# What Is an Ambulette? Meaning, New York and Ohio Rules, and Billing

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

An ambulette is a wheelchair van, and in New York also a stretcher van, that carries riders to medical care when there is no emergency. In New York and Ohio it is a legal category with its own state authority, vehicle inspections, and driver rules, and both states bill its wheelchair trips with A0130, the national wheelchair van code. Other states use names such as wheelchair van.

- Ambulette is a legal term in New York and Ohio. The same service is a wheelchair van in Ohio Medicaid, a mobility assistance vehicle in New Jersey, and a medicar in Illinois.
- New York ambulette staff must give door-to-door help from the rider's own door, with no limit on stairs, at no extra charge.
- New York ambulettes need NYSDOT operating authority, NYSDOT inspections every six months at $85 a vehicle, and drivers qualified under Article 19-A.
- Ohio ambulettes need an EMFTS license, a $50 permit and a $50 inspection for each van every year, and drivers with CPR, first aid, and passenger assistance training.
- Wheelchair ambulette trips bill A0130 plus S0209 mileage: $31.00 plus $1.30 a mile in Ohio (since January 1, 2024), and $52.90 plus $3.60 a mile in New York City's April 2026 fee file.

## What an ambulette is

New York's Medicaid Transportation Policy Manual (effective August 25, 2023) defines an ambulette or paratransit vehicle as a special-purpose vehicle, designed and equipped for nonemergency transport, that can carry a wheelchair, a stretcher, or riders with disabilities. That is the same wording as the state's Medicaid transportation regulation (18 NYCRR 505.10). New York enrolls ambulette companies as category of service 0602.

Ohio's law (Revised Code 4766.01, effective April 6, 2023) defines an ambulette as a motor vehicle specially designed, built, or modified and equipped to carry people who need a wheelchair or other mobility aid. Ohio Medicaid then uses another word for the same van: its rules define a wheelchair van as a vehicle that meets the ambulette definition and Ohio's ambulette licensing rules (Ohio Adm. Code 5160-15-01).

An ambulette is not an ambulance. New York says an ambulette may not be used as an ambulance to provide emergency medical services, and the Star of Life emblem does not belong on a non-medical provider's vehicle. Ohio's ambulance definition leaves out vehicles used only for riders who are not stretcher-bound, so check with the state's Division of EMS before you carry a stretcher rider there.

Other programs name the same service differently:

| Where | Name for the service |
|---|---|
| New York Medicaid | Ambulette (category of service 0602), including stretcher ambulettes |
| Ohio | Ambulette in the licensing law, wheelchair van in the Medicaid rules |
| New Jersey | Mobility assistance vehicle, formerly invalid coach (N.J.A.C. 8:40) |
| Illinois Medicaid | Medicar (HFS transportation handbook, March 11, 2024) |
| South Dakota Medicaid | Secure van, billed as A0130 (fee schedule effective July 1, 2026) |
| Minnesota Medicaid | Lift-equipped or ramp transport (Minn. Stat. 256B.0625) |
| CMS national code set | A0130, "Non-emergency transportation: wheelchair van" (October 2026 HCPCS file) |

The vehicle itself is a [wheelchair accessible vehicle](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/wheelchair-accessible-vehicle/). What sets a New York ambulette apart is the help its staff must give on every ride.

## Ambulette rules in New York

**Who can ride.** Every ambulette request needs a written order from the rider's practitioner and a written form verifying the rider's transportation abilities, known as Form 2015. The practitioner records the qualifying condition in the medical record. New York City's ordering guidelines (version 2017-1, May 8, 2017) allow an ambulette when the rider:

- must travel lying down, and the ambulette can carry a stretcher,
- uses a wheelchair and cannot use a taxi, livery, bus, or private vehicle,
- needs a walker or crutches and cannot use those modes either,
- is left disabled for a time by dialysis, chemotherapy, or radiation, or
- has another physical or cognitive condition that requires personal assistance.

If the rider does not need personal assistance, the guidelines say to order livery, which is [curb-to-curb](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/curb-to-curb/) service.

**What staff must do.** Ambulette staff give personal assistance: help walking, climbing or going down stairs, ramps, and curbs, opening and closing doors, getting into the vehicle, and moving obstacles. The service is [door-to-door](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/door-to-door/) from the rider's front door, including an apartment door or nursing home room, to the door of the medical office, with no limit on stairs or floors and no extra charge. Needed escorts come from the ambulette company at no extra charge. Staff do not have to lift a rider onto an examination table, enter the exam room, or stay through the appointment.

