# Baltimore City Medical Assistance Transportation: How Ride Companies Get City Trips (2027)

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/states/maryland/baltimore-city/ · Updated 2026-09-30

In Baltimore City, the Health Department's Field Health Services program screens Medicaid riders, books their rides, and assigns each rider to one contracted transportation company. Four companies hold emergency agreements that run from February 2, 2026 to August 1, 2027: AAA Transport, Lifestar Response of Maryland, Handle with Care Transportation, and Okaford. A new company gets in through the city's next procurement or as a subcontractor.

- Field Health Services assigns every rider to one company, so a company only gets city riders through a city contract or a subcontract with a current vendor.
- The four emergency agreements end August 1, 2027. Register in the city's Workday supplier portal now so you can answer the replacement solicitation.
- Each 2026 agreement covers both appointment rides and non-emergency ambulance service for hospital discharges and emergency room releases.
- After 3:30 p.m. riders call their assigned company directly, so vendors run their own after-hours booking line.
- Maryland does not allow payment for no-shows, and MDH moved to recover $603,036 in no-show payments from the city's program for 2013 to 2017.

## Baltimore City NEMT at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Who arranges rides | Baltimore City Health Department, Field Health Services (FHS), 1200 E. Fayette St. Office open weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Current ride companies | AM-Van, Inc. t/a AAA Transport, Lifestar Response of Maryland, Handle with Care Transportation, and Okaford, Inc., on emergency agreements from February 2, 2026 to August 1, 2027 |
| Agreement values | $7,660,984.66 (AAA Transport), $2,787,448.00 (Lifestar), $2,293,200.00 (Handle with Care), and $1,824,355.00 (Okaford), $14.6 million in all, state funded |
| What they cover | Rides to medically necessary appointments, plus non-emergency ambulance service for hospital discharges and emergency room releases |
| How the city buys | Through the Bureau of Procurement, with each award, renewal, or emergency agreement placed before the Board of Estimates |
| Rider booking | At least two business days ahead. Next-day requests by 2 p.m. After 3:30 p.m., riders call their assigned company. |
| Service rules | Curb to curb, a 5-minute wait past the scheduled pickup, one way counts as one trip, and adult escorts 18 or older if medically necessary |
| Trips (FY2019) | 56,863 paid trips. The city also handled air ambulance trips for all of Maryland, which lifts its average cost per trip. |
| Taxicabs | The Maryland PSC permits Baltimore City taxicabs and licenses their drivers |

## Who arranges rides here

- [BCHD Field Health Services](https://www.baltimorecity.gov/health/field-health-services): Screens riders, books rides, and assigns each rider a transportation company. (410) 396-7633
- Field Health Services healthcare facility line: Takes ride requests from hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. (410) 396-7634
- [Baltimore City Bureau of Procurement: supplier helpdesk](https://www.baltimorecity.gov/procurement/our-work/doing-business-city): Registers companies in Workday to bid on city contracts. (443) 984-1000
- [Maryland PSC Transportation Division](https://psc.maryland.gov/regulated-utilities/transportation/): Grants carrier authority and licenses for-hire and Baltimore City taxicab drivers. (410) 767-8593
- [MIEMSS State Office of Commercial Ambulance Licensing and Regulation](https://www.miemss.org/home/commercial-ambulance): Licenses ambulance and stretcher services. (410) 706-8511

Baltimore City's Medicaid rides run through the Baltimore City Health Department's Field Health Services (FHS). FHS checks that each rider qualifies, books the trip, and assigns the rider to one of its contracted transportation companies, which then drives that rider and takes the rider's calls after hours. The city buys those contracts through its Bureau of Procurement, and each award goes before the Board of Estimates.

## Who arranges Medical Assistance rides in Baltimore City

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) pays for Medicaid rides through local grant programs under COMAR 10.09.19, and the [Maryland guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/maryland/) explains that statewide system. In Baltimore City the grantee is the Health Department. The Board of Estimates agenda of June 24, 2026 asked the Board to approve its memorandum of understanding with MDH for July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, which sets out each side's duties in running the program.

FHS works from 1200 E. Fayette St. As of September 2026, its office is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and its call center, on hours that took effect September 18, 2023, answers weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It keeps three lines:

| Line | Number | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Transport scheduling | 410-396-7633 | Riders booking or cancelling |
| Healthcare facility line | 410-396-7634 | Hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes |
| Problems and complaints | 410-396-7635 | Anyone with a complaint about a ride |

FHS serves city residents with full, active Medical Assistance and a medically necessary appointment who have no car, no one to drive them, no bus or Mobility route near them, and no eligibility for MTA Mobility, the state's paratransit service. The rider's medical provider fills out the statewide Provider Certification Form, and the original signed form is mailed to the Health Department.

MDH's October 2019 report counted 117,627 paid trips in the city in fiscal year 2017, 65,479 in 2018, and 56,863 in 2019. The city's average cost of $126.23 a trip in 2019 includes air ambulance flights, because Baltimore City was then the only program that managed air ambulance trips for the whole state. From 2017 to 2019 that came to 1,725 flights costing $3,391,316, or $1,966 each.

