# A0110 Billing Code: Bus Fares, Transit Passes, Units, and How States Pay It

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0110/ · Updated 2026-09-29

A0110 is the HCPCS code for "Non-emergency transportation and bus, intra or inter state carrier," used for a Medicaid rider's bus fare, ticket, or pass. Medicare does not pay it, so each state sets the terms. Louisiana pays a daily or monthly pass at the area's usual and customary cost, Colorado prices each claim by hand, and Missouri's disability waiver uses it for trips up to 10 miles.

- A0110 pays for bus travel on a common carrier, within a state or across state lines, and Medicare does not pay it.
- A0110 has no national rate: Louisiana pays the local pass price, Colorado prices each trip by hand, and Indiana pays the public fare.
- CMS lets states buy a monthly pass only when it costs no more than the single trips the rider takes to care that month.
- Some programs bill passes and city buses under other codes: Oregon and Alaska use A0120, and New Mexico also lists the multi-pass code T2004.
- In Missouri's developmental disability waivers, A0110 is a zone code for trips up to 10 miles, capped at two trips a day.

## What A0110 means

CMS lists A0110 in the national HCPCS code set as "Non-emergency transportation and bus, intra or inter state carrier." The short description is "Nonemergency transport bus." The October 2026 quarterly file shows the code has been in the set since January 1, 1984. It carries coverage code I, which means Medicare does not pay it, and pricing indicator 00, which means Part B sets no price.

The code describes a ride on a bus carrier, inside one state or across state lines. It says nothing about who drives, how far, or how the fare is counted. Each state Medicaid program fills in those details in its own fee schedule, so the same code can mean a daily pass in one state and a zone trip in another.

Medicaid pays for bus travel because 42 CFR 440.170(a) counts "the cost of transportation for the beneficiary by ambulance, taxicab, common carrier, or other appropriate means" as a travel expense. The same rule lists "bus passes and tickets" among the services a state's NEMT broker program can provide.

A0110 sits in a family of mode codes. Each one names a type of carrier, and your state decides which ones it pays:

| Code | HCPCS descriptor |
|---|---|
| [A0100](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0100/) | Non-emergency transportation; taxi |
| A0110 | Non-emergency transportation and bus, intra or inter state carrier |
| [A0120](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0120/) | Non-emergency transportation: mini-bus, mountain area transports, or other transportation systems |
| [A0130](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0130/) | Non-emergency transportation: wheelchair van |
| [A0140](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0140/) | Non-emergency transportation and air travel (private or commercial) intra or inter state |
| [T2004](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/t2004/) | Non-emergency transport; commercial carrier, multi-pass |

See [NEMT billing codes](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-billing-codes/) for the full list, including mileage codes.

## Which states pay A0110, and at what rate

Most programs below pay what the carrier charges the public, or price each claim by hand.

| Program | What A0110 pays for | How it is priced | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Louisiana](https://nemtguide.com/states/louisiana/) | Either a daily or a monthly bus pass | By location, at the usual and customary cost | Rate dated October 1, 2015, on the schedule effective October 1, 2025 |
| [Colorado](https://nemtguide.com/states/colorado/) | Public or mass transportation by bus, intrastate or interstate, per trip | Manually priced | July 1, 2026 |
| [Indiana](https://nemtguide.com/states/indiana/) | Bus travel | No fixed fee (pricing method SYSMAN), and an attachment is required with the claim | Schedule updated June 9, 2026 |
| North Dakota | Bus travel | Listed as covered with a general rate of $3,606.16, the same figure the schedule shows for air travel. Providers bill their usual and customary charge. | July 1, 2026 |
| [Oregon](https://nemtguide.com/states/oregon/) | Commercial bus | Prior authorized, like every NEMT ride | Guide last updated December 22, 2025 |
| [North Carolina](https://nemtguide.com/states/north-carolina/) (county-run rides) | Bus fares on intrastate or interstate carriers, billed by the contract vendor | Paid at the amount the county authorizes before the claim is filed | MA-2910 revised March 16, 2026 |
| [New Mexico](https://nemtguide.com/states/new-mexico/) | Bus travel for the member and up to three family members | Individual pricing, currently a managed care benefit only | January 1, 2025 |
| [Missouri](https://nemtguide.com/states/missouri/) developmental disability waivers | Ambulatory zone 1, a trip of 0 to 10 miles | Per trip, under a Department of Mental Health contract | Manual posted September 2026 |

