# A0180 Billing Code: Rider Lodging on Overnight Medical Trips, Units, and State Rates

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0180/ · Updated 2026-09-29

A0180 is the HCPCS code for "Non-emergency transportation: ancillary: lodging-recipient," the rider's room on an overnight medical trip. Medicare does not pay it. As of July 1, 2026, Alaska pays up to $110 a night, North Dakota $110, and Colorado $100.18 per diem. New Mexico pays $60.80 a night on its January 2025 schedule. North Dakota, Alaska, and New Mexico approve the stay before travel.

- A0180 pays for the rider's lodging on an overnight medical trip, usually one night per unit, and Medicare does not pay it.
- As of July 1, 2026, Alaska pays up to $110 a night, North Dakota $110, and Colorado $100.18 per diem. New Mexico pays $60.80 a night (January 1, 2025).
- The distance test differs by state: more than four hours one way in New Mexico, more than 50 miles one way in Iowa, and more than 12 hours of travel and care in Louisiana.
- In Alaska, New Mexico, and North Dakota, Medicaid pays the enrolled hotel or lodging provider directly, not the rider.
- Alaska bills A0200 instead of A0180 when the rider shares a room with an escort, and never both for the same night.

## What A0180 means

CMS lists A0180 in the national HCPCS code set as "Non-emergency transportation: ancillary: lodging-recipient." The recipient is the Medicaid member who rides. 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, and pricing indicator 00, which means Part B sets no price.

A0180 belongs to a group of ancillary codes billed next to a long trip, never for the ride itself:

| Code | What it pays for |
|---|---|
| A0180 | Lodging for the rider |
| [A0190](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0190/) | Meals for the rider |
| [A0200](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0200/) | Lodging for an escort |
| [A0210](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0210/) | Meals for an escort |

Medicaid pays these costs because of 42 CFR 440.170(a)(3). It counts "the cost of meals and lodging en route to and from medical care, and while receiving medical care" as a travel expense. CMS's Medicaid Transportation Coverage Guide (SMD 23-006, September 28, 2023) adds that coverage of these related travel expenses, when necessary to reach covered care, is required. It also notes that time and distance can make an overnight stay necessary. See [NEMT billing codes](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-billing-codes/) for the full code list.

## When long-distance care makes lodging billable

The programs that pay lodging each draw the line in a different place:

| Program | When lodging is covered | What must happen first |
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | Care or travel arrangements require an overnight stay, such as leaving the day before to arrive on time, or when getting home the same day is excessively burdensome or not feasible | Overnight travel must be pre-approved, and the human services zone or tribe approves the trip on form SFN 1507. Care more than 50 miles past the state border also needs ND Medicaid service authorization. (Manual updated January 2026) |
| New Mexico | The member must travel more than four hours one way for care, and an overnight stay is needed for medical or cost reasons | The physician attests in writing to the need for care outside the community. Stays are approved for up to five days, then up to 15 more after a re-evaluation by the fifth day. Out-of-state stays are approved up to 30 days at a time. |
| Alaska | The member must travel to a different community for medical care | Service authorization. The AK-04 Transportation Authorization and Invoice lists the approved units. |
| Iowa | The one-way distance to the appointment is more than 50 miles, the stay is required for treatment, and the trip is provided by the broker | Detailed receipts. (Rule effective July 1, 2026) |
| Louisiana | Travel time plus the appointment totals more than 12 hours | The broker approves and pays, and a denial must come in writing with the right to a fair hearing. (Manual section issued July 14, 2025) |
| Indiana | Extended treatment that requires at least one overnight stay | The state Medicaid agency, FSSA, preapproves every request. The broker pays from its [capitation](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/capitation/) payment. |
| South Dakota | Specialty care at least 150 miles from the member's city that results in an overnight stay | Paid as a daily allowance, not by code (fee schedule effective July 1, 2026) |
| Alabama | Overnight travel is necessary, for the rider and one authorized escort | Receipts or confirmation of the expense before payment (rule amended effective March 16, 2024) |
| Texas fee-for-service | Overnight stays for clients from birth through age 20 and their guardian or responsible adult | The Medical Transportation Program prior authorizes all fee-for-service services (September 2026 handbook) |
| Illinois fee-for-service | Not paid on transportation claims | The transportation handbook lists lodging among the charges the state does not pay (March 11, 2024) |

See [rural NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/rural-nemt/) for how these long trips fit into the rest of your billing, and [prior authorization](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/prior-authorization/) for how approvals work in general.

## A0180 rates by state

| Program | A0180 rate | How it is priced | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $110 | Fee schedule rate | July 1, 2026 |
| Alaska | Up to $110 | One night | July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 |
| Colorado | $100.18 (it was $102.22 from October 1, 2025) | Per diem | July 1, 2026 |
| New Mexico | $60.80 | One night | January 1, 2025 |
| Louisiana | No more than the U.S. General Services Administration per diem for the location. GSA's standard lodging rate is $113 for travel from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. | Per diem | Rate policy effective October 1, 2015, on the schedule updated September 2025 |
| South Dakota | $150 a day for an overnight stay with meals and lodging, with no code on the schedule | Per day | November 1, 2024 |
| Alabama | Up to $50 per person per day for meals and lodging together | Per day | March 16, 2024 |
| Indiana | Listed as noncovered on the fee-for-service schedule. The broker pays for approved lodging. | None | June 9, 2026 |

**Worked example.** A rider needs two nights near a transplant center.

| Program | Math | Most it pays |
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 2 x $110 | $220.00 |
| Alaska | 2 x $110 | $220.00 |
| Colorado | 2 x $100.18 | $200.36 |
| New Mexico | 2 x $60.80 | $121.60 |

In Alaska, the claim may not be more than the hotel charges any other customer.

