If you or a family member is starting dialysis at a DaVita center and you are wondering whether they will arrange transportation to and from appointments, you deserve a direct answer before you start planning your schedule around an assumption that turns out to be wrong.
DaVita does not provide transportation to or from its dialysis centers.
This is stated directly in DaVita’s own admissions documentation: “DaVita does not provide transportation to or from our dialysis centers. Please use local resources to coordinate patient transportation.”
That is not a criticism of DaVita, it is simply how the dialysis industry works. DaVita’s role is to provide treatment, not transportation. The responsibility for getting to and from each session falls on the patient, their family, or the transportation resources available in their area. For dialysis patients in Luzerne County and surrounding areas of northeastern Pennsylvania, this article covers exactly what your options are, what your insurance may already pay for, and how to set up reliable transportation before your first session, not after a missed appointment.
Dialysis is a life-sustaining treatment. Missing even a single session can cause dangerous fluid buildup, dangerous potassium levels, and emergency hospitalizations. Transportation is not a convenience, it is a health and safety issue that needs to be solved before treatment begins.
DaVita Centers Serving Luzerne County and Northeastern Pennsylvania
DaVita operates multiple dialysis centers in the Wilkes-Barre and northeastern Pennsylvania region. Patients attending these centers three times per week, the standard schedule for in-center hemodialysis, need 156 one-way trips per year. That is a significant logistics challenge that requires a real plan, not a hope that someone will figure it out.
DaVita centers in the area include DaVita Wilkes-Barre Dialysis at 950 E Mountain Blvd, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711, as well as DaVita Old Forge Dialysis and DaVita Tunkhannock Dialysis serving patients across Luzerne and Wyoming Counties. Each center has a social worker on staff, a key resource for patients navigating transportation for the first time.
What DaVita Does Provide: The Role of the Social Worker
While DaVita does not operate transportation, every DaVita center assigns a licensed social worker to each patient. This is not a volunteer service, it is a federally required component of dialysis care under Medicare’s ESRD program. The social worker is one of the most valuable resources a dialysis patient has access to, and transportation is one of the primary issues they help patients navigate.
Your DaVita social worker can:
- Help you understand what your insurance covers for transportation and how to activate that benefit
- Connect you with county MATP programs if you are a Pennsylvania Medicaid recipient
- Provide referrals to local non-profit transportation assistance programs including the National Kidney Foundation and American Kidney Fund
- Help you apply for financial assistance if transportation costs are creating a hardship
- Document a transportation need in your care plan, which may support insurance appeals or program applications
The first conversation to have when you begin at a DaVita center is with your assigned social worker. Ask them directly: what transportation resources are available for patients at this center, and what does my insurance cover? They know the local landscape and the options that apply to your specific situation.
Does Your Insurance Cover Transportation to Dialysis? A Quick Reference
The answer depends almost entirely on your insurance type. Here is a breakdown of what each coverage type typically provides for dialysis transportation in Pennsylvania.
| Insurance Type | Covers Dialysis Transport? | How to Access | Cost to Patient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Medicare (Parts A & B) | No, not for routine trips | Does not apply | Full cost out of pocket |
| Medicare Advantage (Part C) | Often yes, varies by plan | Call number on insurance card | Varies, often $0 |
| Pennsylvania Medicaid (MATP) | Yes, mandatory benefit | Call 1-800-679-4135 (Luzerne/Wyoming) | $0 to patient |
| Dual-eligible (Medicare + Medicaid) | Yes, through Medicaid NEMT | Use Medicaid ID to schedule | $0 to patient |
| Private / commercial insurance | Check your plan, varies widely | Call member services | Varies |
| No insurance / self-pay | Not covered, private pay needed | Book private NEMT directly | Standard NEMT trip rate |
Original Medicare Does Not Cover Dialysis Transportation, Here Is Why
This surprises many patients and families. Medicare covers dialysis treatment itself under its End-Stage Renal Disease program, including in-center hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis supplies, and related medications. What Medicare Parts A and B do not cover is the trip to get there.
Original Medicare’s transportation benefit is limited to emergency ambulance transport when a patient’s medical condition requires it. A routine dialysis appointment does not qualify. Getting to dialysis three times a week for years does not become an emergency simply because missing it would be dangerous, Medicare’s definition of medical necessity for ambulance transport requires that the patient be bed-confined or unable to be transported by any other means without endangering their health.
For the majority of dialysis patients who can sit in a wheelchair or a vehicle seat, Original Medicare provides no transportation coverage at all. This is one of the most significant gaps in Medicare’s ESRD benefit, and it is why other resources exist.
Medicare Advantage Plans Often Include Dialysis Transportation, Check Yours
Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) are offered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare. Unlike Original Medicare, these plans can include supplemental benefits beyond standard coverage, and non-emergency medical transportation is one of the most common supplemental benefits included.
According to AARP data, 36 percent of standard Medicare Advantage plans and 88 percent of Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans include transportation benefits. Many of these plans specifically cover recurring medical appointments like dialysis, with coverage ranging from 24 to 60 one-way trips per year depending on the plan.
If you have Medicare Advantage, call the member services number on the back of your insurance card and ask these specific questions:
- Does my plan include non-emergency medical transportation to dialysis appointments?
- How many one-way trips per year does my plan cover?