Indiana's transportation module (version 6.1, published August 19, 2025) explains how bus companies get paid. A bus or train company enrolls under transportation specialty 262 and is paid the fare it usually charges the general public. The county office authorizes intrastate bus trips, and bus trips of 50 miles or more one way need [prior authorization](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/prior-authorization/).

North Dakota's manual (updated January 2026) also says Medicaid does not pay for luggage, stair carries, or other airport, bus, or railroad terminal services. Bill only the fare.

## When states use A0110 for bus tickets and passes

A bus pass is often the cheapest way to get a regular rider to care, and federal guidance sets the test. CMS's Medicaid Transportation Coverage Guide (SMD 23-006, September 28, 2023) lets states pay for bus, rail, ferry, and other transit passes when the pass costs no more than the single trips it replaces. A monthly pass should not cost more than the individual trips the member takes to covered care that month.

**Worked example, using the numbers in CMS's guide.** A monthly pass costs $40, and a single round trip costs $10.

| Rides to care that month | Cost as single trips | Monthly pass | Is the pass cost effective? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 round trips | 4 × $10 = $40 | $40 | Yes, it costs no more |
| 3 round trips | 3 × $10 = $30 | $40 | No, single trips are cheaper |

CMS adds that it does not matter if the member also rides the bus for other reasons, as long as the pass costs no more than the medical trips. The same guide says Medicaid should not pay more than the fare charged to the general public for fixed route transit.

States put their own rules on top:

- **Louisiana** pays a daily or a monthly pass under A0110, priced by location at the usual and customary cost.
- **Indiana** can authorize a monthly bus pass when a member has an ongoing medical need, the pass is cost effective compared with other modes, and the member agrees to use it.
- **Oregon** lets its brokerages buy tickets for intercity or city buses, trains, or commercial airlines when that is cost effective and safe (OAR 410-136-3020, effective January 1, 2025). The state recovers the cost when a member sells or gives away a ticket or pass (OAR 410-136-3240).

Not every program puts passes on A0110. Oregon's provider guide bills commercial bus on A0110 but city bus tickets and passes on A0120. Alaska bills all bus service on A0120, with modifier TK for an escort, and pays billed charges no higher than the fare other passengers pay (fee schedule effective July 1, 2026). New Mexico's schedule also lists [T2004](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/t2004/), the commercial carrier multi-pass code. Check your schedule before you bill.

## Units and modifiers for A0110

The HCPCS descriptor defines no unit, so the state does:

| Program | One unit of A0110 | Modifiers |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | One daily or one monthly pass | None listed |
| Colorado | One trip | None listed |
| North Carolina | One one-way trip, with a from and to date on every line | None listed. Place of service 99 and taxonomy 343900000X are required, and diagnosis Z76.89 is recommended |
| New Mexico | Individually priced | UC for the member, and U1, U2, and U3 for the first, second, and third family member, one of whom can be the attendant or escort |
| Missouri waivers | One trip in zone 1 (0 to 10 miles) | HE for a vehicle with modifications for riders who cannot walk |

If your state uses [origin and destination modifiers](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/origin-destination-modifiers/), check whether its schedule wants them on A0110 lines too.

## When a NEMT company bills A0110

Most small NEMT companies never bill A0110 for their own vehicles. The code describes a bus carrier. If you drive a rider in your van, bill the van code your schedule names, such as [A0120](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0120/) for an ambulatory van where your state uses it. North Carolina's county manual shows the split: contract vendors bill bus fares on A0110, and minibuses, vans, and mountain area transports on A0120.

