# Anthem Medicare Advantage Transportation: Ride Limits by Plan, MTM Health, and How to Get Anthem Trips

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/anthem-medicare-advantage/ · Updated 2026-09-30

Anthem Medicare Advantage transportation is a yearly number of one-way rides to plan-approved places, set plan by plan. For 2026, 92 of the 154 Anthem plans sold to individuals include rides, among them all 35 Anthem dual special needs plans. MTM Health, which owns Access2Care, books Anthem's Medicare rides, so a transportation company gets Anthem trips by joining MTM's network.

- Anthem does not dispatch its Medicare rides. MTM Health books them, and Access2Care, the name on older Anthem documents, now belongs to MTM.
- Every one of the 35 Anthem dual special needs plans sold for 2026 includes rides, with limits from 12 trips a year to unlimited in Ohio's MyCare plan.
- Florida is its own market: all 103 Elevance plans there include rides, all mark the trip as needing authorization, and Simply's use Ride2MD.
- Anthem Kidney Care plans in Georgia and Kentucky allow unlimited rides, which fits a three-times-a-week dialysis schedule.
- In Iowa, Virginia, and Texas, MTM books Elevance Medicaid rides too, so ask whether one MTM agreement covers the same rider in both plans.

## Anthem Medicare Advantage rides at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Who books the ride | MTM Health, which lists Elevance Medicare (national) in its MTM Link app (September 2026) and owns Access2Care. Simply's Florida Medicare plans use Ride2MD, 833-628-0388 (April 2026 guidebook). |
| Anthem plans with rides | 92 of the 154 Anthem plans sold to individuals for 2026, in all 13 states where Anthem sells them. All 35 Anthem D-SNPs include rides. |
| All Elevance brands | 249 of 319 plans (78 percent) across Anthem, Wellpoint, Healthy Blue, Simply, Freedom, Optimum, and HealthSun, with ride plans in 23 states |
| Trip limits | 184 Elevance ride plans cap one-way trips a year, median 24. Most common: 24 (27 plans), 60 (24), 20 (21), 12 (20), and 48 (15). 65 plans have no limit. |
| Dual plans | 102 of 104 Elevance D-SNPs include rides: unlimited in 40, 60 trips a year in 16, and 48 in 14 |
| Approval | All 103 Florida plans mark rides as needing authorization in their 2026 CMS filing. Outside Florida, 1 of 146 ride plans does. |
| Vehicles filed with CMS | Taxi, rideshare, bus or subway, and van in all 249 ride plans. The 40 Freedom and Optimum plans in Florida add medical transport. |
| Kidney care plans | 12 Anthem and Wellpoint Kidney Care plans include rides, from 24 trips a year to unlimited in Georgia, Kentucky, Arizona, and one California plan |
| Virginia D-SNP ride lines | Anthem Full Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP): 844-529-3839 for members and 866-411-8914 for providers, on Anthem's plan year 2025 provider overview (October 2024) |

Elevance Health sells Medicare Advantage plans to individuals under the Anthem name in 13 states, including Anthem MaineHealth plans in Maine, and under six other names: Wellpoint, Healthy Blue, and, in Florida, Simply, Freedom, Optimum, and HealthSun. Rides are part of most of those plans. CMS's plan benefit files for 2026 show a ride benefit in 249 of the 319 Elevance plan options sold to individuals, or 78 percent. Anthem does not send its trips to transportation companies itself. MTM Health does. Simply's Florida plans use Ride2MD.

## Who books Anthem Medicare Advantage rides

For Anthem's plans, two documents point to the same broker:

- **MTM's member app page.** As of September 2026, MTM Health lists "Elevance Medicare (national)" among the health plans whose members book, check, and cancel rides in MTM Link. The same list shows Elevance Medicaid members in Iowa, Virginia, and Texas.
- **Anthem's Virginia D-SNP sheet.** Anthem's provider overview for Anthem Full Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP) in Virginia, dated October 2024 and written for plan year 2025, lists nonemergency transportation under Access2Care. Members call 844-529-3839, and providers call 866-411-8914.

Those two point the same way because MTM owns Access2Care. MTM announced on October 8, 2024 that it had closed its purchase of Access2Care from Global Medical Response. MTM's page for former Access2Care members says the company is moving to the MTM Health name, members keep the same booking number, and MTM keeps working with the same transportation providers. The access2care.net address now opens MTM's website.