- Is prior authorization required before scheduling rides?
- Which transportation providers are in-network for my plan in Luzerne County?
- Does the benefit cover wheelchair-accessible vehicles if I need one?
Do not assume the benefit does not exist without asking. Many patients who have Medicare Advantage coverage for dialysis transportation are not using it simply because they never asked.
Pennsylvania Medicaid: The Strongest Transportation Coverage Available
If you are enrolled in Pennsylvania Medicaid, including through the HealthChoices program, transportation to dialysis is a mandatory covered benefit under federal law. Under 42 CFR Section 431.53, state Medicaid programs are required to assure necessary transportation to covered services. Because dialysis is life-sustaining and medically necessary, every trip qualifies automatically.
In Pennsylvania, this benefit is delivered through the Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP). MATP determines the most appropriate and cost-effective transport option for each patient, which can range from a mileage reimbursement if you can arrange your own ride, to a public transit pass, to a door-to-door paratransit vehicle for patients who cannot use standard transportation.
How to Access MATP for Dialysis in Luzerne County
Luzerne and Wyoming County residents can contact MATP coordination at 1-800-679-4135. You will need your Medicaid ID number and your dialysis center’s address and schedule. Standing recurring schedules can typically be set up so you do not need to call before each session.
If you are a dual-eligible patient, receiving both Medicare and Medicaid, Medicaid serves as the primary payer for transportation. This means your dialysis rides are almost certainly covered at no cost to you. Dual-eligible Special Needs Plans often coordinate these benefits automatically, but confirming with your plan and your DaVita social worker ensures nothing falls through the gap.
Free Dialysis Transportation Assistance: National Kidney Foundation and American Kidney Fund
Two national non-profit organizations provide financial assistance and transportation resources specifically for kidney disease patients, including those on dialysis.
National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation offers the NKF Cares Patient Help Line at 1-855-653-2273. Patient advocates can help connect patients with transportation resources for DaVita, Fresenius, and other dialysis centers. The foundation also provides financial assistance grants that can be applied toward transportation costs for patients who do not qualify for Medicaid or whose insurance does not cover transportation.
American Kidney Fund
The American Kidney Fund provides financial aid and support services for low-income kidney patients, including assistance with transportation costs. They can be reached through their website at kidneyfund.org or by calling their help line. The fund specifically targets patients on fixed incomes who face hardship affording the ongoing cost of getting to treatment three times per week.
Both organizations are worth contacting early in the dialysis journey, before a transportation gap creates a missed appointment. Your DaVita social worker can make a referral to either organization on your behalf.
When Programs and Insurance Do Not Cover Your Situation
Many dialysis patients in Luzerne County fall into coverage gaps that leave them without a fully funded transportation solution. This is especially common for patients with:
- Original Medicare only, no Medicaid and no Medicare Advantage plan with NEMT benefits
- Commercial insurance that does not include a transportation benefit
- Medicare Advantage plans that cover transportation but with trip limits that do not cover the full dialysis schedule
- Medicaid coverage but MATP wait times, scheduling constraints, or vehicle availability issues that make reliable recurring scheduling difficult
For these patients, and for anyone who wants a transportation solution that does not depend on program eligibility, advance referrals, or variable availability, private NEMT provides the most reliable option.
Dialysis Transportation in Luzerne County: How Touch of Kindness Helps
Touch of Kindness Transportation provides non-emergency medical transportation in Luzerne County for dialysis patients attending DaVita Wilkes-Barre, Fresenius centers, and other dialysis facilities across northeastern Pennsylvania. For patients who need a transportation solution that is reliable, consistent, and not dependent on insurance pre-authorization or program enrollment, Touch of Kindness offers standing recurring schedules that cover the entire treatment cycle.
Standing dialysis transportation schedules work simply: you book once for your recurring schedule, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6 a.m., for example, and the same driver picks you up for every session without you needing to call before each appointment. For patients who are managing a serious health condition and already have enough to think about, removing the logistics of transportation from the weekly mental load matters.
Touch of Kindness vehicles are ADA-compliant with wheelchair lifts, four-point securement systems, and trained drivers who understand that dialysis patients arrive at treatment fatigued and leave even more so. Drivers do not rush. They provide door-to-door assistance and are available for early morning pickup times that many dialysis schedules require.
To set up a standing dialysis transportation schedule or ask about costs and availability, call Touch of Kindness Transportation at (570) 301-2532. If you are unsure whether your insurance covers the cost, their team can help you work through your coverage options before you commit to a schedule.
The Bottom Line: DaVita Does Not Provide Transportation, But Solutions Exist
The direct answer is no, DaVita does not provide transportation. That answer is disappointing but not a dead end. Between Medicare Advantage benefits, Pennsylvania’s MATP program for Medicaid recipients, national kidney patient assistance organizations, and private NEMT providers serving Luzerne County, dialysis patients have more options than most people realize before they start researching.
The key is to start that research before your first session, not after a missed appointment forces the issue. Talk to your DaVita social worker on the first day. Ask your insurance company directly about your transportation benefit. Contact MATP if you are a Medicaid recipient. And if none of those solutions fully cover your schedule, call Touch of Kindness Transportation at (570) 301-2532 to fill the gap.
Missing dialysis is not an option. Getting transportation sorted before treatment begins is.
