# Minnesota NEMT Rates in 2027: Base and Mileage by Ride Type, Rural Add-Ons, and the Fuel Adjustment

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/guides/minnesota-nemt-rates/ · Updated 2026-10-02

Minnesota pays fee-for-service NEMT by the rider's assessed mode, not your vehicle. State law sets the base: $12.10 unassisted, $14.30 assisted, $19.80 lift or ramp, $75 protected, and $60 stretcher. Mileage starts at $1.43, $1.70, or $2.40 and moves each quarter with gas prices. As of October 2026, DHS lists $1.61 a mile for unassisted and assisted rides, $1.80 for lift rides, and $2.54 for protected and stretcher.

- Minnesota pays by the mode the rider was assessed for, so a wheelchair van carrying an assisted rider earns the assisted rate.
- You bill DHS directly only for lift or ramp, protected, and stretcher rides. Counties, tribes, coordinators, and health plans pay you for the rest.
- Mileage moves on the first day of each quarter, 1 percent for every 10 cents Minnesota gas averages above $3.00 a gallon.
- Riders whose home ZIP code is rural or super rural bring up to 25 percent more mileage, and super rural riders bring a higher base.
- A 2026 law keeps these rates until the state starts its new NEMT administrator, after six months of notice.

## How Minnesota sets NEMT rates

Minnesota writes its fee-for-service NEMT rates into state law, in Minnesota Statutes 256B.0625, subdivision 17. The law sorts rides into seven modes and pays by the rider's assessed mode, "not the type of vehicle used." If you send a lift van to a rider assessed for assisted transport, you earn the assisted rate.

Who pays you depends on the mode:

- **Modes 5, 6, and 7 (lift or ramp, protected, stretcher).** You bill the Department of Human Services (DHS) directly through MN-ITS, at the rates below.
- **Modes 1 to 4 (mileage, volunteer, unassisted, assisted).** The rider's county or tribe runs these, often through a coordinator such as [MTM Health](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/mtm-health/) or SmartLink. DHS pays the local agency or coordinator the statute rates, and it pays you under your contract.
- **Health plan members.** The plan or its ride vendor pays you at the plan's own rate.

The [Minnesota state guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/minnesota/) explains enrollment and which coordinator covers which county. This page is the rate lookup.

The rates are not going away yet. A 2025 law set them to expire on July 1, 2026 for fee-for-service. Chapter 121 of the 2026 Session Laws, signed May 27, 2026, moved that end date to whenever DHS starts its new statewide or regional NEMT administrator, and DHS must give counties and health plans six months of notice first. See [the administrator delay](https://nemtguide.com/news/minnesota-nemt-administrator-delay/).

## Minnesota NEMT rates by ride type

The statute sets every base rate and the starting mileage rate, and DHS adjusts every mileage rate each quarter for fuel. DHS lists the adjusted rates on two provider manual pages: one for modes 1 to 4, revised October 1, 2026, and one for modes 5 to 7, revised July 1, 2026.

| Mode | Base per trip | Statute mile | Latest DHS mile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1, client mileage | None | $0.22 | $0.24 from Oct. 1, 2026 |
| 2, volunteer driver | None | Up to the IRS business rate | Up to $0.85 from Oct. 1, 2026 |
| 3, unassisted by a NEMT provider | $12.10 | $1.43 | $1.61 from Oct. 1, 2026 |
| 4, assisted | $14.30 | $1.43 | $1.61 from Oct. 1, 2026 |
| 5, lift or ramp | $19.80 | $1.70 | $1.80 from July 1, 2026 |
| 6, protected | $75.00 | $2.40 | $2.54 from July 1, 2026 |
| 7, stretcher | $60.00 | $2.40 | $2.54 from July 1, 2026 |

A few details sit outside the table:

