# Illinois Certificate of Transportation Services (HFS 2271) and the PCS: Which Form a Ride Needs in 2027

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/guides/illinois-certificate-of-transportation-services/ · Updated 2026-10-02

The State of Illinois Certificate of Transportation Services is form HFS 2271, the medical necessity form for medicar, service car, and non-emergency ambulance rides that start at the rider's home. A licensed medical professional completes it, never the ride company. Rides from a hospital or nursing home use the HFS 2270 Physician Certification Statement instead. One form can cover repeat medicar or service car rides for up to 180 days.

- A home pickup needs the HFS 2271 CTS. A pickup at a hospital or nursing home needs the HFS 2270 PCS. Private auto rides need neither.
- Your company may never fill out either form. A licensed medical professional signs it, with a title, and stays responsible for it.
- One form covers repeat medicar or service car rides for up to 180 days and ambulance rides for 60 days. A discharge PCS covers that day only.
- If a hospital or nursing home does not send the PCS, keep your fax, email, or mail receipt and submit it within 90 days of the ride.
- Keep every form with its trip record for at least 6 years from the date of service.

## Which form a ride needs

Illinois picks the medical necessity form by where the ride starts. A ride from the rider's home needs the HFS 2271 Certificate of Transportation Services (CTS). A ride from a hospital or long-term care facility needs the HFS 2270 Physician Certification Statement (PCS). The [Illinois state guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/illinois/) gives the two-sentence version. This page covers how the forms work day to day.

Both forms cover three levels of service: service car, medicar (a wheelchair van, including a stretcher ride that needs no medical care on the way), and non-emergency ambulance. HFS says both apply to fee-for-service members and to HealthChoice Illinois plan members (notice of December 13, 2023). No form is needed when family or friends drive the rider in a private car.

### The form, by where the ride starts

The pickup address decides the form, and the trip type decides how long one form lasts.

| Where the ride starts | Form needed | How long one form lasts |
|---|---|---|
| The rider's home | HFS 2271 CTS | Up to 180 days for repeat medicar or service car rides, 60 for ambulance |
| A hospital or nursing home | HFS 2270 PCS | Up to 180 days for repeat medicar or service car rides, 60 for ambulance |
| A hospital, at discharge | HFS 2270 PCS | That date only |
| One hospital to another, for a higher level of care | None | Not required |
| Anywhere, by private auto | None | Not required |

A single-trip form covers only the date of that trip. A new form is required whenever the rider's medical need or level of transport changes, even if the old one has time left.

Either form can follow the ride when waiting for it would harm the patient. The form is then due to you free within 10 calendar days of your request (HFS notice of December 13, 2023, and handbook of March 11, 2024).

### A worked example

Say a rider lives at home, uses a wheelchair, and goes to dialysis three times a week. The nephrologist's office completes one HFS 2271 marked medicar, with an expiration date up to 180 days out. In April the rider is admitted to the hospital. The ride home at discharge needs a discharge PCS from the hospital, good for that day only. Once the rider is home again, the dialysis rides go back to the CTS, unless the rider now needs a different level, such as a stretcher, which calls for a new form.

## Who may sign, and who may not

Your company never completes either form. The HFS 2271 says so in capital letters at the top, and HFS's February 15, 2019 notice said the transportation provider should not complete the PCS. Under 89 Ill. Adm. Code 140.491(c)(3), a physician may have another licensed health care provider or a discharge planner fill out the PCS, but never someone employed by a transportation provider.

### Who signs the CTS

The CTS must be completed by a licensed medical professional, who adds a title showing the credential. The HFS handbook lists these examples:

- Physician (MD or DO)
- Physician assistant
- Clinical nurse specialist
- Registered nurse
- Nurse practitioner
- Discharge planner
- Licensed clinical social worker
- Licensed practical nurse

### Who signs the PCS

The PCS is completed by the hospital or nursing home. The signer checks a box for one of these: physician (MD or DO), physician assistant, clinical nurse specialist, registered nurse, nurse practitioner, discharge planner, long-term care medical director, licensed practical nurse, licensed vocational nurse, social worker, or caseworker.

Even when someone else fills it in, the physician, medical director, or other medical professional who treats the patient stays responsible for its accuracy (140.491(c)(3)). The CTS signer certifies that false entries, hidden facts, or omissions may be prosecuted as fraud, with recoupment of payments. The PCS signer certifies that the facts are true, based on an evaluation at or just before the ride. HFS training on the PCS (updated January 20, 2022) says electronic signatures are permitted.

## What a complete form looks like

A form with a blank field can sink the trip, so check every one before the first ride. HFS posts the current versions on its forms page: HFS 2271 revision R-04-24 and HFS 2270 revision R-08-24, as of October 2026.