## Which companies drive the city's Medicaid trips

As of September 2026, four companies hold the city's ride work. The Board of Estimates agenda of April 1, 2026 listed each emergency procurement agreement for the Board to note:

| Company | Agreement amount | Term |
|---|---|---|
| AM-Van, Inc. t/a AAA Transport | $7,660,984.66 | February 2, 2026 to August 1, 2027 |
| Lifestar Response of Maryland, Inc. | $2,787,448.00 | February 2, 2026 to August 1, 2027 |
| Handle with Care Transportation, LLC | $2,293,200.00 | February 2, 2026 to August 1, 2027 |
| Okaford, Inc. | $1,824,355.00 | February 2, 2026 to August 1, 2027 |

Each agreement covers rides to medically necessary appointments and non-emergency ambulance service for hospital discharges and emergency room releases. The agenda marks all four as state funded, requires no minority or women business participation, and marks living wage and local hiring as not applicable. Field Health Services lists after-hours numbers for three of the companies: Handle With Care, AAA Transport, and Life Star.

The city used a single prime contractor before. In June 2018, the Board awarded contract B50004898, Non-Emergency Medical Transportation for Medicaid Clients, to Hart to Heart Ambulance Services, Inc., d/b/a Hart to Heart Transportation, for $33,424,490, with two one-year renewal options. The first renewal, for $5,250,468, went to the Board on June 28, 2023, and the vendor was to supply the city's entire requirement.

That renewal listed five firms toward the city's participation goals: Atosk Healthcare Services (3%), Fleming Transportation Corporation (3%), and Admiral Humana (1%) as minority businesses, and Grace Ambulance Services (2%) and Med-Care Transportation (1%) as women's businesses. A share under a prime like that is one way a small company can reach city Medicaid work. See [how to subcontract NEMT trips](https://nemtguide.com/guides/subcontract-nemt-trips/).

## How a new company gets Baltimore City Medicaid trips

The city buys this work by contract, so the way in is a city contract or a subcontract under a current vendor. Maryland's grant rules (COMAR 10.09.19.03) also have each local program name its ride subcontractors, what they do, and what they are paid in its grant proposal to MDH.

1. **Register as a city supplier.** The city takes bids and invoices through Workday. Registration needs your taxpayer ID, contact and business details, and a signed, dated W-9. The supplier helpdesk is at 443-984-1000, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and anyone can view bid opportunities without registering.
2. **Watch for the replacement.** The emergency agreements end August 1, 2027, so the solicitation that replaces them is your opening.
3. **Get certified if you qualify.** The 2018 contract carried minority and women business shares, and primes look for certified subcontractors in the city's MWBOO directory.
4. **Talk to the current vendors.** Ask each one whether it uses subcontractors for wheelchair or sedan trips, and what it requires of them.
5. **Know the Board's calendar.** It usually meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, and the Comptroller posts the year's schedule. A bid protest must reach the Board's clerk by noon on the Monday before the meeting, and the protester must be registered with the Board of Ethics as a procurement lobbyist.

See [government NEMT contracts](https://nemtguide.com/guides/government-nemt-contracts/) for how public ride contracts are usually scored.

## How rides reach the assigned company

FHS assigns each rider a company at the rider's first scheduling call. After that, the booking rules shape your day:

- **Two business days ahead.** Riders call at least 48 hours before the appointment, and reservations close at 3:00 p.m. A Monday appointment is booked on Thursday. The operational update from September 18, 2023 asks for next-day requests by 2 p.m., and FHS schedules requests for the next day and beyond between 2 and 3 p.m.
- **After hours, riders call you.** After 3:30 p.m. and outside office hours, riders call their assigned company to schedule, so each vendor needs a phone that is answered.
- **Cancellations** go to FHS by 3:00 p.m. the day before the appointment.
- **Curb to curb.** Drivers do not enter the rider's home or the medical facility. See [curb to curb](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/curb-to-curb/).
- **Five-minute wait.** Drivers are required to wait only five minutes past the scheduled pickup time.
- **One way is one trip.** A round trip counts as two trips.
- **Escorts.** An escort rides when medically necessary and space allows, and must be 18 or older. See [escorts and caregivers](https://nemtguide.com/guides/escorts-and-caregivers/).

Maryland lets a program refuse to pay for rides requested less than 24 hours ahead (COMAR 10.09.19.04), so confirm with FHS before taking a short-notice trip for a city rider. Hospitals and clinics call the facility line, and discharges use the statewide Transfer/Discharge Form. See [hospital discharge transportation](https://nemtguide.com/guides/hospital-discharge-transportation/).

## No-shows in Baltimore City

MDH told every local program in March 2013 that paying vendors for no-shows is not allowed. Its October 2019 report found that Baltimore City's program kept paying its vendors for them. MDH asked for the money back in a formal recovery letter dated December 27, 2016, and put the improper payments from March 2013 through November 2017 at $603,036. The report says the city had not repaid it by October 2019 and that MDH sent the matter to its Office of the Inspector General.

