
Airport Stretcher Transport: What Patients & Families Need to Know
Airport stretcher transport costs $300 to $525 base rate plus $5 to $16 per mile. A two-person crew
What Counts as an Emergency?
Call 911 if you experience:
We provide NEMT for:
Dream Care Rides is a licensed NEMT provider. We do not provide emergency ambulance or paramedic services.
Loading...
March 25, 2026 | Otse Amorighoye, NPI #1033989991 | 7 min read

Infusion therapy patients in Chicago need transportation they can count on every week. Sessions last 2 to 6 hours, treatment side effects can make driving unsafe, and missing an appointment disrupts the entire treatment schedule. Dream Care Rides provides recurring wheelchair transportation in Chicago and ambulatory rides to infusion centers with wait-and-return service, meaning your driver stays at the center and brings you home when your session is done. Call (708) 505-6994 to set up weekly rides with one phone call.
Infusion therapy delivers medication directly into the bloodstream through an IV line. Sessions typically last 2 to 6 hours depending on the medication and condition being treated. Patients receiving infusion therapy for Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, immune deficiencies, or cancer (non-chemo biologics like Remicade, Humira, or Rituxan) often attend weekly or biweekly sessions for months or years.
After an infusion session, patients commonly experience fatigue, nausea, dizziness, or brain fog. Driving home after treatment is not safe for many patients. Some medications have documented drowsiness effects that make operating a vehicle inadvisable for hours after treatment. And unlike a 30-minute doctor's visit where a family member might wait in the lobby, asking someone to sit in a waiting room for 4 hours every week is not sustainable.
This is where recurring NEMT with wait-and-return service solves the problem. The driver brings the patient to the infusion center, waits during the session, and drives the patient home afterward. The patient does not need to coordinate a second pickup call while feeling the effects of treatment.
Setting up recurring rides to your infusion center takes one phone call to Dream Care Rides.
This model mirrors how dialysis transportation in Chicago works for patients with recurring 3-times-per-week sessions. The same standing order system, same-driver preference, and wait-and-return structure apply.
The right vehicle depends on your mobility level and how you feel before and after treatment.
For patients who use a wheelchair or mobility scooter, or who experience severe post-treatment fatigue that makes walking to and from the vehicle difficult. ADA-compliant vans with hydraulic lifts and Q-Straint four-point securement. Door-through-door service available.
Pricing: $65 to $115 base fare plus $3 to $6 per mile.
For patients who can walk with minimal assistance but cannot safely drive after infusion. Sedan or SUV with door-to-door service. The driver assists you into and out of the vehicle and walks you to the building entrance.
Pricing: $35 to $65 base fare plus $2 to $4 per mile.
Wait-and-return service includes the driver remaining at or near the infusion center during your session. Wait time beyond the included window is billed at $15 to $30 per 15-minute increment. When you set up a standing order, tell our dispatcher your typical session length so we can provide an accurate total cost per trip.
Use our NEMT cost calculator to estimate the total cost for your specific route and session length. Or view the complete Dream Care Rides rate card for all service levels.
Dream Care Rides transports patients to infusion centers throughout the Chicago metro area. Our drivers are familiar with the parking, entrance protocols, and patient drop-off areas at these facilities:
If your infusion center is not listed here, we still serve it. Dream Care Rides covers the entire Chicagoland area, including Cook County, Will County, DuPage County, and Northwest Indiana.
Transportation to infusion therapy appointments may be covered by insurance depending on your plan:
For patients with recurring sessions, standing orders streamline the Medicaid authorization process. Your doctor's office can provide documentation showing the medical necessity of ongoing infusion therapy, which supports the transportation authorization.
If you are booking infusion therapy transportation for the first time, here is what to know:
For patients who also attend adult daycare transportation programs, the same standing order system applies. One call sets up recurring daily or weekly rides.
Yes. Wait-and-return is our standard service for infusion therapy rides. The driver brings you to the center, remains available during your session, and drives you home when treatment is complete. You do not need to arrange a separate return trip. Wait time is billed at $15 to $30 per 15-minute increment beyond the included window.
Call (708) 505-6994 and request a standing order for infusion therapy rides. Provide your home address, infusion center name, session day and time, and expected session length. One call covers the entire recurring schedule. Rides repeat automatically each week.
If you are ambulatory before treatment but may need additional support after, consider booking wheelchair transport. The wheelchair van allows you to remain seated without exertion during the ride home. If your post-treatment condition changes, call our dispatcher and we can adjust the service level for future trips.
Illinois Medicaid managed care plans cover non-emergency transportation to qualifying medical appointments when prior authorization is obtained. Infusion therapy for conditions like Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer treatment typically qualifies. Your doctor provides documentation of medical necessity to support the authorization.
Wheelchair transport costs $65 to $115 as a base fare plus $3 to $6 per mile. Wait-and-return service adds $15 to $30 per 15-minute increment for the time the driver waits during your infusion session. For a patient living 8 miles from the infusion center with a 3-hour session, the total round-trip cost typically ranges from $200 to $400 depending on distance and wait time.
We assign the same driver to your standing order route whenever scheduling allows. Same-driver preference means the driver learns your routine, knows the best entrance at your infusion center, and provides familiar, consistent care. If your regular driver is unavailable on a specific day, we assign another qualified driver and notify you of the change.
One phone call sets up weekly or biweekly rides to your infusion center with wait-and-return service. Same-driver preference. Door-to-door or door-through-door assistance. Upfront pricing confirmed before your first ride.
Book online or call (708) 505-6994 to get started today.
Need Medical Transportation?
Call us directly or book online. Upfront pricing, no hidden fees.
Founder & CEO, Dream Care Rides | NPI #1033989991
Licensed NEMT provider headquartered in Olympia Fields, IL.

Airport stretcher transport costs $300 to $525 base rate plus $5 to $16 per mile. A two-person crew

Wheelchair transportation to the airport costs $65 to $115 base rate plus $3 to $6 per mile when boo

Standing orders let you schedule repeating Medicaid rides so a driver shows up automatically for eve

Illinois Medicaid covers ambulatory, wheelchair, and stretcher rides to medical appointments. Here i

Illinois Medicaid covers rides to medical appointments at zero cost. Here is exactly how to qualify,

How the NEMT broker model (MTM, Modivcare) compares to direct fleet providers like Dream Care Rides,