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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.
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Last updated: March 2026
NEMT (non-emergency medical transportation) gets patients to medical appointments safely when they cannot drive themselves and do not need an ambulance. Dream Care Rides provides ambulatory, wheelchair, and stretcher NEMT throughout Chicago, the south suburbs, and NW Indiana. Call (708) 505-6994 or book online.
NEMT stands for non-emergency medical transportation — the industry term for transportation services that take patients to and from healthcare appointments when they cannot drive themselves and do not need an emergency ambulance. NEMT is a federally recognized healthcare service, mandated under Medicaid since 1966, because missed medical appointments lead to worse health outcomes, higher emergency room use, and increased healthcare costs.
NEMT providers like Dream Care Rides operate specialized vehicles — sedans and SUVs for ambulatory patients, ADA-compliant wheelchair vans with hydraulic lifts, and stretcher-equipped ambulettes for patients who must remain reclined during transport. Every vehicle is equipped for medical transport, and every driver is trained in patient assistance, safety protocols, and HIPAA compliance.
Dream Care Rides is headquartered at 20000 Governors Dr Suite 103H, Olympia Fields, IL 60461. We serve all of Chicago, the south suburbs, west suburbs, and NW Indiana with all three NEMT vehicle types. Call (708) 505-6994 for immediate scheduling or book online.
An estimated 3.6 million Americans miss medical appointments each year due to transportation barriers, according to the American Hospital Association. NEMT exists to close that gap. The patients who rely on NEMT most include:
Dream Care Rides provides all three categories of NEMT. The right vehicle depends on your mobility level and medical needs.
For patients who can walk and transfer into a vehicle independently or with minimal assistance. Door-to-door, hand-to-hand, or curb-to-curb service levels available.
$35 – $65 base
+ $2 – $4 per mile
Ideal for: doctor visits, specialist consults, lab work, physical therapy, mental health appointments.
ADA-compliant vans with hydraulic lifts and Q-Straint four-point securement. Manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs up to 450 lbs, and motorized scooters.
$65 – $115 base
+ $3 – $6 per mile
Ideal for: dialysis, chemotherapy, hospital discharge, any appointment requiring wheelchair access.
Gurney-equipped ambulettes for patients who must remain reclined during transport. Room-to-room, door-through-door, and bed-to-bed service levels.
$300 – $525 base
+ $5 – $16 per mile
Ideal for: hospital-to-SNF transfers, long-distance medical transport, bariatric patients, post-surgical patients.
Surcharges: weekends 1.5x, holidays 2.25x, wait time $15–$30 per 15 min, oxygen $25, stairchair $25. See full NEMT pricing for details.
Call (708) 505-6994 or book online. Provide your pickup address, destination, appointment time, and mobility needs (ambulatory, wheelchair, or stretcher).
Your price is confirmed before the booking is finalized. No hidden fees, no surprise charges. The quoted price is the final price.
Your trained NEMT driver arrives with the appropriate vehicle. Door-to-door service means the driver comes to your front door, assists with boarding, secures mobility equipment, and transports you safely to your appointment entrance.
For round-trip bookings, your driver waits or returns at your scheduled pickup time. Standing orders for recurring appointments (dialysis, chemotherapy, physical therapy) can be set up with one call.
Patients and families often ask how NEMT compares to calling an Uber or using an ambulance. The difference comes down to medical appropriateness and cost.
| Feature | NEMT | Rideshare (Uber/Lyft) | Ambulance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $35 – $525 | $15 – $60 | $1,200 – $2,500+ |
| Wheelchair accessible | Yes (all vehicles) | Limited (WAV only) | Yes |
| Stretcher capable | Yes (ambulette) | No | Yes |
| Driver trained in patient assist | Yes | No | Yes (paramedic) |
| Door-to-door service | Yes | Curb only | Yes |
| Wheelchair securement | Q-Straint 4-point | No standard | Yes |
| Standing orders | Yes | No | No |
| Medicaid accepted | Yes | Rarely | Yes |
NEMT can be paid for through several channels depending on your insurance and financial situation.
Illinois Medicaid covers NEMT for eligible beneficiaries. Trips must be to Medicaid-covered appointments and authorized through your MCO or transportation broker. Learn about Medicaid NEMT.
Pay directly with no broker authorization, no pre-approval, and no wait. Same-day booking available. Upfront pricing confirmed before every ride. Private pay NEMT details.
Some Medicare Advantage plans include NEMT benefits. Check with your plan to see if transportation to medical appointments is a covered benefit.
Workers' comp policies in Illinois may cover NEMT to authorized medical appointments. Contact your adjuster to confirm transportation coverage.
Dream Care Rides provides NEMT from our headquarters in Olympia Fields, IL across the entire Chicago metropolitan region. Our primary NEMT service area includes:
All 77 neighborhoods — North Side, South Side, West Side, Loop, and lakefront communities. Every major hospital served including Northwestern, Rush, UChicago Medicine, Stroger, and Loyola.
