Free & Low-Cost Rides to Medical Appointments in St. Louis
Revised July 16, 2026
Does Medicaid cover transportation to medical appointments?
If you have MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid), you can get free rides to covered medical appointments through the state’s transportation manager, MTM — call 1-866-269-5927 at least two to three days ahead. Seniors 65+ and people with disabilities ride Metro for half price or free (ADA Services 314-982-1510), and Metro Call-A-Ride offers door-to-door service (314-982-1505). Aging Ahead (1-800-243-6060), OATS Transit (1-888-875-6287), and the American Cancer Society (1-800-227-2345, free rides to cancer treatment) help too. Not sure what fits? Dial 2-1-1.
Keep reading ↓A ride shouldn’t be the thing that stands between you and staying healthy — but for a lot of people, it is. Someone who had to give up driving. A dialysis patient who needs to be there three times a week. A parent with no car and a bus that doesn’t run near the clinic. It happens in a South City flat, a house in North County, a place out in Jefferson County, a home across the river in the Metro East. A missed appointment because there was no way to get there is one of the quietest, most fixable problems in health care.
Here’s what many people never hear: if you’re on Medicaid, rides to your medical appointments are free. If you’re a senior or have a disability, Metro fares are cut in half — or waived entirely. And there are volunteers who will drive you to cancer treatment at no cost. St. Louis has more ways to get you where you need to go than almost anyone realizes.
This guide lays out who to call for a ride, what it costs (often nothing), and how far ahead to plan. Whether it’s for you or someone you’re helping get to care, it’s written for you.
If you have MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid), you can get free rides to covered medical appointments through the state’s transportation manager, MTM — call 1-866-269-5927 at least two to three days ahead. Seniors 65+ and people with disabilities ride Metro for half price (or free through Metro’s ADA program), and Metro Call-A-Ride offers door-to-door service (314-982-1505). Aging Ahead (1-800-243-6060) and OATS Transit (1-888-875-6287) help older adults, and the American Cancer Society (1-800-227-2345) offers free rides to cancer treatment. Not sure what fits? Dial 2-1-1.
📌 Know someone who misses appointments over a ride? Keep this — and share it.
Bookmark this page and share it with anyone who could use it — an older parent, a neighbor without a car, or a nurse, social worker, caseworker, or dialysis center that hears “I had no way to get here” every week. A single share can keep someone in their care.
Every share could be the ride that gets one more person to their appointment. That’s exactly why we made it.
Free Rides on Medicaid: MO HealthNet NEMT
This is the big one, and it’s badly underused. If you’re a MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid) member and you have no other way to get to a covered medical appointment, the state provides a free ride through a program called Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT), managed by MTM. It covers trips to the doctor, the dentist, mental-health and substance-use appointments, dialysis, the pharmacy, and more.
- To schedule a ride, call 1-866-269-5927 (TTY 711), Monday–Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can also book through the MTM Link web portal or app.
- Call ahead: at least 2 days in advance in urban counties, 3 days in rural areas. Urgent trips and hospital discharges are handled around the clock.
- Running late or your ride hasn’t shown? The “Where’s My Ride” line is 1-866-269-5944.
It costs you nothing, and you can use it as often as you have covered appointments. If you’re not sure whether you have MO HealthNet, our guide to applying for Medicaid in Missouri can help.
Half-Price and Free Metro Fares
Everyday transit gets cheaper too. Through Metro Transit (Bi-State Development):
- Seniors 65 and older ride MetroBus and MetroLink at half price with a Senior Reduced Fare Permit — you just need a government-issued photo ID showing your age.
- People with disabilities qualify for reduced fares, and those certified for paratransit can ride MetroBus and MetroLink free through Metro’s ADA program. To get certified, contact Metro’s ADA Services Department at 314-982-1510.
- Metro Call-A-Ride is Metro’s door-to-door shared-ride service for people who can’t use regular buses or trains. Book it at 314-982-1505, seven days a week, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Rides for Older Adults: Aging Ahead & OATS
If you’re 60 or older, two programs specialize in getting you to appointments, senior centers, and the grocery store:
- Aging Ahead (1-800-243-6060) — the Area Agency on Aging for St. Louis County, St. Charles, Jefferson, and Franklin counties. Call to ask what transportation options are currently available in your area; they coordinate rides for older adults through partners like OATS.
- OATS Transit — door-to-door shared-ride service across dozens of Missouri counties. Reach the statewide line at 1-888-875-6287 or the St. Louis regional office at 314-888-6720.
Free Rides to Cancer Treatment
A cancer diagnosis brings enough to carry without worrying about how to get to chemo or radiation. The American Cancer Society’s Road To Recovery program connects patients with trained volunteer drivers for free rides to cancer-related appointments. Call 1-800-227-2345 (available 24/7) well in advance, since rides depend on volunteer availability in your area — but for many families, it’s a lifeline that keeps treatment on track.
Rideshare and Accessible Vehicles
Getting to care has grown more flexible. Some MO HealthNet health plans and health systems now arrange rideshare-style trips (through services like Uber Health or Lyft) for members — ask your Medicaid health plan or MTM whether it’s an option for your appointment. If you use a wheelchair or need extra help, say so when you book: both NEMT and Metro Call-A-Ride offer wheelchair-accessible vehicles, but they need to know in advance to send the right one. And if you have a companion or aide who needs to ride along, mention that too — it’s usually allowed when you arrange it ahead of time.
Rides for Specific Situations
- Dialysis and other standing appointments. If you have recurring treatment, you can set up repeat trips with MTM so you don’t have to call before every visit — ask about a standing order when you schedule.