### Checking a CTS (HFS 2271)

1. **The rider.** Name, nine-digit recipient identification number (RIN), and date of birth.
2. **One category of service.** The signer picks the most economical one that meets the rider's needs: fixed route transit, ADA paratransit, service car or taxi, medicar, or non-emergency ambulance. If the signer marks fixed route or paratransit, the form supports that level, not a van ride.
3. **The conditions.** For a service car or medicar ride, the boxes that apply, such as needs a lift, wheelchair bound, uses a walker, unable to travel alone, or self-administered oxygen. For ambulance, the criteria from the rule's Table A.
4. **The medical necessity.** The primary and secondary diagnoses, any other relevant conditions, and why the category and any attendant are needed.
5. **Special circumstances.** If the rider needs one level for dialysis and another for other visits, the signer must explain why. HFS and Transdev say convenience is not a reason.
6. **The signature block.** The signer's name and title, a direct phone number, the signature, and the date signed.
7. **The expiration date.** The box allows up to six months. For repeat ambulance rides, the limit is still 60 days.

### Checking a PCS (HFS 2270)

The PCS has two pages: one for ambulance and one for medicar and service car. The facility completes only the page that fits the ride, and HFS says every field on it is mandatory and must be legible. On the medicar and service car page, look for:

- **The transport type:** discharge to home or a nursing facility, direct admit to a hospital, or an appointment.
- **The closest provider question,** answered yes or no, with a reason if the destination is not the closest appropriate one.
- **Both addresses spelled out,** with no abbreviations for the originating facility or the destination.
- **One side of the category options:** the service car side (fixed route, paratransit, or private auto, service car, or taxi) or the medicar side, with every condition that applies checked. A stretcher ride in a medicar needs the "Medicar stretcher needed" box.
- **Single trip or ongoing:** the trip date, or a start date and an expiration date.
- **The signer's details:** signature, date, printed name, phone number, and the checked credential box.

## When the PCS is missing or late

Hospitals and nursing homes must have a procedure for completing the PCS before the ride. If they do not, the rules give you a way to protect the claim:

1. **Ask in writing.** Fax or email the facility the same day, naming the rider, the RIN, and the date of service.
2. **Keep the proof.** HFS accepts a signed U.S. Postal Service return receipt, a fax receipt, an email receipt, or similar evidence of your request (140.491(c)(5)).
3. **Allow 10 calendar days.** The facility must provide the PCS no later than 10 calendar days after you ask (140.491(c)(4)).
4. **Submit the form or the attempt.** You have 90 calendar days from the date of the ride to send the PCS, or your documented attempt, to HFS or its agent (140.491(c)(4)).
5. **Report repeat problems.** Use the HFS Transportation Provider Portal to report a facility that sends no PCS, sends it late, or sends it incomplete. Have the rider's name, RIN, and date of service ready. HFS asks for seven business days to reply, and questions go to HFS.Transportation@illinois.gov.

HFS has warned that facilities that keep failing to provide the form may face audits, recoupment, civil money penalties, payment suspension, or termination, and it passes portal reports to its Office of Inspector General (notice of November 7, 2019).

The CTS works differently, since no facility is involved. HFS's April 22, 2022 notice asks the rider or whoever requests the ride to keep a copy and to help you complete it when it comes back incomplete. Ask for the CTS when the ride is booked, because it should be done before the first ride.

## Where the form goes

### Fee-for-service rides

For members outside a health plan, Transdev approves each ride for HFS through its prior authorization program. The handbook says the PCS must be sent to Transdev for approval, and the CTS should be sent to Transdev too. Single trips can be requested by phone, by fax, or in Transdev's free PassPORT portal. See [prior authorization for NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/prior-authorization/) for how the approval number works.

Repeat rides to the same place more than three times a month can go on one standing authorization:

- **How to send it.** Fax to 630-873-1450 or upload in PassPORT. Transdev does not take standing requests by phone.
- **When.** At least seven business days before the rides begin.
- **What to attach.** The medical documentation that supports the level of service, which is where the PCS or CTS goes. Under 140.491(e), an ongoing approval lasts up to six months and the PCS must describe the medical need, why the visits continue, the appointment dates, and how many visits and for how long.
- **Before you bill.** Wait for the approval notice, and match your claim to it, or HFS rejects the claim.

### Health plan rides

HealthChoice Illinois plans use the same two forms, but their brokers decide how you send them. Meridian's provider manual (January 2026) says the HFS 2271 is used for prior and post approval of rides from a member's home. As of October 2026, MTM Health posts both HFS forms on its health care providers page for Illinois, though its PCS copy is the older R-04-24 revision, so hand facilities the R-08-24 from HFS. CountyCare lists both forms next to Modivcare's standing order form.