- **Unassisted rides on public transit** pay the standard fare. The $12.10 base applies only when a NEMT provider gives the ride.
- **Volunteer mileage** can be up to 100 percent of the IRS business rate, which was 72.5 cents through June 30, 2026 and 76 cents from July 1, 2026 (IR-2026-29). DHS applies the fuel adjustment on top, so its county rate page lists up to $0.80 a mile from July 1 and $0.85 from October 1, 2026.
- **Stretcher rides** add $9.00 per trip for an extra attendant when one is medically necessary.
- **Protected rides** must include an attendant, and the attendant is part of the $75.00 base. See [protected transport](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/protected-transport/).
- **Unassisted and assisted mileage** share one rate. DHS lists S0215 at $1.48 from April 1, $1.51 from July 1, and $1.61 from October 1, 2026. New quarterly rates can post after the quarter starts: on May 8, 2026, PrimeWest Health told its providers that mode 4 mileage was $1.48 from April 1 and asked them to resubmit earlier April claims as replacement claims at that rate.

Mileage starts with the first mile the rider is in the vehicle and follows the most direct route. DHS's template for county health care access plans bars payment for any trip or mile with no rider aboard, so [deadhead miles](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/deadhead-miles/) earn nothing.

## What a Minnesota trip pays: worked examples

These urban trips use the DHS rates for July 1, 2026. Base plus loaded miles times the mileage rate gives the total.

| Trip | Base | Mileage | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheelchair, 12 miles | $19.80 | 12 × $1.80 = $21.60 | $41.40 |
| Protected, 20 miles | $75.00 | 20 × $2.54 = $50.80 | $125.80 |
| Stretcher, 30 miles, extra attendant | $60.00 + $9.00 | 30 × $2.54 = $76.20 | $145.20 |
| Stretcher, 60 miles | $60.00 | 60 × $2.54 = $152.40 | $212.40 |

For an assisted ride, DHS pays the county or coordinator $14.30 plus the fuel-adjusted mileage. At the $1.61 rate for October 1, 2026, a 10-mile assisted trip brings $14.30 plus $16.10, or $30.40. What reaches you is your contract rate with that county or coordinator, which can be higher or lower.

DHS pays the base per pickup, so the ride there and the ride home are two trips, each with its own base and miles. You may not bill a new base rate for continuing past the original destination.

## Rural and super rural add-ons

Minnesota pays more when the rider lives outside the cities. The rider's home ZIP code decides, using a census-based system called rural urban commuting areas (RUCA) that sorts places into urban, rural, and super rural. Where the trip starts does not matter.

- **Super rural base.** Riders whose home ZIP code is super rural bring a base rate of 111.3 percent of the statute rate. Rural riders get no base add-on.
- **Mileage up to 17 miles.** Rural and super rural riders bring 125 percent of the mileage rate.
- **Mileage from 18 to 50 miles.** They bring 112.5 percent.
- **Over 50 miles.** No mileage add-on. DHS's county template measures the distance one way, from pickup to drop-off.

Here is what the add-ons do to the July 1, 2026 rates. Cents may differ slightly from DHS's own rounding.

| Trip | Urban | With the add-on |
|---|---|---|
| Super rural wheelchair, 12 miles | $41.40 | About $49.04 ($22.04 base plus 12 × $2.25) |
| Rural protected, 30 miles | $151.20 | About $160.73 ($75.00 base plus 30 × $2.8575) |
| Super rural stretcher, 60 miles | $212.40 | About $219.18 ($66.78 base, no mileage add-on) |

The same add-ons reach mileage reimbursement and volunteer drivers in county plans, and the super rural base add-on reaches unassisted and assisted rides. The [rural NEMT guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/rural-nemt/) covers how to keep long rural days profitable.

## How the quarterly fuel adjustment works

The fuel rule is in the same subdivision. On the first day of each calendar quarter in which the Energy Information Administration's posted gas price tops $3.00 a gallon, DHS moves the mileage rates 1 percent up or down for every 10 cents of difference from a $3.00 base. It uses EIA's average price of all grades of gasoline for Minnesota. Base rates never move.