**Licensing.** Ambulette companies need NYSDOT operating authority. NYSDOT lists ambulette service as an example of a common carrier, and a contract carrier permit covers fixed-price work for a facility. NYSDOT inspects each ambulette twice a year, and state Transportation Law section 144 sets the fee at $85 per vehicle for each inspection. Drivers must qualify under Article 19-A of the Vehicle and Traffic Law. Inside its authorized area, an ambulette company that takes Medicaid may not refuse Medicaid trips while it is open for business.

**Taxi-level riders.** An ambulette company may carry curb-to-curb riders, and it bills those rides with taxi codes. New York Medicaid does not require a separate taxi license for this, though a local taxi and limousine commission license can still be required where one applies. Sedans and minivans it uses for livery trips are not inspected by NYSDOT.

**Claims.** Each ambulette claim must show the driver's license number and the vehicle's plate number.

**Stretcher ambulettes.** These carry riders who are confined to bed, cannot sit in a wheelchair, and need no medical monitoring. At least two employees staff each trip, with the assistant seated in the passenger area. The vehicle carries a wheeled cot with its maker's straps and a retention device from the same maker, and no oxygen supplies, though a rider may bring and manage their own. See [stretcher van](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/stretcher-van/).

The [New York state guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/new-york/) covers enrollment with the statewide broker, surety bonds, and county rates.

## Ambulette rules in Ohio

**License and permits.** A company that carries riders who use a wheelchair or other mobility aid, to or from hospitals, emergency departments, dialysis centers, nursing homes and other long-term care, surgical facilities, inpatient rehabilitation, memory care centers, or practitioner offices, needs an ambulette service license from the State Board of Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services (Revised Code 4766.04). Each van needs its own permit, a physical inspection before its first permit and every year after, and a decal on the rear window (Revised Code 4766.07).

| Ohio ambulette fee (Ohio Adm. Code 4766-3-03, effective June 15, 2022) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Service license, each year | $100 |
| Permit, per ambulette, each year | $50 |
| Inspection, per ambulette, each year | $50 |
| Reinspection after a violation notice | $50 |
| Temporary vehicle permit | $50 |

**The van (Ohio Adm. Code 4766-3-08).** Four-point floor or wall fasteners for each wheelchair, a restraint for the rider, a stable ramp or lift, and mounted storage for loose equipment, with bungee cords banned. Headroom from the top of the door opening to the raised lift platform or ramp of at least 56 inches on vans 22 feet or shorter, and 68 inches on longer vehicles. A fire extinguisher, blanket, disinfectants, oxygen equipment, isolation equipment, and first aid equipment. The company name in letters at least 3 inches high on both sides and 1.5 inches on the back, and Ambulette license plates (Ohio Adm. Code 4766-3-07).

**Drivers (Ohio Adm. Code 4766-3-13, effective June 15, 2022).** At least 18, with two years of driving experience and a valid license. A driving record from the BMV at hire and every year, with fewer than six points. CPR and first aid certification with hands-on training, and passenger assistance training at least every three years. A criminal background check through Ohio BCI, or through the FBI for anyone who has not lived in Ohio for the last five years. A signed medical statement or DOT physical, and a drug and alcohol test, repeated after any accident in which they were the driver.

**Insurance (Revised Code 4766.06).** Liability coverage of at least $500,000 per occurrence and $500,000 in total, plus vehicle coverage of at least $100,000 for one person's injury, $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 for property damage.

**When Ohio Medicaid pays.** Under Ohio Adm. Code 5160-15-22, a wheelchair van trip is covered when the rider needs their mobility device from pickup to drop-off, rides in or on it between the van and the appointment, and cannot go by standard passenger vehicle. A cane, crutch, or walker alone does not qualify. An attendant is paid only when needed for a safe trip and documented. The [Ohio state guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/ohio/) covers the other permits a for-hire carrier needs there.