If you drove Anthem trips for Access2Care, your work now comes through MTM. If you want Anthem Medicare work, you apply to MTM. Anthem's Medicaid plans in Virginia and Ohio have their own ride rules: see [Anthem HealthKeepers Plus](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/anthem-healthkeepers-plus-virginia/) and [Anthem Medicaid in Ohio](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/anthem-ohio-medicaid/).

## What Anthem and Elevance plans cover in 2026

Anthem's D-SNP page says transportation is "issued as one-way trips and provided on an annual basis," and that benefits vary by plan. A ride to the doctor and back uses two trips. Each plan files its own yearly number with CMS:

| Elevance brand | Plan options sold to individuals | With a ride benefit | Where the ride plans are sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthem | 154 | 92, including all 35 Anthem D-SNPs | California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin |
| Wellpoint | 57 | 49 | Arizona, Iowa, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia |
| Healthy Blue | 5 | 5 | Louisiana, Missouri, Kansas |
| Simply, Freedom, Optimum, HealthSun | 103 | 103 | Florida |
| **All Elevance brands** | **319** | **249** | **23 states** |

Among the 184 Elevance ride plans with a yearly cap, the median is 24 one-way trips, and caps run from 2 to 210. The most common are 24 trips (27 plans), 60 (24), 20 (21), 12 (20), and 48 (15). Another 65 plans have no limit, and 54 of those are in Florida. Every ride plan limits trips to plan-approved health-related places and lists taxi, rideshare, bus or subway, and van.

### Anthem's dual plans, state by state

Every Anthem-branded dual special needs plan sold for 2026 includes rides:

| State | Anthem D-SNPs with rides | One-way trips a year, 2026 filing |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 4 | No limit in Anthem MyCare Ohio Full Dual Advantage. 108 in Full Dual Advantage, 60 in Full Dual Advantage 2, 24 in Dual Advantage |
| Virginia | 5 | 108 in Full Dual Advantage 2, 60 in Full Dual Advantage and Full Dual Advantage Support, 34 in Dual Advantage, 24 in Dual Advantage (PPO) |
| Indiana | 4 | 150 in Pathways Dual Care Advantage NFLOC, 60 in Pathways Dual Care Advantage, 38 in Dual Advantage, 36 in Full Dual Advantage |
| Georgia | 2 | 60 in both Full Dual Advantage and Dual Advantage |
| Connecticut | 4 | 60 in each |
| Missouri | 2 | 96 in Full Dual Advantage, 48 in Full Dual Advantage 2 |
| Nevada | 2 | 96 in Full Dual Advantage 2, 52 in Full Dual Advantage |
| Wisconsin | 2 | 96 in Full Dual Advantage 2, 48 in Full Dual Advantage |
| New York | 2 | 60 in HealthPlus Full Dual Advantage LTSS, 48 in HealthPlus Full Dual Advantage |
| California | 6 | 96 in two Full Dual Advantage Aligned segments, then 48, 24, 14, and 12 |
| Colorado | 1 | 24 in Dual Advantage |
| Maine | 1 | 40 in Anthem MaineHealth Advantage Dual Plus |

Across all Elevance brands, 102 of 104 D-SNPs include rides: 40 with no limit, 16 with 60 trips a year, and 14 with 48. See the [Virginia guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/virginia/) for how those members' Medicaid rides work.

### Kidney care plans and dialysis riders

Anthem and Wellpoint sell 12 Kidney Care plans with rides. Each is a chronic condition special needs plan filed with CMS for members with chronic kidney disease, so dialysis patients land here. Three dialysis sessions a week means 6 one-way trips a week, about 312 a year, so the cap decides how much of that schedule the plan pays for:

| Plan | Where | One-way trips a year |
|---|---|---|
| Anthem Kidney Care (HMO-POS C-SNP) | 145 Georgia counties | No limit |
| Anthem Kidney Care (HMO-POS C-SNP) | 120 Kentucky counties | No limit |
| Anthem Kidney Care (HMO-POS C-SNP) | Virginia | 120 |
| Wellpoint Kidney Care (HMO-POS C-SNP) | 56 Texas counties | 120 |
| Anthem CareMore Kidney Care (HMO-POS C-SNP) | Los Angeles and Orange counties, California, and Clark County, Nevada | 150 |
| Anthem CareMore Kidney Care (HMO-POS C-SNP) | San Bernardino County, California | No limit |
| Other Kidney Care plans | Connecticut, New Jersey, Texas, California, Arizona | 24 to 52, and no limit in Wellpoint CareMore Kidney Care in Arizona |

A member with full Medicaid can still use the state's Medicaid rides once the plan's trips run out. See [dual eligible](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/dual-eligible/), and ask MTM how it flags a member near the cap.