The 2026 quarters show the rule at work for the modes DHS pays directly:

| Quarter starting | Lift or ramp mile | Protected and stretcher mile |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | $1.70 | $2.40 |
| April 1, 2026 | $1.76 | $2.49 |
| July 1, 2026 | $1.80 | $2.54 |

EIA's weekly Minnesota average for all grades ran from $4.15 to $4.42 a gallon in September 2026. On October 1, 2026, DHS raised unassisted and assisted mileage to $1.61, about 12.6 percent above the $1.43 in the statute. As of October 2, 2026, the rate page for modes 5 to 7 still listed the July 1 rates, so check it before you bill October rides. The statute uses the most recently available EIA price, so a monthly average you work out yourself may not match the percentage DHS applies. Bill the rate DHS lists.

Health plans have their own fuel duty. Subdivision 18h requires managed care and county-based purchasing plans to provide a fuel adjustment on NEMT rates when fuel tops $3 a gallon, if federal approval holds. The 2025 law would have repealed that rule for plans on January 1, 2027, but section 62 of chapter 121 moved the repeal to the administrator's start. For pricing your own private-pay and facility rides, see [NEMT fuel surcharges](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-fuel-surcharge/).

## Who sets your rate on county, coordinator, and health plan trips

The statute's rate list covers rides paid "by or on behalf of the commissioner." Subdivision 18h lists the NEMT rules that bind health plans, and the rate list is not among them. So three kinds of payers set three kinds of rates:

1. **DHS, for modes 5 to 7 fee-for-service.** You get the statute rates with the quarterly fuel and rural adjustments, billed directly.
2. **Counties, tribes, and coordinators, for modes 3 and 4.** They pay you under your contract and bill DHS. MTM Health's Minnesota provider page says all rate details are worked out with each provider individually, and MTM does not pay for no-shows. Know the DHS rate for the quarter before you sign, so you know the room the coordinator has.
3. **Health plans.** Each plan sets its own rates and rules. PrimeWest Health, for example, moved its mode 4 mileage to $1.48 from April 1, 2026, pays contracted providers wait time on code T2007 at $10.00 per 30-minute unit after the first hour of waiting on a round trip, and on a shared ride has you bill mileage only for the member with the longest trip.

Read each contract's rate schedule against the table above. The gap between what DHS pays and what you receive is the number to raise when you [negotiate broker rates](https://nemtguide.com/guides/negotiate-nemt-broker-rates/).

## Codes to bill each Minnesota rate

Each mode has its own base and mileage codes. DHS's two rate pages list them: one for modes 5 to 7 and one for the county-run modes 1 to 4.

| Mode | Base code | Mileage code |
|---|---|---|
| 1, client mileage | None | [A0090](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0090/) |
| 2, volunteer driver | None | [A0080](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0080/) |
| 3, unassisted | [A0100](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0100/) | [S0215](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/s0215/) |
| 4, assisted | [T2003](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/t2003/) | S0215 |
| 5, lift or ramp | [A0130](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0130/) | [S0209](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/s0209/) |
| 6, protected | T2003 UA | S0215 UA |
| 7, stretcher | [T2005](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/t2005/), plus [T2001](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/t2001/) for an extra attendant | [T2049](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/t2049/) |

On claims you send DHS for modes 5 to 7:

- **Put each code on its own line**, with no more than two base units per line.
- **Add an [origin and destination modifier](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/origin-destination-modifiers/)** to each line, such as RP for a residence to a physician's office.
- **Keep each claim to one calendar month** of service dates, use place of service 99, and use diagnosis code Z02.9.
- **List the driver's UMPI as the rendering provider.** DHS has denied claims without one since January 1, 2023.

Every claim needs a trip record that matches it: the rider, the date, both addresses, the direct-route miles and how you found that route, the mode, the plate, both times and both odometer readings, any extra attendant's name, the driver's signature, and the rider's or medical provider's signature (subdivision 17b). See [NEMT trip documentation](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-trip-documentation/).

