Healthcare is more than doctors, tests, procedures, and prescriptions. It is also about getting to care. For many people with Medicaid, Medical Answering Service, or MAS, is the way that happens. Yet most patients never hear about MAS until they absolutely need it. My goal with this post is to explain what MAS is, how it works, and what patients should know before they find themselves trying to coordinate rides during a stressful season.
What Is Medical Answering Service (MAS)?
Medical Answering Service (MAS) is the transportation manager for New York State Medicaid in many downstate counties, including New York City. MAS helps coordinate rides for eligible Medicaid members to get to and from Medicaid covered medical appointments when transportation is a barrier.
MAS is for routine medical transportation needs, not emergencies. If you are having a medical emergency, call 911.
MAS contact for New York City
If you are in NYC, you can contact MAS here:
• Call MAS: (844) 666-6270
• MAS website: https://www.medanswering.com/
How Medicaid Patients Use MAS
At its best, MAS functions as a connector between patients, providers, and transportation vendors. A typical process looks like this:
1) Your provider paperwork must be on file
This is a step many patients do not learn about until the last minute. In New York, a provider often needs to submit a transportation verification form to document why a patient needs Medicaid transportation rather than using public transit. The form commonly used is the NYS Department of Health form called “2015.” Many patients do not know the number, but you can ask your doctor’s office directly:
“Have you submitted my Medicaid transportation form 2015 to MAS yet?”
Here is the key lesson I learned: if this is not completed before a major procedure, you can still be stuck waiting for primary care to submit it, even if surgery is days away.
In my case, I saw primary care three days before surgery. The need to have this form completed ahead of time was not clearly relayed to me. That gap matters because it is not just paperwork. It is the difference between having a reliable path to appointments and scrambling at the last minute when your body and mind are already stretched. I had to go back to primary care after my surgery, and I was in ungodly high amounts of pain and frustrated.
2) You schedule the ride in advance
Once authorization is on file, you call MAS with your appointment details such as date, time, address, and any mobility needs. It is best to call as early as you can. Many patients learn quickly that ride coordination often requires at least 48 hours notice, sometimes longer depending on availability. This can be done not only for medical appointments related to your procedure, but also any other medical appointment that you can not travel to independently.
MAS may call you back to confirm within about 24 hours, depending on the circumstances and vendor assignment.
3) A vendor is assigned
MAS typically assigns a transportation provider such as a taxi or ambulette vendor based on medical need and availability. In theory, a confirmed ride should mean you have a driver and a plan.
In real life, “confirmed” does not always mean the vehicle will arrive.
What I Learned About How It Works vs How It Should Work
Transportation is healthcare. If you cannot get to the appointment, you cannot receive the care. That is not a minor inconvenience. It is a breakdown in access.
Here are the real-world gaps I experienced that patients deserve to be warned about:
• Confirmation is not the same as arrival.
I had a taxi that called the day before to confirm, then did not show up the next morning at 10:00 AM. I called around 11:00 and again around 11:30 only to learn they could not get a driver and sent it back to MAS. When that happens, the patient loses. You cannot make informed decisions if you do not know whether transportation is actually coming.
• Delays can cost appointments.
I was able to notify the office while it was happening and still made it to my appointment, but I arrived about 1.5 hours late. Many patients would not be able to salvage that situation.
• Return rides can mean long waits.
I had at least three instances where I called transportation to return home and waited more than 1.5 hours. In those cases, I could slowly walk and use the bus and subway. Many patients cannot. A long wait after an appointment is not just frustrating. It can be unsafe, especially after procedures or when mobility is limited.
Pros of MAS
When MAS works well, it can be a lifeline. It:
• helps Medicaid members access care when transportation is a barrier
• can reduce missed appointments for people without reliable rides
• can coordinate the appropriate level of transport based on medical need
• may support continuity of care, especially for people managing complex health needs
Cons and Common Friction Points
MAS can also create stress when the system is not reliable.
• Scheduling can require several days of advance planning
• Patients may not learn about required provider forms until the last minute
• A vendor can confirm and still not show
• Return rides can involve long waits without clear accountability
• Communication is not always proactive enough for patients to make backup plans
How MAS Should Work to Protect Patients
If a ride is confirmed, that confirmation should mean something.
There needs to be more rigid control and accountability for which vendors are allowed to pick up patients. If taxis repeatedly fail to show or cancel at the last minute, they should not continue receiving assignments as if nothing happened. Patients should not be the ones absorbing the consequences of vendor unreliability, especially when missed appointments can delay care and worsen outcomes. They should either pick one or two vendors, or set up their own car transport service. I know of some people needing to order 4 hours before they needed it to ensure that they could still get to work on time.
Transportation is not an optional add-on. It is a required link in the care pathway.
Quick Checklist for Patients and Caregivers
If you are planning surgery or a series of appointments, here are a few practical steps:
• Ask your provider early if your Medicaid transportation form 2015 is needed and submitted
• Call MAS as early as possible once your appointments are scheduled
• On the day of travel, have MAS’s number saved in your phone: (844) 666-6270
• If a ride is late or missing, call MAS early and notify the clinic right away
• If you have mobility limitations, confirm the correct type of transport is being arranged
Final Thoughts
MAS exists because access to care should not depend on who has a car, who has family nearby, or who can afford rides. That mission matters. But the system only works when patients are informed early, providers communicate requirements clearly, and transportation vendors are held accountable for reliability.
My hope is that this post makes MAS easier to understand before you need it, not in the middle of a crisis.
About the Author and SCHEQ
Dr. Eugene Manley Jr. is a cancer scientist, nonprofit founder, and health equity advocate. He is the Founder and CEO of the SCHEQ (STEMM and Cancer Health Equity) Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on improving health literacy, increasing workforce diversity, and addressing inequities across the cancer care continuum. SCHEQ works at the intersection of science, community, and lived experience to ensure patients and families are not left to navigate complex healthcare systems alone.
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