Timing can be tighter than the state's. The plans' shared billing manual (version 36.0, June 29, 2026) says Molina trips need the PCS and CTS within 5 business days of the electronic claim, and the PCS goes with the claim in MTM's online portal or with a paper claim. Before your first plan ride, ask the broker where and when it wants each form. The [MTM Health in Illinois](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/mtm-health/illinois/) and [Modivcare in Illinois](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/modivcare/illinois/) pages list which plans each broker serves. In Chicago, the same forms apply alongside the city's own [medicar license rules](https://nemtguide.com/states/illinois/chicago/).

## Keeping the forms

The form protects a trip only if you can produce it later. Illinois's record rules set the floor:

- **Six years.** Keep business and professional records for at least 6 years from the date of service, and until any open audit is resolved (89 Ill. Adm. Code 140.28(b)).
- **Twelve months on site.** The latest 12 months of records must be available for inspection at your place of business (140.28(d)).
- **The trip ticket backs the form.** Your trip ticket must document the medical necessity for an attendant, oxygen, ambulance use, and a stretcher in a medicar (140.494(b)).
- **No form, no payment.** Without proper records, HFS makes no payment and takes back payments already made. Falsified records can be referred to law enforcement (handbook section 205).

A short routine keeps forms current:

1. File each form with the rider's trip tickets, and log its expiration date.
2. Ask for a renewal about 30 days before it expires.
3. Ask for a new form the day a rider's needs change, such as moving from a walker to a wheelchair.
4. Never let a driver carry a rider at a higher level than the form shows.

For the general rules on these forms in other states, see [NEMT medical necessity forms](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/medical-necessity-form/). For how long to keep every kind of trip record, see [NEMT record retention](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-record-retention/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can my company fill out the Certificate of Transportation Services for a rider?

No. The HFS 2271 says at the top that a licensed medical professional must complete it and that non-emergency transportation providers may not. HFS repeated this in its December 13, 2023 notice for both forms. Your staff can send the blank form to the rider's doctor, nurse practitioner, or clinic, and ask them to fix gaps, but the medical facts and the signature must come from them.

### Does a dialysis rider need a new CTS for every ride?

No. One CTS can cover repeat medicar or service car rides for up to 180 days, or repeat ambulance rides for up to 60 days, as long as the rider's needs and level of service stay the same. For a fee-for-service rider going to the same place more than three times a month, also ask Transdev for a standing authorization at least seven business days before the rides start.

### Which form does a ride from a nursing home to a doctor need?

The HFS 2270 Physician Certification Statement, because the ride starts at a long-term care facility. The facility's staff completes it, the facility keeps a copy, and you get a copy at the time of the ride. A PCS for repeat medicar or service car rides from the facility can last up to 180 days. The HFS 2271 is only for rides that start at the rider's home.

### Do HealthChoice Illinois health plan rides use the same forms?

Yes. HFS says both forms apply to fee-for-service members and to HealthChoice Illinois plan members. Meridian's January 2026 provider manual names the HFS 2271 for home pickups, and MTM Health and CountyCare post both HFS forms for Illinois. Each plan's broker decides how you send them, so ask before your first ride.

### What do I do if a hospital will not give me the PCS?

Ask in writing and keep the receipt. The hospital must provide the PCS free within 10 calendar days of your request. If it does not, you can submit your documented attempt, such as a fax receipt or a signed return receipt, in place of the form, within 90 calendar days of the ride. You can also report the hospital through the HFS Transportation Provider Portal.

### Can a doctor sign the PCS electronically?

HFS training on the HFS 2270, updated January 20, 2022, says electronic signatures are permitted. The rule, 89 Ill. Adm. Code 140.491, says a PCS that serves as a discharge order must be signed or authenticated as Illinois law allows. Make sure the e-signed copy still shows the signer's printed name, credential box, phone number, and the date signed. For an e-signed CTS, ask Transdev or the plan's broker whether it accepts one before the first ride.

## Official resources

- [HFS 2271 Certificate of Transportation Services (PDF)](https://hfs.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/hfs/sitecollectiondocuments/hfs2271.pdf)
- [HFS 2270 Physician Certification Statement (PDF)](https://hfs.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/hfs/sitecollectiondocuments/hfs2270.pdf)
- [HFS medical forms, alphabetical list](https://hfs.illinois.gov/info/brochures-and-forms/medicalformsalpha.html)
- [HFS Transportation Provider Portal (report PCS problems)](https://hfs.illinois.gov/medicalproviders/noninstitutional/physiciancertificationstatement.html)
- [HFS Handbook for Providers of Transportation Services](https://hfs.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/hfs/sitecollectiondocuments/transportationhandbook.pdf)
- [Transdev NETSPAP forms and PassPORT](https://transdevhealthsolutions.com/netspap/forms/)