# Westchester Medicaid Transportation: The TLC Base, W-C Plates, the Medical Waiver, and County Rates

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/states/new-york/westchester-county/ · Updated 2026-10-02

Westchester Medicaid members book rides through Medical Answering Services (MAS) at 844-666-6270, and MAS assigns each trip to an enrolled company. A Westchester car service also needs the county Taxi and Limousine Commission: a $600 base station permit, a $300 permit and W-C plates for each car, and a $135 permit for each driver, as of July 1, 2026. Wheelchair-only vans answer to the state instead.

- Westchester Medicaid rides come from MAS, booked on its Downstate line at 844-666-6270.
- A trip that starts and ends in Westchester needs a base, a car, and a driver all permitted by the county Taxi and Limousine Commission.
- A car or small van that carries only medical riders under health or social service contracts can run on a $200 medical provider waiver.
- Vans used only for wheelchair riders answer to NYSDOT, and new ambulette companies in Westchester post an OMIG surety bond.
- Medicaid pays $47.00 plus $3.50 a mile for a Westchester wheelchair trip, and Westchester alone near the city pays stretcher mileage.

## Westchester County NEMT at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Who books Medicaid rides | MAS, on its Downstate line at 844-666-6270, which also serves New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, and Putnam |
| Medicaid taxi enrollment | eMedNY asks taxi companies that carry riders in Westchester for a base licensed by the county Taxi and Limousine Commission |
| Base station permit | $600 a year, a $5,000 surety bond, three notarized references, and fingerprints of every 10% owner ($100 each), as of July 1, 2026 |
| Vehicle permit | $300 a year with W-C plates. Vehicles seating 6 to 19 carry $500,000 per person and $1 million per accident in liability coverage. |
| Driver permit | $135 a year, drug test included. Class A, B, C, or E license held 6 months, a defensive driving course, and three notarized references. |
| Medical provider waiver | $200 a year since July 1, 2026, for a car or non-wheelchair van paid only through health or social service contracts such as Medicaid |
| Wheelchair vans | Vehicles used only for wheelchair riders fall outside the county commission. New ambulette companies post an OMIG surety bond. |
| Wheelchair rate | $47.00 a trip plus $3.50 a loaded mile (A0130 and S0209, effective August 16, 2024) |
| Taxi rate | $7.41 a trip plus $2.34 a loaded mile (A0100 and S0215, effective April 1, 2022) |

## Who arranges rides here

- [Westchester County Taxi and Limousine Commission, White Plains](https://tlc.westchestercountyny.gov/): Permits for-hire base stations, vehicles, and drivers, and grants medical provider waivers. (914) 995-8400
- [MAS Downstate Contact Center](https://wp2.medanswering.com/contact-center/): Books Medicaid rides for Westchester County members. (844) 666-6270
- [MAS Transportation Provider Relations](https://wp2.medanswering.com/transportation-provider-relations-team/): Reviews new ride companies for the letter of support Medicaid enrollment needs. (866) 242-2578
- [NYSDOT Passenger Carrier Operating Authority](https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/osss/bus/passenger): Grants the carrier authority that wheelchair van (ambulette) companies need.

Westchester County licenses its own car services. The county Taxi and Limousine Commission permits every base station, for-hire vehicle, and driver that does business here, and New York Medicaid looks for a commission base before it enrolls a Westchester taxi company. Vans that carry only wheelchair riders sit outside the commission and answer to the state.

## Who sends Medicaid trips in Westchester

Statewide, Medical Answering Services (MAS) approves every Medicaid trip and hands it to a company in its network, and eMedNY has turned back new transportation applications without a MAS letter of support since April 15, 2024. The [New York guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/new-york/) and the [MAS guide](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/medical-answering-services/) cover enrollment and the network contract.