- Veterans. The VA and Disabled American Veterans (DAV) run volunteer driver programs that take veterans to VA medical appointments; ask your VA facility’s travel office, and see our veterans benefits guide.
- Older adults. Many senior centers run shuttles for members to appointments, the grocery store, and activities — ask your nearest center or call Aging Ahead at 1-800-243-6060.
What to Have Ready When You Call
A ride goes more smoothly when you have the details in hand. When booking, be ready with your Medicaid or member ID, the date, time, and full address of your appointment, the phone number of the doctor’s office, whether you need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle or a companion along, and your plan for the return trip. Book as early as you can, and confirm the day before — a small mix-up shouldn’t cost you the appointment. If a scheduled ride doesn’t show, call the “Where’s My Ride” line right away rather than giving up on the visit.
A Few Things That Trip People Up
NEMT covers rides to covered medical care, so a purely social outing won’t qualify — but a pharmacy trip tied to your care often does, so it’s worth asking. If your appointment is far away, such as a specialist in another city, NEMT can still cover it, and very long trips may include help with meals or lodging in some situations; raise it when you schedule. And don’t overlook the simplest option: for anyone able to use them, regular MetroBus and MetroLink are the cheapest way around, and the reduced-fare permits above make them cheaper still. The point is that between Medicaid, Metro, senior programs, and volunteers, there is almost always a way to get where you need to go.
Not Sure What You Qualify For? Dial 2-1-1
With this many programs, it’s easy to feel lost — so let someone else match you. Dial 2-1-1 (or 1-800-427-4626), United Way’s free, confidential help line, any hour of the day. Tell them where you live and where you need to go — a doctor, dialysis, the pharmacy, an errand — and they’ll point you to the right ride.
Getting Around for Everyday Life
Doctor visits aren’t the only place you need to be. Getting to work, the grocery store, the pharmacy, or a family gathering matters just as much for staying independent — and the same network of options helps there too. For everyday trips, MetroBus and MetroLink reach much of the metro, and the senior and disability reduced-fare permits keep the cost low. OATS Transit runs scheduled shopping and errand trips in many communities, especially for older adults and people in the outlying counties, and many senior centers offer regular shuttles to the store and to activities for their members. If you’re a parent or worker trying to keep a job without a car, 2-1-1 can point you toward job-access and community transportation programs in your area. The bottom line is simple: not having a car doesn’t have to shrink your world. Between public transit, senior programs, Medicaid rides, and volunteer drivers, there is almost always a way to get where life needs you to go — you just have to know which number to call, and now you do.
Keep these numbers where you can find them. A ride you can’t remember how to book is a ride you won’t take — so save the ones that fit your life in your phone today: MTM for Medicaid trips, Metro Call-A-Ride for door-to-door service, Aging Ahead or OATS if you’re a senior, the American Cancer Society for cancer treatment, and 2-1-1 for everything else. The whole point bears repeating: in St. Louis, getting there should never be the reason you skip the care, the job, or the errand that keeps your life moving forward.
Need a ride? MO HealthNet members call MTM at 1-866-269-5927; seniors and riders with disabilities call Metro Call-A-Ride at 314-982-1505; or dial 2-1-1 to find the right option. See all St. Louis help resources.
Run a transportation service or nonprofit that helps people get to care? List it on St Louis Near Me Directory so the people who need a ride can find you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Medicaid pay for transportation?
In Missouri, MO HealthNet (Medicaid) covers free non-emergency rides to and from covered medical appointments — doctor and dentist visits, dialysis, mental-health and substance-use care, the pharmacy, and more — for members who have no other way to get there. The rides are arranged through the state’s transportation manager, MTM. There’s no cost to you; you just call ahead to schedule at 1-866-269-5927.
How do you qualify for Medicaid transportation?
You qualify if you’re an active MO HealthNet member, the trip is to a Medicaid-covered service, and you don’t have another way to get there. There’s no separate application — you simply call MTM at 1-866-269-5927 at least two days ahead in urban areas (three in rural ones) and give your Medicaid information and appointment details. Urgent trips and hospital discharges are handled at any hour.
How do seniors get a reduced Metro fare in St. Louis?
Riders 65 and older can get a Senior Reduced Fare Permit from Metro Transit, which cuts MetroBus and MetroLink fares in half. You just need a government-issued photo ID that shows your age. People with disabilities can also qualify for reduced fares, and those certified for paratransit may ride free — contact Metro’s ADA Services Department at 314-982-1510 to get started.
What is Metro Call-A-Ride and who qualifies?
Metro Call-A-Ride is a door-to-door, shared-ride service for people who can’t use regular MetroBus or MetroLink service, including many seniors and people with disabilities. It picks you up and drops you off at your destination by reservation. Book a ride at 314-982-1505, seven days a week. If you need it as ADA paratransit, Metro’s ADA Services Department (314-982-1510) can certify your eligibility.
Are there free rides to cancer treatment in St. Louis?
Yes. The American Cancer Society’s Road To Recovery program offers free rides to cancer-related medical appointments using trained volunteer drivers. Call 1-800-227-2345, any time of day, and ask about availability in your area — rides depend on volunteer drivers, so call several days ahead. It’s a free, compassionate option that helps people keep every treatment appointment during a hard stretch.
Written by a dedicated team of St. Louis locals who live, work, and play right here in the St. Louis metro. Founder Lane Forman and team are committed to building the region’s most trusted directory by verifying listings and connecting local businesses with loyal customers across Missouri and Illinois.