The clear exception is Missouri's developmental disability waivers. There, rides to waiver services and community activities, not medical visits, are billed by distance zone:

| Zone | Code | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1, 0 to 10 miles | A0110 (A0110 HE with non-ambulatory modifications) | Per trip |
| Zone 2, more than 10 to 20 miles | T2002 (T2002 HE) | Per trip |
| Zone 3, more than 20 miles | T2003 (T2003 HE) | Per trip |

Any mix of these per-trip codes is capped at two units per participant per day. The provider needs a driver's license under Missouri Revised Statutes chapter 302 and a DMH contract, and must keep trip records and mileage or zone records for each rider. A rider driven 8 miles to a day program and 8 miles home is two units of A0110, and that is the daily cap.

## How to bill A0110 step by step

1. **Find the code on your payer's schedule.** Confirm that A0110 is the code your state or broker uses for bus fares, and not A0120 or T2004.
2. **Get the approval first.** Oregon prior authorizes every NEMT ride, Indiana requires authorization for bus trips of 50 miles or more one way, and North Carolina counties authorize payment before a vendor is paid.
3. **Bill the public fare.** North Dakota and Indiana tie payment to the fare you charge everyone else, and CMS says fixed route transit should cost Medicaid no more than the public pays.
4. **Count units the state's way.** Bill one pass, one trip, or one ticket per unit, as your schedule says.
5. **Attach the proof.** Indiana requires an attachment with A0110 claims. Keep the ticket, pass receipt, or trip record for every unit.

For the codes you bill on your own van trips, see [NEMT billing codes](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-billing-codes/) and your [state's page](https://nemtguide.com/states/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Does Medicare pay the A0110 billing code?

No. The October 2026 CMS HCPCS file gives A0110 coverage code I, which means not payable by Medicare, and pricing indicator 00, which means Part B sets no price. Medicaid pays for bus travel because 42 CFR 440.170(a) counts the cost of transportation by common carrier as a travel expense, and each state decides which code and rate to use.

### What is the difference between A0110 and A0120?

A0110 is a bus on an intrastate or interstate carrier, such as a regional or long-distance bus line. A0120 is a mini-bus, a mountain area transport, or another transportation system, and many states use it for ambulatory vans. States draw the line differently: Oregon bills commercial bus on A0110 but city bus tickets and passes on A0120, and Alaska bills all bus travel on A0120.

### What is the A0110 rate?

There is no national rate. Louisiana pays either a daily or a monthly pass, priced by location at the usual and customary cost, under a rate dated October 1, 2015 on its schedule effective October 1, 2025. Colorado lists A0110 as manually priced per trip from July 1, 2026. Indiana pays enrolled bus companies the fare they charge the general public.

### Can a NEMT van company bill A0110?

Usually not for its own van trips, because the code describes a bus carrier. Bill your van trips on the code your fee schedule names, such as A0120 or A0130. The main exception is Missouri's developmental disability waivers, where DMH contract transportation providers bill A0110 for trips of up to 10 miles and add modifier HE for a vehicle modified for riders who cannot walk.

### Can I bill A0110 for a monthly bus pass?

Where your state allows it. Louisiana pays daily or monthly passes under A0110, and Indiana can authorize a monthly pass when a member has an ongoing medical need, the pass is cost effective, and the member agrees to use it. Under CMS guidance, the pass may cost no more than the single trips the member takes to covered care that month.

## Official resources

- [CMS: HCPCS quarterly update files](https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/healthcare-common-procedure-system/quarterly-update)
- [CMS: Medicaid Transportation Coverage Guide (SMD 23-006)](https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/smd23006.pdf)
- [Louisiana Medicaid: NEMT fee schedule](https://www.lamedicaid.com/provweb1/fee_schedules/NEMT_Rates.xlsx)
- [Indiana Medicaid: Transportation Services provider module](https://www.in.gov/medicaid/providers/files/modules/transportation-services.pdf)
- [Oregon Health Authority: Medical Transportation Services Provider Guide](https://www.oregon.gov/oha/HSD/OHP/Tools/Medical%20Transportation%20Services%20Provider%20Guide.pdf)