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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
Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) provides safe rides to medical appointments for patients who cannot drive and do not need an ambulance. Dream Care Rides operates ambulatory, wheelchair, and stretcher vehicles throughout Chicago, the south suburbs, and NW Indiana — 24/7, 365 days a year. Call (708) 505-6994 or book online.
Millions of Americans miss medical appointments every year because they lack reliable transportation. The American Hospital Association estimates 3.6 million people skip necessary healthcare visits annually due to transportation barriers. The consequences are severe: unmanaged chronic conditions, preventable emergency room visits, hospital readmissions, and worse long-term health outcomes.
Non-emergency medical transportation fills this gap. NEMT is a healthcare service — not a taxi, not a rideshare, not a favor from a family member. NEMT providers operate medically appropriate vehicles driven by professionals trained in patient assistance, wheelchair securement, and safety protocols. The service has been a federally mandated Medicaid benefit since 1966 because lawmakers recognized that access to transportation is access to healthcare.
In Chicago and across Illinois, non-emergency medical transportation serves dialysis patients who ride three times per week, cancer patients traveling to chemotherapy and radiation, seniors who can no longer drive safely, wheelchair users who need ADA-accessible vehicles, and hospital discharge patients who need transport home or to a skilled nursing facility. Dream Care Rides provides all of these services from our headquarters in Olympia Fields, IL.
Dream Care Rides is headquartered at 20000 Governors Dr Suite 103H, Olympia Fields, IL 60461. We provide non-emergency medical transportation across the following areas:
All 77 neighborhoods from Rogers Park to Pullman, Austin to South Shore. Every major medical center served including:
Our home territory. Dense coverage across south Cook County and Will County:
Extended coverage across DuPage, Kane, and Lake counties:
Cross-state non-emergency medical transportation for Lake and Porter County:
Need non-emergency medical transportation beyond our metro area? Long-distance medical transport is available throughout Illinois and to neighboring states. Call (708) 505-6994.
Dream Care Rides provides three categories of non-emergency medical transportation. Your service type depends on your mobility level and medical needs.
For patients who can walk and transfer into a standard vehicle independently or with minimal arm support. Service levels include curb-to-curb, door-to-door, and hand-to-hand (driver physically escorts the patient).
Common trips: doctor visits, specialist consults, lab work, physical therapy, dental, pharmacy, mental health appointments.
ADA-compliant vans equipped with hydraulic lifts and Q-Straint four-point securement for manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs (up to 450 lbs), and motorized scooters. Service levels include curb-to-curb, door-to-door, and door-through-door.
Common trips: dialysis, chemotherapy, hospital discharge, any appointment requiring wheelchair access. Wheelchair transport details.
Gurney-equipped ambulettes for patients who must remain lying down during transport. Trained attendants assist with room-to-room, door-through-door, and bed-to-bed transfers.
Common trips: hospital-to-SNF transfers, long-distance transport, bariatric patients, post-surgical. Stretcher transport details.
Surcharges: Weekends 1.5x base rate, Holidays 2.25x base rate, Wait time $15–$30 per 15 min, Oxygen equipment $25, Stairchair assist $25. All prices confirmed upfront before booking. See full rate schedule.
156 trips per year, often early morning. Standing orders ensure every session is covered without rebooking weekly. Dialysis transport.
Chemotherapy and radiation patients often cannot drive after treatment due to fatigue, nausea, or cognitive effects. Cancer treatment transport.
Age-related vision loss, cognitive decline, and mobility limitations make driving unsafe. NEMT provides reliable access to ongoing medical care. Senior transportation.
Hospitals need reliable transport partners to move patients home or to skilled nursing facilities, especially on short notice. Discharge transport.
Recurring PT sessions require reliable, on-time transport — especially for patients recovering from surgery or stroke. PT transport.
Patients attending therapy, psychiatry, or behavioral health appointments benefit from consistent, familiar NEMT drivers. Mental health transport.
Call (708) 505-6994 or visit our booking page. Provide pickup address, destination, appointment time, and mobility needs.
Your exact price is confirmed before the booking is finalized. No hidden fees, no surprise charges. The quoted price is the final price.
Your trained driver arrives on time with the right vehicle. Door-to-door service, proper securement, and safe transport to your appointment entrance.
Pay directly with no broker, no pre-authorization, and no waiting period. Same-day booking available. Accepted payment methods include credit card, debit card, and cash. Private pay details.
