How to Complete and Submit the MassHealth PT-1 Transportation Form

The MassHealth PT-1 transportation form is submitted online by your MassHealth provider on your behalf — there is no paper version — and it authorizes non-emergency rides to medical appointments for members who can’t use public transit or drive themselves because of a health condition. Most requests are decided within one business day, though some take up to three.¹

Who Qualifies

Three MassHealth coverage types include non-emergency transportation as a benefit: MassHealth Standard, MassHealth CommonHealth, and MassHealth CarePlus.² If you have MassHealth Family Assistance or MassHealth Limited, this benefit isn’t part of your plan. MassHealth Limited covers only ambulance transportation for emergency medical conditions.

Being on a qualifying plan isn’t the whole test. You also need a health condition that keeps you from using public transit or driving, and a provider must certify that the barrier is medical rather than a matter of convenience. The governing regulation, 130 CMR 407.421, requires each PT-1 to include enough information for MassHealth to confirm that transportation is genuinely needed and that you’ll receive a MassHealth-covered service at the destination.³

What to Give Your Provider

Because your provider fills out the form, your job is making sure they have the details they need. Bring the following to your appointment:

Your MassHealth Member ID from your MassHealth card.
Your pickup address. Your home address is the default, so mention it if you need to be picked up somewhere else.⁴
The type of service you’re getting, how often you need to go, and the address of the facility.

If someone else will be treating you, your submitting provider may also need that treating provider’s NPI number, or their last name and zip code, to look them up in the portal.⁵

How the Form Gets Submitted

Your provider logs into the MassHealth Customer Web Portal, looks you up, confirms your pickup and treatment addresses, chooses the treatment type (Day Habilitation, Early Intervention, Substance Use Disorder, or Other), attaches an ICD-10 diagnosis code, and notes any transport needs like a wheelchair or an escort. When they submit, the portal returns a PT-1 reference number and an initial status of either authorized or pending.⁵

Ask your provider to write down that PT-1 number and share it with you. It’s the fastest way to check status later.

Approval Timing

Most PT-1s are processed within one business day, and up to three business days in some situations.¹ If you need a ride sooner, your provider can call the MassHealth Customer Service Center at (800) 841-2900 to check on a pending request. The regulation also allows verbal authorization when a provider has already submitted a PT-1 or when care is urgent.³

You’ll get a letter in the mail with the decision. If approved, it also tells you which transportation broker covers your area.

How Long the Authorization Lasts

For recurring transportation, the regulation sets these maximum periods:

Acute illness: up to six months
Chronic illness: up to one year
Early intervention: up to three years
Day habilitation: up to five years³

When the authorization expires, your provider submits a new PT-1. If your treatment schedule or condition changes before it expires, they should submit a new one then, too.

Scheduling Rides After Approval

Once you’re approved, you don’t call MassHealth to book rides. You contact the broker assigned to your region. Massachusetts uses two:

MART covers Western Massachusetts, Central Massachusetts, Metro Boston, and Northeastern Massachusetts. Call (866) 834-9991, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or use MART’s online ride portal.⁶
GATRA covers Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Islands. Call (800) 431-1713, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., or use GATRA’s ride portal.⁷

If you aren’t sure which broker covers your town, MassHealth has a lookup tool by town on its website.⁸ Book at least three days ahead when you can, though brokers will try to fit in shorter-notice requests.¹

Where the Rides Can Take You

PT-1 rides go only to appointments where you receive a MassHealth-covered service: primary care, specialists, counseling, day habilitation, dialysis, physical therapy, substance use disorder programs, and similar care.⁹ The destination on the PT-1 must match where you actually receive care. Non-medical errands aren’t covered, and a standalone pharmacy trip without an accompanying medical appointment falls outside the benefit.

Bringing an Escort

If you need someone to help you in and out of the vehicle, translate, or ride along with a child, an escort is allowed. Your provider notes the escort on the PT-1 so the broker can plan for the extra seat, since these are shared rides with limited seating.⁹

If You’re Denied

The denial letter tells you why and how to appeal. Common reasons are missing information on the PT-1, a diagnosis that doesn’t support the need for specialized transportation, or being on a coverage type that doesn’t include the benefit. When it’s just missing information, your provider can often resubmit a corrected PT-1 instead of going through a formal appeal. For questions, call MassHealth Customer Service at (800) 841-2900.

Public Transit Reimbursement

If you can use public transit but the fares are the barrier, you may be able to get reimbursed instead of using a PT-1. You’ll need documentation from your provider confirming a MassHealth-covered service (with the date and address), any transportation receipts you have, and total costs of at least $5.00. Submit the request to MassHealth within 90 days of the earliest date your costs crossed that $5.00 threshold.

1
Mass.gov. Learn About Non-Emergency Medical Transportation for MassHealth Members
2
Mass.gov. MassHealth Coverage Types for Individuals and Families Including People With Disabilities
3
Legal Information Institute. 130 CMR 407.421 – Authorization for Transportation
4
Mass.gov. Request Transportation for a Member
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Mass.gov. How to Complete and Submit or View the PT-1 Online
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Mass.gov. Get a Ride to MassHealth Medical Appointments
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Mass.gov. Providing Rides Through the HST Brokerage
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Mass.gov. Transportation for MassHealth Members
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Mass.gov. MassHealth Transportation Information for Providers