Olympia Fields, Homewood, Flossmoor, Matteson, Richton Park, Country Club Hills, Tinley Park, Orland Park, Oak Lawn, Harvey, Dolton, Lansing, and 20+ more communities.
Merrillville, Hammond, Gary, East Chicago, Highland, Munster, Portage, Valparaiso, Crown Point, and surrounding Lake and Porter County communities.
For long-distance medical transport beyond our metro service area, Dream Care Rides provides stretcher and wheelchair transport throughout Illinois and to neighboring states. Call (708) 505-6994 for a long-distance NEMT quote.
NEMT stands for non-emergency medical transportation. It refers to medically necessary transportation for patients who need to get to healthcare appointments but do not require emergency ambulance service. NEMT includes ambulatory (sedan/SUV), wheelchair van, and stretcher (ambulette) transport. Dream Care Rides provides all three NEMT service types throughout Chicago, the south suburbs, and NW Indiana. Call (708) 505-6994 to book.
NEMT is transportation specifically designed for people traveling to and from medical appointments who cannot drive themselves and do not need an ambulance. This includes seniors who no longer drive, wheelchair users who need ADA-accessible vehicles, patients recovering from surgery, dialysis patients who ride three times per week, and anyone whose medical condition makes standard rideshare unsafe or impractical. Dream Care Rides serves all of these patients in the Chicago metro area.
NEMT pricing in Chicago depends on the vehicle type. Ambulatory (sedan/SUV) transport costs $35 to $65 base rate plus $2 to $4 per mile. Wheelchair van transport costs $65 to $115 base rate plus $3 to $6 per mile. Stretcher (ambulette) transport costs $300 to $525 base rate plus $5 to $16 per mile. Surcharges apply for weekends (1.5x), holidays (2.25x), wait time ($15 to $30 per 15 minutes), oxygen ($25), and stairchair ($25). Call Dream Care Rides at (708) 505-6994 for an exact upfront quote.
An ambulance provides emergency medical care with paramedics, cardiac monitors, and life-support equipment, typically costing $1,200 to $2,500 or more per trip. NEMT provides safe, non-emergency transportation for patients whose condition is stable. NEMT vehicles include sedans, wheelchair vans with hydraulic lifts, and stretcher ambulettes. NEMT costs $35 to $525 depending on vehicle type. If you do not need emergency medical intervention during the ride, NEMT is the appropriate and far more affordable option.
Yes. Illinois Medicaid covers NEMT for eligible beneficiaries traveling to Medicaid-covered medical appointments. Dream Care Rides is primarily a private-pay provider. Medicaid accepted in select service areas — call (708) 505-6994 to check availability. Private pay patients can book directly without authorization. Visit our Medicaid rides page for eligibility details.
Book NEMT with Dream Care Rides in three ways: call (708) 505-6994 for immediate scheduling, book online at dreamcarerides.com/booking, or set up a standing order for recurring appointments like dialysis or chemotherapy. Private pay patients can book same-day with no broker authorization required. Medicaid patients should contact their MCO for trip authorization. All NEMT bookings receive upfront pricing with no hidden fees.
Dream Care Rides provides NEMT throughout the Chicago metropolitan area including all 77 Chicago neighborhoods, the south suburbs (Olympia Fields, Homewood, Tinley Park, Orland Park, and 30+ more communities), the west suburbs, and NW Indiana (Merrillville, Hammond, Gary, Highland, Portage). We also provide long-distance medical transport throughout Illinois and to neighboring states. Our headquarters is at 20000 Governors Dr Suite 103H, Olympia Fields, IL 60461.
Yes. Dream Care Rides operates NEMT 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Early morning dialysis pickups, late-night hospital discharges, weekend appointments, and holiday medical visits are all served. Weekend trips carry a 1.5x surcharge and holiday trips carry a 2.25x surcharge. Call (708) 505-6994 at any time to schedule.
NEMT companies use three main vehicle types. Ambulatory vehicles (sedans and SUVs) serve patients who can walk and transfer independently. Wheelchair vans are ADA-compliant with hydraulic lifts, ramps, and Q-Straint four-point securement for manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, and motorized scooters. Stretcher ambulettes have gurney mounts for patients who must remain lying down during transport. Dream Care Rides operates all three vehicle types with trained, certified drivers.
Ambulatory from $35. Wheelchair from $65. Stretcher from $300. Upfront pricing, no hidden fees, 24/7 availability throughout Chicago, south suburbs, and NW Indiana.
Dream Care Rides · 20000 Governors Dr Suite 103H, Olympia Fields, IL 60461
ADA-compliant wheelchair van service with hydraulic lifts and Q-Straint securement
Learn moreAmbulette service for patients who need to travel lying down
Learn moreSedan and SUV rides for patients who can walk with minimal assistance
Learn moreRecurring transport for dialysis appointments, including standing orders
Learn more