Westchester members call the MAS Downstate line, 844-666-6270, which also serves New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, and Putnam. Rockland, across the Hudson, books on the Upstate line, 866-932-7740, so a company that works both counties hands riders two numbers.

eMedNY's enrollment chart for taxi service outside New York City (category 0603) names two places where you must hold a base from the local Taxi and Limousine Commission: Westchester and Nassau. The same chart has you keep records that every driver holds a valid Class E license and every car carries livery plates. The [Class E license guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/new-york-class-e-license/) and [livery vehicle](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/livery-vehicle/) explain both.

## What the Westchester TLC covers

The Westchester County Taxi and Limousine Commission (WCTLC) was created in 1993, when a local law added Chapter 123 to the County Charter, and Chapter 270 of the county Administrative Code gave it licensing power in 1998. It works out of the county Department of Public Safety at 112 East Post Road, 3rd Floor, White Plains. As of October 2026, its service window is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., driver and vehicle appointments are booked online, and base appointments are booked by phone at 914-995-8391 or 914-995-8400.

The commission's rules, version 4.4 dated June 29, 2026, call any vehicle seating fewer than 20 passengers that carries people for pay a for-hire vehicle. Five kinds of vehicle are left out:

- **Wheelchair accessible vehicles,** which the rules define as vehicles used only to carry people in wheelchairs.
- **Buses,** as the state Vehicle and Traffic Law defines them.
- **Licensed taxicabs** running within their license. Westchester taxis carry taxi plates and a license from a city, town, or village, or from the commission.
- **Funeral cars.**
- **Rideshare cars** dispatched through a company licensed under state Vehicle and Traffic Law Article 44-B.

A sedan or minivan carrying Medicaid members who walk is a for-hire vehicle under these rules. A lift van that also carries walking riders is not used only for people in wheelchairs, so it does not fit that exclusion either. Ask the commission before you mix walking and wheelchair riders in a van with no permit.

### Trips inside the county and trips across the line

The rules sort trips into two kinds. A point-to-point trip starts and ends in Westchester, and the base, the vehicle, and the driver must all hold WCTLC permits, with the county's "W-C" plates on the vehicle. A one-point trip crosses the county line in either direction.

The commission recognizes New York City and Nassau County TLC plates for one-point trips. A vehicle tied to any other base outside the county needs a WCTLC Out-of-County permit before it does business here. That permit allows only one-point trips between Westchester and the area where its base is licensed. In practice, a Bronx livery car can take a member from Yonkers to a Bronx dialysis center, but not from Yonkers to a clinic in White Plains.

## What the WCTLC charges

A revised fee schedule took effect July 1, 2026, and covers every application, renewal, or filing made since then. The commission takes money orders, business checks, and credit cards, with a 3.5% card fee on driver applications, and keeps the fee if an application is denied.

| Permit or service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Base station permit | $600 a year |
| In-county vehicle permit, with W-C plates | $300 a year |
| Out-of-county vehicle permit | $300 a year |
| Medical provider waiver | $200 a year |
| Driver permit, drug test included | $135 a year |
| Fingerprinting, first-time applicants | $100 per person |
| Late driver or vehicle renewal | $75 |
| Plate transfer, replacement, or change of base | $75 each |

## Opening a base station in Westchester

Every for-hire vehicle based in the county must be affiliated with at least one WCTLC base, and each base must keep at least one vehicle and one driver of its own or affiliated with it. The commission's February 6, 2026 list names 210 permitted bases. A first-time base application includes:

- **A notarized application** for the owner and for each holder of 10% or more, plus the general manager if not an owner, with two IDs each. One must be a government photo ID, and both must show the same home address.
- **Fingerprints** of every 10% owner, taken by the Department of Public Safety, at $100 each.
- **Three notarized references** for each owner, from people who are not relatives and have known the owner at least a year.
- **A $5,000 surety bond** for the benefit of Westchester County, lasting at least a year and running with the permit dates. It must list every trade name you use and promise that you dispatch only WCTLC-permitted vehicles. Filing without it can bring a summons with a minimum $250 fine.
- **Workers' compensation proof:** your policy, your membership in the Independent Livery Drivers Benefit Fund or the Black Car Operators' Injury Compensation Fund, or proof that you are exempt.
- **Your fare schedule, your vehicle list** with registrations and insurance, **your driver list** with licenses, and for a corporation, the Department of State filing receipt for its certificate of incorporation.

