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The Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP) makes non-emergency transportation to and from health care services and treatments accessible for people on Medicaid. Keep on reading to find out more about Medical Assistance transportation in Pennsylvania.

What is the Medical Assistance Transportation Program?

The Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP) provides free transportation to non-emergency medical appointments for people who have a valid Medicaid/Medical Assistance card. The program is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and is available throughout the state.

 

Local MATP programs are managed by the counties that can choose to either administer the program directly, contract with local providers and agencies, or use a combination of the two. Philadelphia is currently the only county that uses a brokerage model for providing Medicaid transportation services.

Where Can One Go With MATP?

You can use MATP to get to and from any health care service or treatment that are covered by Medical Assistance, including:

  • A primary care doctor
  • A specialist
  • A dentist
  • A hospital
  • A medical testing facility
  • A mental health provider
  • A durable medical equipment provider
  • A pharmacy to fill prescriptions
  • A drug or alcohol treatment facility.

In addition, parents and legal guardians can use MATP for child visitation to an inpatient program.

How far can you go with MATP?

Depending on your circumstances and the providers you use, certain limits may apply to how far you can go with MATP to obtain health care services. In most cases, you can choose any qualified Medicaid-enrolled provider, however, there are some exceptions:

 

  • To obtain transportation to a pharmacy, you are required to choose one of the two pharmacies that are closest to either your home or to your prescribing physician’s office.
  • To obtain transportation to methadone treatment, you must attend the closest in-network methadone treatment program to your home.

In what cases you can’t use MATP?

It is not possible to use MATP for the following purposes:

  • Emergency or ambulance transportation
  • Transportation for non-medical trips, such as shopping and social activities. However, recipients of long-term services and support may qualify for non-medical transportation for trips to the grocery store, religious institutions, and other places.
  • To obtain medical care or health services that are not covered by Medical Assistance.

Do I Need to Apply for MATP?

You have to apply through your local MATP office to receive transportation assistance.

 

There are several ways to apply for MATP:

 

  • Contact your local MATP office by phone. MATP county program phone numbers are listed below.
  • Visit your MATP office in person. You can search for your county’s contact information through the MATP website.
  • Complete the MATP registration form and return it to your local office.
  • You can also ask your service coordinator or case manager for more information on how to apply for MATP in your county.

Application process

To apply for MATP, you have to complete and sign a MATP registration form. It’s essential that MATP receives the form no later than 30 days after your eligibility verification. Once you complete the registration, you will receive all the details on how to use MATP services.

 

You will be asked to provide information about the appointments you need transportation to and from, your physical abilities, and whether you have a car. Your local MATP office will then determine what is the best mode of transportation based on your needs.

Submitting reimbursement requests

Each county has its own policies for verifying medical appointments and determining timelines for submitting reimbursement requests. Typically, you will be expected to submit a form to your local MATP office once a month, where you document all trips for which you’re requesting reimbursement. The county will then verify the information and send you a reimbursement check. Note that you can be reimbursed only for trips starting after the date you were determined eligible by MATP.

Questions and complaints

If you have any questions or want to submit a complaint about the service from a MATP provider, driver, or your trip in general, call MATP at 412-350-4476 or 1-888-547-MATP (6287).

How Does MATP Help With Transportation?

MATP provides several transportation assistance options depending on your needs, including free transportation, reimbursements, and door-to-door services.

Free transportation

MATP provides free public transportation tickets and passes for Medical Assistance recipients who live on or near the bus lines.

Ticket or mileage reimbursement

MATP reimburses the use of public transportation including tickets and passes. In addition, you can obtain reimbursement for the gas mileage of a private car, whether it’s you who is driving or someone else is giving you a ride, as well as any parking costs and tolls during your trip.

Door-to-door services

If you have complex medical needs or are not capable of using public transportation, you may be eligible for free door-to-door transportation in a paratransit vehicle such as lift-equipped vans and taxis for people with disabilities. These vehicles usually transport several people to different pick-up and drop-off locations. Note that your doctor must complete a physician certification to confirm that you have special transportation needs.

