HCPCS code T2007 – Non-emergency transport waiting time (per half hour)

Key takeaways

HCPCS code T2007 bills transportation waiting time in 30-minute units, on top of the code for the trip itself.

T2007 is a Medicaid state-agency T-code with no national fee schedule. Medicare does not pay it, so each state sets the rate.

Every wait needs logged arrival and departure times, a reason for waiting, and a link to the transport claim it belongs to.

Most T2007 denials come from unit counts that don’t match the log, or from waiting billed with no linked trip.

Wheelchair van trips bill under A0130 and stretcher van trips under T2005, never under T2007.

HCPCS code T2007 pays for time spent waiting

HCPCS code T2007 covers the time a non-emergency vehicle or air ambulance crew spends waiting for a Medicaid patient. One unit equals each 30 minutes of waiting. You bill it in addition to the transport code, never in place of it.

The code belongs to the HCPCS Level II T-code series. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) created these codes for state Medicaid agencies, and T2007 took effect on January 1, 2003. Medicare lists it with pricing indicator 00, so Medicare does not pay it. Each state decides whether it covers the wait and at what rate.

A typical case is a driver who stays on site through a dialysis session, then drives the patient home. Some states pay for that wait when it costs less than sending a second vehicle.

HCPCS Level II codes come from CMS, not the AMA, which owns CPT. CMS updates the code set every year. State agencies then set their own T-code policies through manuals and bulletins. If claim basics are new to you, start with medical billing fundamentals.

The T2007 descriptor and unit at a glance

Keep this table next to your fee schedule. It holds the facts that decide whether a T2007 line pays.

Billers relying on AAPC’s HCPCS code lookup should still read their state manual. States decide how a partial half hour counts and whether waiting units are capped.

What T2007 covers, and what it doesn’t

T2007 applies when a vehicle waits for a Medicaid patient during a covered medical visit. The wait must belong to a transport that the payer also covers.

T2007 vs other transport codes

Most T2007 coding errors start when billers treat it as a ride code. T2007 never describes the vehicle or the distance. Instead, it adds waiting time to a trip billed under one of the codes below. In many state programs, that base trip is T2003, billed per encounter.

T2007 vs. T2001: These two get mixed up often. T2001 pays for an attendant or escort, and it is not a per-mile code. T2007 pays for the vehicle’s waiting time. So a long dialysis trip with an escort can carry three lines, if your state allows it.

Who pays T2007 waiting time claims

Enrolled Medicaid transportation providers bill T2007. In broker-model states, the NEMT broker may bill it instead. Either way, the biller must be enrolled in the state where the trip happens.

• State Medicaid fee-for-service: the provider bills the state Medicaid agency directly.
• Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs): the provider bills the patient’s MCO, and the waiting rate may differ from the state fee schedule.
• NEMT brokers: the broker receives the Medicaid payment, and the vehicle operator bills the broker.
• Medicare: not applicable, because T2007 carries pricing indicator 00.

Dual-eligible patients may still have waiting time paid through Medicaid’s NEMT benefit. Medicare never adjudicates T2007, so there is nothing to cross over. Send T2007 straight to the Medicaid payer.

T2007 rates change from state to state

Each state Medicaid program sets its own T2007 rate. There is no national fee schedule. Some states also limit how many waiting units a single trip or day can carry.

Check the PGM Billing HCPCS lookup tool and your state fee schedule portal for current rates. Last year’s rate, or another state’s rate, creates audit risk, because Medicaid payments must follow the state plan rate.

Prior authorization for a T2007 wait

Many states require prior authorization for NEMT, and some ask for it on waiting time specifically. The rules differ by state plan and managed care contract. A wait billed without required authorization can deny even when the trip pays.

• Who requests it: usually the NEMT provider, or the broker in broker-model states.
• What to include: the Medicaid ID, appointment date and destination, expected visit length, and why a wait beats a second trip.
• Recurring trips: some states allow standing authorization for regular trips like dialysis. Confirm that it also covers waiting time.
• No authorization on file: the waiting line usually denies. Retroactive authorization is sometimes possible, but timely filing windows still apply.

T2007 documentation that holds up in an audit

Auditors look closely at waiting time, because minutes are easy to inflate. Your log has to prove when the wait started, when it ended, and why it happened. Strong medical billing compliance habits apply to every waiting unit you bill.