For a vendor, that means a no-show earns nothing, and the five-minute wait is the rule the city applies. Keep arrival times and attempts on every trip. See [no-show](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/no-show/) and [billing for no-shows](https://nemtguide.com/guides/billing-for-no-shows/).

## Licenses for Baltimore City rides

- **Public Service Commission.** Van and sedan companies need PSC carrier authority, and their drivers need PSC for-hire licenses, as the [Maryland guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/maryland/) explains. In Baltimore City the PSC also permits taxicabs and licenses taxicab drivers. Its Transportation Division is downtown at 6 St. Paul Street, 18th floor, 410-767-8593, with walk-in hours Monday to Thursday as of February 2026, and since April 1, 2026 it takes driver applications online only.
- **MIEMSS for ambulance and stretcher trips.** The city's agreements include non-emergency ambulance service. Maryland's ambulance definition exempts only wheelchair lift vans (COMAR 30.09.01.02), and a 1995 Attorney General opinion treats stretcher van service as ambulance service licensed by MIEMSS. The only exception is the Washington area commission's district, which does not include Baltimore. See [NEMT vs ambulance](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-vs-ambulance/).
- **No WMATC.** The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission's district stops at Montgomery and Prince George's counties, so city trips need no WMATC certificate. Compare [Montgomery County](https://nemtguide.com/states/maryland/montgomery-county/), where the county signs a contract with every qualified company and most van trips need one.

## What to do first

1. **Register in Workday** as a city supplier, then check the city's bid opportunities page, which you can search by keyword, for the solicitation that replaces the emergency agreements before August 1, 2027.
2. **Get PSC authority** for your vans, and a MIEMSS license if you plan stretcher or ambulance work.
3. **Call the four current vendors** about subcontract or overflow work.
4. **Set up an after-hours phone** and trip records that show arrival times, since city riders book directly with their company after 3:30 p.m.

## Frequently asked questions

### Who provides Medical Assistance transportation in Baltimore City?

The Baltimore City Health Department's Field Health Services program arranges it and assigns each rider to one transportation company. As of September 2026, four companies hold the city's emergency ride agreements, which run from February 2, 2026 to August 1, 2027: AM-Van, Inc. t/a AAA Transport, Lifestar Response of Maryland, Handle with Care Transportation, and Okaford, Inc. Field Health Services lists after-hours numbers for the first three.

### How do I become a transportation provider for Baltimore City Field Health Services?

Win a city contract or subcontract under a current vendor. The city buys these rides through its Bureau of Procurement, and the Board of Estimates approves each one. Register as a supplier in the city's Workday portal, watch the city's bid opportunities before the current agreements end on August 1, 2027, and ask the four current companies whether they use subcontractors. Have PSC authority, and a MIEMSS license if you run stretcher or ambulance trips.

### How far ahead do riders book Baltimore City medical transportation?

At least 48 hours, or two business days, before the appointment. For a Monday appointment, the rider calls Field Health Services at 410-396-7633 on Thursday before 3:00 p.m. An operational update that took effect September 18, 2023 asks for next-day requests by 2 p.m. Riders cancel by 3:00 p.m. the day before.

### Does Baltimore City pay for Medicaid no-shows?

No. MDH told every local program in March 2013 that no-show payments are not allowed. Its October 2019 report says Baltimore City kept paying its vendors for no-shows, and MDH sought the return of $603,036 paid from March 2013 through November 2017. Under the city's program rules, drivers wait five minutes past the scheduled pickup time.

### Do Baltimore City Medicaid ride companies need an ambulance license?

For ambulance and stretcher trips, yes. Each 2026 agreement includes non-emergency ambulance service for hospital discharges and emergency room releases, and Maryland treats stretcher service as ambulance service that MIEMSS licenses. Baltimore City is outside the Washington area commission's district, so the stretcher van exception that applies in Montgomery and Prince George's counties does not reach it.

### What form does a Baltimore City rider need?

The Maryland Statewide Medical Assistance Transportation Certification Form, completed by the rider's medical provider, with the original signed form mailed to the Baltimore City Health Department. Hospital discharges and transfers use the statewide Transfer/Discharge Form, and trips outside the area use the out-of-area certification form. Field Health Services posts all three on its page.

## Official resources

- [BCHD: Field Health Services, rider rules and statewide certification forms](https://www.baltimorecity.gov/health/field-health-services)
- [Baltimore City: Bid opportunities](https://cityservices.baltimorecity.gov/suppliers/bid-opportunities)
- [Baltimore City: Prospective supplier registration](https://cityservices.baltimorecity.gov/suppliers/)
- [Baltimore City: MBE and WBE certification](https://baltimorecity.diversitycompliance.com/?TN=baltimorecity)
- [Baltimore City Comptroller: Board of Estimates](https://www.baltimorecity.gov/comptroller/about/board-of-estimates)
- [Maryland PSC: Transportation Division and applications](https://psc.maryland.gov/regulated-utilities/transportation/)
- [MIEMSS: Commercial ambulance licensing](https://www.miemss.org/home/commercial-ambulance)