 

MATP is required by law to provide the least costly and the most appropriate transportation service available that fits your individual needs.

MATP escort policy

You have the right to be accompanied by an escort on an MATP trip if you can’t travel independently due to your age, type of disability, language barriers, or when the escort is necessary to secure medical examinations and treatment. Children under the age of 18 who are eligible for MATP can be accompanied by a parent or guardian at no cost.

 

You should keep in mind, however, that you will have to provide your own escort. MATP doesn’t offer medical escort services and doesn’t pay for the escort’s time, only for their transportation.

Contact MATP by County

 

County

Phone number

Toll Free number

Adams

717-846-RIDE (7433)

800-632-9063

Allegheny

412-350-4476

888-547-6287

Armstrong

724-548-3408

800-468-7771

Beaver

724-375-2895

800-262-0343

Bedford

814-623-9129

800-323-9997

Berks

610-921-2361

800-383-2278

Blair

814-695-3500

800-458-5552

Bradford

570-888-7330

800-242-3484

Bucks

215-794-5554

888-795-0740

Butler

724-431-3663

866-638-0598

Cambria

814-535-4630

888-647-4814

Cameron

866-282-4968

866-282-4968

Carbon

570-669-6380

Same as Local

Centre

814-355-6807

Same as Local

Chester

484-696-3854

877-873-8415

Clarion

814-226-7012

800-672-7116

Clearfield

814-765-1551

800-822-2610

Clinton

570-323-7575

800-206-3006

Columbia

717-846-RIDE (7433)

800-632-9063

Crawford

814-333-7090

800-210-6226

Cumberland

717-846-RIDE (7433)

800-632-9063

Dauphin

717-232-7009

800-309-8905

Delaware

610-490-3960

Same as Local

Elk

866-282-4968

Same as Local

Erie

814-456-2299

Same as Local

Fayette

724-628-7433

800-321-7433

Forest

814-927-8266

800-222-1706

Franklin

717-846-RIDE (7433)

800-632-9063

Fulton

717-485-6767

888-329-2376

Greene

724-627-6778

877-360-7433

Huntingdon

814-641-6408

800-817-3383

Indiana

724-465-2140

800-524-2766

Jefferson

814-938-3302

877-411-0585

Juniata

717-242-2277

800-348-2277

Lackawanna

570-963-6482

Same as Local

Lancaster

717-291-1243

800-892-1122

Lawrence

724-658-7258

888-252-5104

Lebanon

717-273-9328

Same as Local

Lehigh

610-253-8333

888-253-8333

Luzerne

570-288-8420

800-679-4135

Lycoming

570-323-7575

800-222-2468

McKean

866-282-4968

866-282-4968

Mercer

724-662-6222

800-570-6222

Mifflin

717-242-2277

800-348-2277

Monroe

570-839-6282 ext 434

888-955-6282

Montgomery

215-542-7433

Same as Local

Montour

717-846-RIDE (7433)

800-632-9063

Northampton

610-253-8333

888-253-8333

Northumberland

717-846-RIDE (7433)

800-632-9063

Perry

717-846-RIDE (7433)

800-632-9063

Philadelphia

877-835-7412

Same as local

Pike

570-296-3408

866-681-4947

Potter

814-544-7315

800-800-2560

Schuylkill

570-628-1425

888-656-0700

Snyder

717-846-RIDE (7433)

800-632-9063

Somerset

814-701-3691

800-452-0241

Sullivan

570-888-7330

800-242-3484

Susquehanna

570-278-6140

866-278-9332

Tioga

570-888-7330

800-242-3484

Union

717-846-RIDE (7433)

800-632-9063

Venango

814-432-9767

Same as Local

Warren

814-723-1874

877-723-9456

Washington

724-223-8747

800-331-5058

Wayne

570-253-4280

800-662-0780

Westmoreland

724-832-2706

800-242-2706

Wyoming

570-278-6140

866-278-9332

York

717-846-RIDE (7433)

800-632-9063

 

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