## Modifiers and units for A0180

- **Alaska HD, prematernal homes.** A0180 HD pays up to $110 a night, all inclusive of meals and lodging, for a pregnant member with no labor and delivery facility in her home community. Alaska authorizes up to 30 days before delivery, and longer stays need medical justification. Electronic claims use diagnosis code Z75.8, while hotel stays use Z75.3.
- **Alaska escorts.** A rider traveling alone bills A0180. A rider traveling with an escort shares one room, billed as A0200, and A0180 and A0200 are never billed for the same date.
- **New Mexico.** A0180 needs no modifier. The escort code A0200 uses UK for the escort of an inpatient member and U1 for an escort in a separate room.
- **Arizona.** The September 2026 B2 Matrix lets 14 provider types bill A0180, including NEMT providers (type 28), hospitals, clinics, and home health agencies, with origin and destination modifiers. AHCCCS's ground NEMT rate file effective October 1, 2026 sets no A0180 rate.

## How lodging is claimed step by step

1. **Get the stay approved before the trip.** North Dakota uses form SFN 1507, Alaska issues the AK-04, and New Mexico's authorization forms come from the local county Income Support Division (ISD) office.
2. **Book a stay the program will pay.** Alaska does not pay double-occupancy rates, weekend nights it did not authorize, stays with friends or relatives, or lodging while the member is admitted as an inpatient.
3. **Bill one unit per night actually stayed.** Alaska says never to bill units that were not provided or that exceed the number approved.
4. **Use the escort code when the rider has company.** In Alaska the shared room is billed as A0200.
5. **Send the claim the way your state wants it.** North Dakota lodging providers bill through the North Dakota Web Portal's Travel, Meals, and Lodging claim page, or on the professional claim if they have an NPI. Alaska accepts only original AK-04 forms, never photocopies or faxes.
6. **Keep the receipts.** Iowa pays only with detailed receipts, and Alabama needs receipts or confirmation of the expense.

## If your company drives the long trip

Your ride is billed on your own base and mileage codes. The rider's hotel and meals go on A0180 and [A0190](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0190/), usually paid to the hotel, the rider, or through the broker. North Dakota may authorize meals and lodging for a driver, but not for both a driver and an attendant unless the referring provider finds one person cannot do both jobs. Alabama does not cover meals and lodging for volunteer drivers. Settle who pays for your driver's room with the broker in writing before you accept an overnight trip. See long-distance medical transport.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can a NEMT company bill the A0180 billing code?

Usually the lodging provider bills it. Alaska pays enrolled hotels and motels, New Mexico pays lodging providers directly, and North Dakota pays only enrolled providers, never the member. In broker states such as Indiana and Louisiana, the broker covers approved lodging. Arizona's behavioral health code matrix for September 2026 does list NEMT providers among those allowed to bill A0180.

### How many units of A0180 do I bill for an overnight stay?

One unit per night in Alaska and New Mexico. Alaska's manual gives the example of a rider traveling alone from July 1 to July 3: two units of A0180. Colorado prices the code per diem. Alaska says never to bill more units than the AK-04 Transportation Authorization and Invoice authorizes.

### How far does a trip have to be for Medicaid to pay lodging?

Each state sets its own test. New Mexico covers lodging when the member must travel more than four hours one way and stay overnight. Iowa requires a one-way distance of more than 50 miles, under its rule effective July 1, 2026. Louisiana requires total travel time plus the appointment to exceed 12 hours. South Dakota requires care at least 150 miles from the member's city.

### What is the difference between A0180 and A0200?

A0180 is lodging for the rider and A0200 is lodging for an escort. In Alaska the two share one room, so a rider traveling with an escort bills A0200 for the night, and A0180 and A0200 are never billed for the same date. New Mexico pays A0200 at $52.58 a night (January 1, 2025), and North Dakota at $169 (July 1, 2026).

### Does Medicare pay A0180?

No. The October 2026 CMS HCPCS file gives A0180 coverage code I, which means not payable by Medicare, and pricing indicator 00. Medicaid pays it because 42 CFR 440.170(a) counts the cost of meals and lodging on the way to and from care, and while receiving care, as a travel expense.

## Official resources

- [North Dakota Medicaid: NEMT billing and policy manual (meals and lodging rules)](https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/medicaid-policies/non-emergency-medical-transportation.pdf)
- [Alaska Medicaid: Transportation and accommodation billing manual](https://extranet-sp.dhss.alaska.gov/hcs/medicaidalaska/Provider/Manuals/Non-Emergent_Transp_and_Accomm.pdf)
- [New Mexico: 8.324.7 NMAC, Medicaid transportation services and lodging](https://www.srca.nm.gov/parts/title08/08.324.0007.html)
- [GSA: Per diem rates lookup](https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates)
- [CMS: Medicaid Transportation Coverage Guide (SMD 23-006)](https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/smd23006.pdf)