## What could change in 2027

Four things to watch:

- **The administrator start.** When DHS starts the subdivision 18i administrator, the statute rates, the rural add-ons, and the fuel adjustment expire, and health plan rides must also be paid by assessed mode. Chapter 121 names no replacement rates. You get at least six months of warning, because DHS must notify counties and plans that far ahead.
- **The plans' fuel rule.** It ends at the same moment, under section 62 of chapter 121.
- **Electronic visit verification.** From January 1, 2027, or federal approval if later, article 10 of chapter 121 requires NEMT providers to comply with the state EVV law, section 256B.073, and lets an EVV record serve as the trip record if it holds every required element. See [EVV for NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/evv-for-nemt/).
- **The volunteer cap.** It follows the IRS business rate, so it moves whenever the IRS changes that rate.

Until then, check DHS's rate page on the first business day of each quarter, update your rate sheet, and correct any claims you sent at the old rate.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does Minnesota Medicaid pay for a wheelchair ride?

For a fee-for-service rider assessed for lift or ramp transport (mode 5), DHS pays a $19.80 base (A0130) plus mileage (S0209). Mileage was $1.70 from January 1, 2026, $1.76 from April 1, and $1.80 from July 1, 2026. A 12-mile urban ride at the July rate pays $41.40. Riders from rural and super rural ZIP codes bring more. Health plans set their own rates.

### How often do Minnesota NEMT mileage rates change?

Each calendar quarter. On the first day of each quarter in which gas costs more than $3.00 a gallon, DHS moves the mileage rates 1 percent up or down for every 10 cents of difference, using the Energy Information Administration's average price of all grades in Minnesota. Only mileage moves. The base rates stay the same.

### Do Minnesota NEMT trips pay more in rural areas?

Yes, when the rider lives in a rural or super rural ZIP code. Mileage pays 125 percent of the rate on trips of 17 miles or less and 112.5 percent on trips of 18 to 50 miles, with no add-on past 50 miles. Riders from super rural ZIP codes also bring a base rate of 111.3 percent. The rider's home ZIP code decides, not where the trip starts.

### Does the protected transport rate pay extra for the attendant?

No. DHS pays protected transport (mode 6) as one $75.00 base per trip that must include an attendant, billed as T2003 with modifier UA, plus loaded mileage as S0215 UA. Only stretcher rides (mode 7) pay a separate $9.00 for a medically necessary extra attendant, billed as T2001.

### Do health plans and coordinators pay the state rates?

Not necessarily. The rates in state law are what DHS pays for fee-for-service rides. For unassisted and assisted rides, DHS pays your county, tribe, or coordinator, such as MTM Health or SmartLink, and it pays you under your contract. MTM sets rates with each provider individually. Health plans set their own rates, though state law requires plans to provide a fuel adjustment when gas tops $3 a gallon.

### Does Minnesota pay for empty miles or no-shows?

Not on fee-for-service rides. DHS starts mileage with the first mile the rider is aboard, and its template for county health care access plans bars payment for trips or miles with no rider in the vehicle. MTM Health does not pay its Minnesota providers for no-shows. Health plans set their own rules for empty miles and waiting. PrimeWest Health pays contracted providers $10.00 per 30 minutes of waiting on a round trip after the first hour.

### When do the Minnesota statute rates end?

When DHS starts the statewide or regional NEMT administrator required by subdivision 18i. A law signed May 27, 2026 tied the end of the rates, the rural add-ons, and the fuel adjustment to that start instead of July 1, 2026, and DHS must give counties and health plans six months of notice first. The law sets no replacement rates.

## Official resources

- [Minnesota DHS: State-administered NEMT codes, modifiers, and payment rates (modes 5 to 7)](https://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION&RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased&dDocName=id_016391)
- [Minnesota DHS: County, tribal, and coordinator NEMT codes and payment rates (modes 1 to 4)](https://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION&RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased&dDocName=DHS-287333)
- [Minnesota Statutes 256B.0625 (NEMT is subdivision 17)](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/256B.0625)
- [EIA: Weekly Minnesota retail gasoline prices](https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=EMM_EPM0_PTE_SMN_DPG&f=W)
- [PrimeWest Health: Transportation billing](https://www.primewest.org/transportation-billing)
- [MTM Health: Minnesota transportation providers](https://www.mtm-inc.net/minnesota/transportation-providers/)