### Essential Extras

Anthem's Essential Extras page describes no-cost extras on some Anthem Medicare Advantage plans, where the member chooses one: a utilities allowance, a dental, vision, and hearing allowance, healthy foods, assistive devices, or transportation, described as an annual allowance of one-way trips to plan-approved locations. Essential Extras is not available with every plan. In those plans, a member who picked the food or utilities allowance did not pick rides, so trust the broker's eligibility check over the plan name.

## Florida plans follow their own rules

Simply Healthcare, Freedom Health, Optimum HealthCare, and HealthSun are all Elevance subsidiaries, listed in Exhibit 21 of Elevance's 2025 annual report, filed February 6, 2026. Every one of their 103 plan options sold for 2026 includes rides: Simply 50, Freedom 25, Optimum 15, and HealthSun 13. Three things set them apart from Anthem plans elsewhere:

- **Authorization.** All 103 mark rides as needing authorization in the 2026 filing. Outside Florida, only one of 146 Elevance ride plans does, an Anthem CareMore Kidney Care plan in San Bernardino County, California.
- **Medical transport.** The 40 Freedom and Optimum plans list medical transport as a way to ride, besides taxi, rideshare, bus or subway, and van. No other Elevance plan does.
- **No limit.** All 13 HealthSun plans and 33 of the 50 Simply plans have unlimited one-way trips.

The vendor differs too. Simply's Medicare Advantage provider guidebook of April 1, 2026 names Ride2MD, at 833-628-0388, as its transportation vendor. Simply announced in December 2022 that Ride2MD would serve its Medicare Advantage members in all Simply coverage areas from January 1, 2023, replacing Access2Care in nine counties. HealthSun's evidence of coverage tells members to use "the plan-approved vendor" without naming one, so ask Freedom, Optimum, and HealthSun which company books rides in your counties before you apply.

HealthSun's 2026 evidence of coverage documents spell out the trip rules. In HealthSun MediSun Plus (HMO D-SNP) in Palm Beach County and HealthSun HealthAdvantage Plan (HMO) in Miami-Dade County, trips are unlimited, each one-way trip may run up to 50 miles, and rides stay within the local service area. Members book with the plan-approved vendor at least 48 hours ahead, weekends not counted. A pharmacy stop after a plan-approved visit rides on the return trip without using another one. Members tell the vendor when they use a wheelchair, need help, or bring a companion. The listed ways to ride are taxi, rideshare, wheelchair van, and public transportation.

Florida's D-SNP members also have Florida Medicaid, where each Medicaid health plan picks its own ride broker. Simply's Florida provider site lists Ride2MD as its nonemergent transportation partner there too. See the [Florida guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/florida/) and [Simply Healthcare's Medicaid rides](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/simply-healthcare-florida/).

## How to get Anthem Medicare Advantage trips

1. **List the Elevance ride plans in your counties.** Search [Medicare Plan Finder](https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare/) by ZIP code, and note the Anthem, Wellpoint, Healthy Blue, or Florida brand plans. Dual plans have D-SNP in their names.
2. **Read the trip limit.** Chapter 4 of each plan's evidence of coverage gives the number of one-way trips and any mile cap. A 24-trip plan pays for one round trip a month. A 108-trip plan pays for about one a week.
3. **Apply to MTM Health.** For Simply's Florida plans, apply to Ride2MD instead. Send the MTM application on its service providers page. MTM says it answers quickly where it needs providers and keeps other applications on file. Its credentialing, insurance by state, and claim rules are on our [MTM Health provider guide](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/mtm-health/).
4. **Ask which Elevance plans your agreement covers.** Get the plans, counties, and vehicle types in writing. In Iowa, Virginia, and Texas, MTM also books Elevance Medicaid rides, so one agreement may reach the same rider through [Anthem HealthKeepers Plus](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/anthem-healthkeepers-plus-virginia/) or [Wellpoint in Texas](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/wellpoint-texas/). See [MTM Health in Virginia](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/mtm-health/virginia/) and [MTM Health in Texas](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/mtm-health/texas/).
5. **Enroll in your state's Medicaid program.** D-SNP members have Medicaid too. Anthem sells full and partial D-SNPs, and members with full Medicaid can use Medicaid rides when the plan's trips run out.
6. **Set up the Medicare paperwork.** Plan trips make your company a downstream entity, with monthly exclusion checks and 10-year record keeping. See [Medicare Advantage transportation](https://nemtguide.com/guides/medicare-advantage-transportation/).
7. **Ask for MTM's rate sheet by vehicle type** before you sign, and ask how a late cancel or a no-show counts against the member's yearly trips.