Illinois Medicaid covers NEMT for eligible beneficiaries. Trips require authorization through your managed care organization (MCO) or transportation broker. Medicaid rides details.
Some Medicare Advantage plans include NEMT as a supplemental benefit. Contact your plan to verify whether transportation to medical appointments is covered.
Hospitals, dialysis centers, and skilled nursing facilities can set up direct contracts with Dream Care Rides for patient transportation. Contact us for facility partnership details.
Dream Care Rides provides non-emergency medical transportation throughout Chicago, the south suburbs, and NW Indiana from our headquarters at 20000 Governors Dr Suite 103H, Olympia Fields, IL 60461. We serve all 77 Chicago neighborhoods, communities from Joliet to Waukegan, and NW Indiana cities including Hammond, Gary, and Merrillville. Call (708) 505-6994 for immediate scheduling or book online at dreamcarerides.com/booking.
Non-emergency medical transportation costs depend on the vehicle type. Ambulatory (sedan/SUV) costs $35 to $65 base plus $2 to $4 per mile. Wheelchair van costs $65 to $115 base plus $3 to $6 per mile. Stretcher ambulette costs $300 to $525 base 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). Dream Care Rides confirms your exact price before booking. Call (708) 505-6994.
Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) vehicles are medically equipped and their drivers are trained in patient assistance, wheelchair securement, and safety protocols. Taxis are general-purpose vehicles with no medical equipment, no ADA compliance requirement, and drivers with no patient care training. NEMT provides door-to-door service (driver comes to your door, not the curb), accommodates wheelchairs and stretchers, and can be billed to Medicaid. Taxis offer none of these features.
Illinois Medicaid covers non-emergency medical transportation for eligible beneficiaries traveling to Medicaid-covered appointments. Some Medicare Advantage plans also include NEMT benefits. Workers compensation may cover transport to authorized medical appointments. Private insurance rarely covers NEMT directly. Dream Care Rides is primarily a private-pay provider. Medicaid accepted in select service areas — call (708) 505-6994 to check availability and discuss payment options.
Yes. Dream Care Rides offers same-day non-emergency medical transportation for private pay patients throughout Chicago. Call (708) 505-6994 as early in the day as possible for best vehicle availability. No broker pre-authorization required for private pay. Medicaid patients typically need advance authorization through their managed care organization. For recurring appointments, set up a standing order so your rides are automatically scheduled.
Non-emergency medical transportation providers use three main vehicle types. Ambulatory vehicles (sedans and SUVs) serve patients who can walk and sit in a standard seat. Wheelchair vans are ADA-compliant with hydraulic lifts or ramps and Q-Straint four-point securement systems for wheelchair safety. Stretcher ambulettes have gurney mounts for patients who must remain lying down. Dream Care Rides operates all three vehicle types. Call (708) 505-6994 to book the right vehicle for your needs.
You can schedule non-emergency medical transportation for a family member by calling Dream Care Rides at (708) 505-6994 or booking online at dreamcarerides.com/booking. You will need the patient name, pickup address, destination address, appointment date and time, and mobility requirements (ambulatory, wheelchair, or stretcher). For recurring appointments like dialysis or chemotherapy, set up a standing order — one call covers the entire recurring schedule.
Yes. Dream Care Rides provides non-emergency medical transportation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Weekend trips carry a 1.5x surcharge and holiday trips carry a 2.25x surcharge on the base rate. Standing order patients have their weekend and holiday rides included automatically. Saturday dialysis, Sunday hospital discharges, and holiday medical appointments are all served. Call (708) 505-6994 any time.
Key factors when choosing a NEMT provider: ADA-compliant vehicles with proper wheelchair lifts and securement, drivers trained and certified in patient assistance, upfront pricing with no hidden fees, 24/7 availability, standing order capability for recurring appointments, and a track record of on-time performance. Dream Care Rides meets all of these criteria and maintains a 5.0 Google rating. Call (708) 505-6994 to see the difference.
Ambulatory from $35. Wheelchair from $65. Stretcher from $300. Available 24/7 throughout Chicago, the south suburbs, and NW Indiana. Upfront pricing, no hidden fees.
Dream Care Rides · 20000 Governors Dr Suite 103H, Olympia Fields, IL 60461
Non-emergency medical transportation across all service levels
Learn moreADA-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 more