Within five business days of a first application, the commission tells the mayor or supervisor where your base sits. Commission staff or county police then visit your office. If they find problems with your records or setup, you get seven days to fix them before a second visit, or the application is denied.

Once you are open, the rules hold the base to a routine:

- File your fares every year and each time they change.
- Print your WCTLC base permit number in every ad.
- Report each driver or vehicle you add or drop within seven days.
- Keep 12 months of records: each call's date, time, pickup, and destination with the driver's and vehicle's permit numbers, your rosters, and a log of vehicle checks every two weeks.
- Dispatch only from the address on your permit.
- Offer a child safety seat on request for a child age 4 or under.

The commission inspects base records at least once a year.

## Vehicle permits and the medical provider waiver

### The regular vehicle permit

The $300 permit goes to the vehicle's registered owner or lessee. The June 2026 application asks for the DMV registration showing W-C plates, an inspection receipt (a NYSDOT certificate for a vehicle seating 10 or more), the FH-1 card and an ACORD liability certificate naming the WCTLC as certificate holder, and a notarized letter from each base the vehicle works with, giving its plate and VIN. A first-time owner is fingerprinted, and so is every 10% owner of a company, and the application must be notarized within 30 days of filing.

Under rule 400.16, a vehicle that carries more than 5 and fewer than 20 passengers needs bodily injury liability of at least $500,000 for one person and $1 million per accident. Smaller cars carry the state minimum. The [NEMT insurance requirements guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-insurance-requirements/) explains the other coverages.

On the road, the WCTLC decal goes on the right front of the windshield. The vehicle may not have a roof light, a meter, or yellow paint, and it posts a seat belt sign. Before each trip, the driver writes the date, time, pickup, and destination in a trip log kept in the vehicle. If the driver cannot show that log to police or the commission, the rules presume the trip was illegal.

### The medical provider waiver

A company that drives only medical trips can ask for a medical provider waiver in place of the regular permit. Two kinds of vehicle qualify, and both must be paid only through contracts with health or social service programs, such as Medicaid, the state Department of Social Services, or programs for people with disabilities:

- **Medical provider van:** not wheelchair accessible, seats 8 to 14, and carries riders only to and from medical appointments.
- **Medical provider vehicle:** seats 7 or fewer and carries riders only to and from medical appointments within Westchester.

As of July 1, 2026, the waiver costs $200 a year. The application asks for a state livery registration in place of W-C plates and a current inspection. The rules want the WCTLC named as an additional insured on your policy, and the form wants it as certificate holder, so ask your agent to list it both ways. The application also asks for a notarized affidavit from every health or social service organization you work for, last year's IRS Form 1099 from each, and a letter from your dispatching base saying it sends the vehicle only on medical trips. The form also calls for an original letter of authorization from the state Department of Health, so ask the commission which letter it accepts before you file.

The vehicle must be driven by a WCTLC-permitted driver. The waiver form warns that running the vehicle as an ordinary car service brings fines and loss of the waiver.

## Driver permits

Every driver of a for-hire vehicle, and of a vehicle running on a medical waiver, needs a WCTLC driver permit, $135 a year with the drug test as of July 1, 2026. The June 2026 application asks for:

- **A license:** New York Class A, B, C, or E, or the New Jersey, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania equivalent, held at least six months. A vehicle seating 15 or more also needs a commercial Class A, B, or C.
- **Defensive driving:** a state-approved course finished within six months before a first application, or within 33 months before a renewal.
- **Fingerprints:** taken by the Department of Public Safety on a first application, $100, with a state criminal history check.
- **References:** three forms from people who are not relatives and have known you more than a year, each notarized within 30 days of filing.
- **A drug test:** for amphetamines, cocaine, opioids, and PCP, on every new and renewal application.
- **A Social Security card** on a first application.