## Who to call

| For | Contact |
|---|---|
| Joining MTM Health's network | The Join Our Network application on MTM's service providers page |
| Help with MTM Link, the member app and portal | MTM Navigator Line, 888-597-1189 |
| Anthem Full Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP) rides in Virginia | 844-529-3839 for members, 866-411-8914 for providers, on Anthem's plan year 2025 provider overview |
| Simply Healthcare Medicare rides in Florida, booked by Ride2MD | 833-628-0388 |
| HealthSun MediSun Plus (HMO D-SNP) Member Services | 1-877-336-2069 (TTY 1-877-206-0500) |

## Frequently asked questions

### Does Anthem Medicare Advantage cover transportation?

Many Anthem plans do. For 2026, 92 of the 154 Anthem plans sold to individuals include a ride benefit, including all 35 Anthem dual special needs plans. Rides count as one-way trips per year: from 2 to 150 in the Anthem plans that set a cap, and 7 Anthem plans have no limit. Anthem's D-SNP page says benefits vary by plan, so the plan's evidence of coverage gives the exact number.

### Who is the transportation vendor for Anthem Medicare Advantage?

MTM Health. Its member app page lists Elevance Medicare (national) among the health plans whose members book rides through MTM Link, as of September 2026. Anthem's plan year 2025 provider overview for Anthem Full Dual Advantage in Virginia names Access2Care, and MTM closed its purchase of Access2Care from Global Medical Response in October 2024. Access2Care is moving to the MTM name with the same booking numbers. The exception is Simply Healthcare in Florida, whose April 2026 Medicare guidebook names Ride2MD.

### How many rides do Anthem dual plans give?

It depends on the plan and the state. In 2026 filings, Anthem MyCare Ohio Full Dual Advantage has no trip limit, Anthem Full Dual Advantage allows 108 one-way trips a year in Ohio and 60 in Virginia and Georgia, and Anthem Pathways Dual Care Advantage NFLOC in Indiana allows 150. The lowest Anthem dual plan, Anthem Dual Advantage (PPO D-SNP) in California, allows 12.

### Do Anthem Medicare rides need prior authorization?

Outside Florida, almost never in the plan's filing with CMS: only 1 of the 146 Elevance ride plans outside Florida marks the benefit as needing authorization for 2026. In Florida, all 103 Simply, Freedom, Optimum, and HealthSun plans do. Either way, carry a member on a plan ride only when the broker assigns the trip.

### Is Access2Care the same company as MTM Health?

It is part of MTM Health now. MTM announced on October 8, 2024 that it had closed its purchase of Access2Care from Global Medical Response. MTM's page for former Access2Care members says Access2Care is moving to the MTM Health name, members keep calling the same number, and MTM keeps working with the same transportation providers. The access2care.net address now opens MTM's website.

### How do I become a transportation provider for Anthem Medicare members?

Apply to MTM Health, not to Anthem. Send the application on MTM's service providers page, then ask MTM in writing which Elevance plans and counties your agreement covers. List the Anthem, Wellpoint, or Florida Elevance plans with rides in your counties on Medicare Plan Finder first, so you know which members you can expect.

## Official resources

- [MTM Health: Apply to join the transportation network](https://www.mtm-inc.net/service-providers/)
- [MTM Health: MTM Link member app and portal guides](https://www.mtm-inc.net/mtm-link/)
- [Medicare.gov: Medicare Plan Finder (plans sold in your ZIP code)](https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare/)
- [Anthem: Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans](https://www.anthem.com/medicare/medicare-advantage-plans/special-needs-plans/dual-special-needs-plans)
- [CMS: PBP Benefits 2026 (every plan's filed benefits)](https://www.cms.gov/data-research/statistics-trends-and-reports/medicare-advantagepart-d-contract-and-enrollment-data/benefits-data/pbp-benefits-2026)