteer private vehicle mileage, and its manual lets friends and family enroll as drivers. Arizona lists A0090 separately, at the same $0.44 as A0080. See the North Dakota state guide and the Arizona state guide.

How a volunteer driver bills A0080

North Dakota’s manual (updated January 2026) spells out every step, and most programs follow a similar path:

1. Enroll first. The volunteer enrolls with ND Medicaid before driving. Proof of registration and insurance is not needed at enrollment but must be sent if the state asks.
2. Get the trip authorized. The human services zone or tribal office issues the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Authorization, form SFN 1507, before the ride.
3. Count loaded miles only. Mileage is map miles from the rider’s home or community to the medical facility. The drive to pick the rider up, and the drive home after drop-off, are not billable. See loaded miles and deadhead miles.
4. Bill one rider per trip. If several members ride together, you bill for only one.
5. Bill after the ride. Private vehicle mileage may be billed only once the service is complete, through the state web portal’s Travel, Meals, and Lodging claim page, or on the professional claim if the driver has an NPI.
6. File within 180 days. ND Medicaid must receive the claim within 180 days of the date of service. See timely filing limit.
7. Keep the trip record 7 years. Record the provider Medicaid ID, the rider’s name and Medicaid ID, pickup and drop-off times and addresses, the date, odometer readings, and miles. List the facility’s name and address, not the name of the provider the rider sees.

When it is needed to keep a volunteer driving for a member, the human services zone can ask ND Medicaid to approve payment for additional mileage.

Worked example

A volunteer lives 6 miles from a rider. The clinic is 42 map miles from the rider’s home. The volunteer drives to the rider, takes the rider to the clinic, waits, and brings the rider home.

Leg	Miles	Billable
Volunteer’s home to rider’s home	6	No
Rider’s home to clinic	42	Yes
Clinic to rider’s home	42	Yes
Rider’s home to volunteer’s home	6	No
Total billable	84

At North Dakota’s July 1, 2026 rate, 84 x $0.72 = $60.48. At Arizona’s October 1, 2026 rate, the same 84 miles pay 84 x $0.44 = $36.96.

Mistakes that get A0080 claims denied

• Billing the empty miles. Only miles with the rider on board count.
• A trip charge added to the miles. A0080 is a per-mile code, and North Dakota’s schedule lists no base rate for it.
• Every rider’s miles on a shared trip. North Dakota pays for one member per trip.
• No authorization on file. North Dakota needs the SFN 1507 before the trip, and Oregon needs brokerage approval.
• The wrong code for the driver. Arizona has separate A0080 and A0090 lines, and Indiana does not pay A0080 at all.
• A driver who is not enrolled or is excluded. Check the exclusion lists before the first trip.