• Arrival time: when the vehicle reached the destination and the patient went in.
• Departure time: when the patient returned and the vehicle left.
• Reason for waiting: a short note, such as “patient in dialysis, same-day return.”
• Linked transport claim: the trip code, date and trip or claim number the wait belongs to.
• Patient and driver details: Medicaid ID, driver name or ID, and vehicle ID.
• Prior authorization number: where your state requires one.

Worked example of a T2007 dialysis wait

A wheelchair van drops a patient at dialysis at 9:10 AM The driver waits on site. The patient is ready at 12:40 PM, so the wait lasted 3 hours and 30 minutes.

That is seven half-hour units of T2007. The same claim also carries the trip lines, here A0130 out and back, if your state bills that code. If the state caps waiting at fewer units, bill the cap and keep the full log. The timeline below shows how the log turns into claim lines.

T2007 modifiers come from your state manual

T2007 has no national modifier rule. Each state Medicaid manual lists what it wants, if anything. A missing required modifier denies the line just like a wrong unit count.

Check the Medicare Informatics HCPCS tables and your state NEMT provider manual before you set modifiers. The table shows common patterns, not rules for any one state.

How to submit a T2007 claim, step by step

A clean T2007 claim depends on a few fields that billers tend to rush. A structured medical billing workflow catches most of them before the payer does.

1. Confirm Medicaid eligibility. Check it for the date of service, ideally before dispatch as well.
2. Bill the transport line. Put the trip code on the same claim, or reference the linked claim if your state wants them apart.
3. Count units from the log. Divide the waiting minutes by 30, then apply your state’s partial-unit rule.
4. Add the authorization number. Make sure it covers waiting time, not only the trip.
5. Use the right place of service. Follow the code your state manual names for transportation claims.
6. Link the diagnosis. Use the ICD-10-CM code that supports the medical visit.
7. Apply state modifiers. Add only the ones your manual lists for T2007.
8. Read the remittance advice. A denial reason code tells you which field to fix.

A quick T2007 check before you submit

• Logged arrival and departure times match the unit count.
• The log states a reason for the wait.
• A billed transport line exists for the same patient and date.
• The units stay within your state’s cap.
• Any required modifier is on the T2007 line.

Common T2007 denials and how to fix them

T2007 denials follow a few clear patterns. Applying denial management strategies before claims go out saves far more time than working appeals afterward.

Appeals and corrected claims for T2007 denials

First, decide whether you need a corrected claim or a formal appeal. A corrected claim, often sent with frequency code 7, fixes a data error such as a wrong unit count or missing modifier. A formal appeal disputes a decision on authorization or coverage.

Appeal deadlines typically range from 60 to 180 days, but they vary by state and MCO contract. The denial codes on your remittance advice point you to the right path. Include the original claim number, the driver log, and the linked trip details.

How Pabau keeps T2007 claims complete

Many billing teams still type waiting units by hand from paper driver logs. That is where unit mismatches and orphaned waiting lines usually start.

Pabau, the practice management and billing platform we build, pulls patient, treatment and insurer details from the record into a pre-filled submission. Required fields, such as the authorization number, must be complete before the claim can be sent.

In the US, claims go out through Claim.MD, with eligibility checks, remittance posting and claim status tracking in one place. Your team spots a denied waiting line quickly, so the fix starts before the filing window closes.

Send complete T2007 claims the first time

Pabau pre-fills claims from the patient record and checks required fields, like authorization numbers, before they go out. Your team then tracks status and remittance in one place.

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Conclusion

T2007 is a small code with a narrow job. It pays for time, not distance or vehicle type, and only next to a trip the payer also covers. Treat every wait as a timed event with a start, an end and a reason, and most unit denials stop.

Start with your state manual. Note its rounding rule, unit cap and modifiers, then build them into your driver logs and claims software defaults. Book a demo to see how Pabau keeps waiting-time claims complete and tracked from submission to payment.

Continue your research

Need a broader overview of NEMT billing fundamentals? What is medical billing explains the end-to-end revenue cycle relevant to transportation and healthcare providers.

Working through a high volume of claim rejections? Denial management in healthcare covers systematic approaches to reducing rejection rates across payer types.

Want a reference for the denial codes on your remittance advice? Denial codes in medical billing breaks down the most common CARC and RARC codes and what corrective action each requires.

Billing the trip the wait belongs to? HCPCS code T2003 covers the per-trip NEMT code that many states pair with waiting time.

Adding an escort to the ride? HCPCS code T2001 explains how attendant and escort lines are billed.

Frequently asked questions