## How ambulette trips are billed

| Payer | Base (A0130) | Mileage (S0209) | Attendant (T2001) | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Medicaid fee-for-service | $31.00 | $1.30 a mile | $15.00 | Last changed January 1, 2024, in the appendix enacted July 10, 2026 |
| New York Medicaid, New York City | $52.90 | $3.60 a mile | Not listed | May 30, 2024 base and April 1, 2022 mileage, in the file dated April 5, 2026 |

Here is one Ohio trip worked through. An 8-mile fee-for-service ambulette trip bills A0130 at $31.00 and S0209 at 8 × $1.30 = $10.40, for $41.40. If the rider's needs call for an attendant and you document why, T2001 adds $15.00, for $56.40.

The same 8 miles in New York City bills $52.90 plus 8 × $3.60 = $28.80, for $81.70, using the fee schedule amounts. The New York file notes that its amounts may reflect network negotiations, and Ohio managed care plans pay what their contracts say. See [A0130](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0130/), [S0209](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/s0209/), and [T2001](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/t2001/) for modifiers and claim rules.

## Ambulette service outside New York and Ohio

If your state does not use the word, you run a wheelchair van. The vehicle standards come from the federal ADA specs, your state, and each broker, as the [WAV entry](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/wheelchair-accessible-vehicle/) explains. The main difference is the help. In New York, door-to-door personal assistance comes with every ambulette ride. Brokers such as MTM Health in Virginia assign the level of assistance separately and start from curb-to-curb (handbook approved August 10, 2026). See [NEMT level of service](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/level-of-service/).

For the business side, including when ambulette is its own license class and what it costs to start, see the ambulette business guide and [how to start a wheelchair transportation business](https://nemtguide.com/guides/start-a-wheelchair-transportation-business/).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the difference between an ambulette and an ambulance?

An ambulette carries riders who need no medical care on the way. An ambulance carries a medical crew for riders who need treatment or monitoring. New York says an ambulette may not be used as an ambulance to provide emergency medical services, and the Star of Life emblem does not belong on a non-medical provider's vehicle. Ohio's law defines the two separately, and its ambulance definition leaves out vehicles used only for riders who are not stretcher-bound.

### Is an ambulette the same as a wheelchair van?

In Ohio, yes: Ohio Medicaid defines a wheelchair van as a vehicle that meets the ambulette definition and licensing rules (Ohio Adm. Code 5160-15-01). In New York the word covers more. An ambulette there can carry wheelchair riders, stretcher riders, or other riders with disabilities, and its staff must give door-to-door personal assistance. Elsewhere, the closest match is a wheelchair accessible vehicle, and the help level is assigned separately.

### Who qualifies for an ambulette ride in New York?

A rider whose practitioner orders it in writing and completes Form 2015, the Verification of Medicaid Transportation Abilities. New York City's ordering guidelines (version 2017-1) list riders who must travel lying down, wheelchair users and riders with walkers or crutches who cannot use a taxi, livery, bus, or private car, riders disabled for a time after dialysis, chemotherapy, or radiation, and riders who need personal assistance because of another physical or cognitive condition.

### What licenses does an ambulette company need?

In New York, NYSDOT operating authority, a NYSDOT inspection every six months for each ambulette, drivers qualified under Article 19-A, and Medicaid enrollment as category of service 0602. In Ohio, an ambulette service license from the State Board of Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services, a permit and a yearly inspection for each van, and liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence. Both states add local business and for-hire rules, covered on their state pages.

### How much does Medicaid pay for an ambulette trip?

It depends on the state and the payer. Ohio's fee-for-service maximums are $31.00 per trip (A0130), $1.30 a mile (S0209), and $15.00 for an attendant (T2001), unchanged since January 1, 2024. In New York City, the eMedNY fee schedule file dated April 5, 2026 lists $52.90 per trip and $3.60 a mile, and the file notes its amounts may reflect network negotiations. Managed care plans pay their contract rates.

## Official resources

- [eMedNY: New York Medicaid Transportation Policy Manual](https://www.emedny.org/ProviderManuals/Transportation/PDFS/Transportation_Manual_Policy_Section.pdf)
- [NYSDOT: Passenger operating authority](https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/osss/bus/passenger)
- [Ohio Administrative Code: Chapter 4766-3, Ambulettes](https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/chapter-4766-3)
- [Ohio Revised Code: Chapter 4766, medical transportation licensing](https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/chapter-4766)
- [Ohio: Appendix to rule 5160-15-28, transportation rates](https://codes.ohio.gov/assets/laws/administrative-code/pdfs/5160/0/15/5160-15-28_PH_FF_A_APP2_20260710_1407.pdf)