File a renewal at least 30 days before the permit expires. The [NEMT driver drug testing guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-driver-drug-testing/) shows how the yearly test fits a wider testing program.

## Wheelchair vans and ambulettes in Westchester

A van used only for wheelchair riders falls outside the commission, so an [ambulette](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/ambulette/) company here answers to the state: NYSDOT operating authority, NYSDOT inspections, and drivers qualified under [Article 19-A](https://nemtguide.com/guides/new-york-article-19-a/). Add sedans or minivans for riders who walk, and those vehicles need WCTLC permits like any car service. The state Medicaid manual lets an ambulette company run curb-to-curb trips at taxi rates without a separate taxi license, but it makes local TLC proof a condition of enrollment where a TLC applies.

Westchester is also one of six counties, with Nassau, Suffolk, Monroe, Erie, and Orange, where the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) has a new ambulette company post a surety bond before it enrolls. The manual sets it at $25,000 a year for each ambulette you own or use, capped at $100,000, due within 90 days of OMIG finding you otherwise eligible. If you expect under $500,000 in ambulette billing in your first full year, ask for an exception in a letter filed with your application. The [Medicaid surety bond](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/medicaid-surety-bond/) entry and the [ambulette business guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/ambulette-business/) go further. Rockland County, across the Hudson, is not on that list (see the [Rockland County page](https://nemtguide.com/states/new-york/rockland-county/)).

## What Medicaid pays in Westchester

These are Westchester's base rows in the eMedNY fee schedule file dated April 5, 2026. The schedule is a starting point: MAS negotiates rates with each company, and the state manual says those rates replace it.

| Service | Code | Westchester rate |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelchair van trip | [A0130](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0130/) | $47.00 |
| Wheelchair van loaded mile | [S0209](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/s0209/) | $3.50 |
| Stretcher van trip | [T2005](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/t2005/) | $200.00 |
| Stretcher van loaded mile | [T2049](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/t2049/) | $2.323 |
| Taxi or livery trip | [A0100](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/a0100/) | $7.41 |
| Taxi or livery loaded mile | [S0215](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/s0215/) | $2.34 |

The wheelchair trip, wheelchair mileage, and stretcher trip rates took effect August 16, 2024. The stretcher mileage and taxi rates date from April 1, 2022. Westchester is the only county around New York City with a stretcher mileage row: the city, Nassau, Suffolk, and Rockland pay the stretcher trip rate alone.

At these rates, a 9-mile wheelchair trip pays $47.00 plus $31.50, or $78.50. A 9-mile taxi trip pays $7.41 plus $21.06, or $28.47, and a 9-mile stretcher trip pays about $220.91. The [New York fee schedule guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/new-york-medicaid-transportation-fee-schedule/) compares every county.

Labor costs more here than across the river. Westchester's minimum wage is $17.00 an hour, the same as New York City and Long Island, and the state Department of Labor says it stays $17.00 on January 1, 2027. Rockland, Putnam, and the rest of the state stay at $16.00.

## Steps to start Medicaid trips in Westchester

1. **Pick your service.** Taxi (category 0603) carries riders who walk at $7.41 plus $2.34 a mile. Ambulette (0602) carries wheelchair and stretcher riders at $47.00 plus $3.50 a mile, or $200.00 plus $2.323 a mile for a stretcher.
2. **Set up the base.** File the $600 WCTLC base application with the $5,000 bond, references, fingerprints, and workers' compensation proof. eMedNY asks for this base when a Westchester taxi company enrolls.
3. **Permit each car.** Get W-C plates and the $300 vehicle permit, or the $200 medical provider waiver for a vehicle that carries only contracted medical riders.
4. **Permit each driver.** Budget $135 a year per driver, plus $100 for first-time fingerprints and a defensive driving course.
5. **Handle the state pieces for wheelchair vans.** File for NYSDOT authority, qualify drivers under Article 19-A, and plan for the OMIG bond or the exception letter.
6. **Join MAS, then Medicaid.** Ask MAS for a letter of support, enroll with eMedNY with your WCTLC base proof, and sign the MAS network contract. For trips into the Bronx or Manhattan, read the [New York City page](https://nemtguide.com/states/new-york/new-york-city/) too.

## Frequently asked questions

### Who arranges Medicaid transportation in Westchester County?

Medical Answering Services (MAS), New York's Medicaid transportation broker. Members call its Downstate contact center at 844-666-6270, at least 72 hours before the appointment when they can, and MAS approves the trip and gives it to a company in its network. Companies that want to join reach MAS Transportation Provider Relations at 866-242-2578, weekdays 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

### Do I need a Westchester TLC license to drive Medicaid riders?

For cars and vans that carry riders who walk, yes. eMedNY asks a Medicaid taxi company working in Westchester for a base licensed by the Westchester County Taxi and Limousine Commission, and the commission's rules require a permitted base, vehicle, and driver for every trip that starts and ends in the county. A vehicle used only for wheelchair riders is outside the commission's rules.

### What is a Westchester medical provider waiver?

A $200 yearly waiver, as of July 1, 2026, for a vehicle that carries riders only to and from medical appointments and is paid only through contracts with health or social service programs such as Medicaid. It covers a non-wheelchair van seating 8 to 14, or a vehicle seating 7 or fewer that stays in Westchester. You file affidavits from each organization you work for, your 1099s from them, and a letter from your dispatching base.

### Does a wheelchair van need W-C plates in Westchester?

Not when it carries only wheelchair riders. The commission's rules, version 4.4 of June 29, 2026, leave wheelchair accessible vehicles, defined as vehicles used only for people in wheelchairs, out of the for-hire vehicle definition. That van needs NYSDOT authority and Article 19-A drivers instead. Sedans and minivans the same company uses for riders who walk do need commission permits.

### Can a New York City livery car take a Westchester Medicaid rider to an appointment?

Only on a trip that crosses the county line. The commission recognizes New York City and Nassau County TLC plates for one-point trips, which start or end outside Westchester. A trip from Yonkers to White Plains starts and ends in the county, so it needs a base, car, and driver all permitted by the Westchester commission.

### How much does Medicaid pay for a stretcher trip in Westchester?

The eMedNY fee schedule file dated April 5, 2026 lists $200.00 a trip (T2005, effective August 16, 2024) plus $2.323 a loaded mile (T2049, effective April 1, 2022). A 9-mile stretcher trip pays about $220.91. New York City, Nassau, Suffolk, and Rockland have no stretcher mileage row at all. MAS negotiates rates with each company, so your contract sets the final figure.

## Official resources

- [Westchester County TLC: Applications and forms](https://tlc.westchestercountyny.gov/applications)
- [Westchester County TLC: Official For-Hire Rules and Regulations (v4.4)](https://tlc.westchestercountyny.gov/images/stories/pdfs/2026/WCTLC_RULES_REGS_v4.4_06-29-2026.pdf)
- [Westchester County TLC: Fee schedule in effect July 1, 2026](https://tlc.westchestercountyny.gov/images/stories/pdfs/2026/WCTLC_Fee_Schedule_06-30-2026.pdf)
- [Westchester County TLC: Medical Provider Waiver Application](https://tlc.westchestercountyny.gov/images/stories/pdfs/2026/Medical_Waiver_Permit_Application_062026.pdf)
- [MAS: Become a transportation provider](https://wp2.medanswering.com/transportation-providers/become-a-provider/)
- [eMedNY: Licenses needed for each transportation category of service](https://www.emedny.org/info/ProviderEnrollment/ProviderMaintForms/Additional_Requirements_for_Transportation_Enrollment.pdf)
- [eMedNY: Medicaid transportation fee schedule](https://www.emedny.org/ProviderManuals/Transportation/PDFS/Transportation_Fee_Schedule.xls)