How Standing Orders Work for NEMT in Chicago
A standing order means you call once to set up your entire recurring transportation schedule — dialysis three times a week, physical therapy twice a week — and Dream Care Rides automatically dispatches your driver without rebooking. No weekly phone calls, no repeated scheduling, no risk of forgetting to book a ride and missing a life-sustaining treatment session.
This guide explains what a standing order is, who benefits most, the one-call setup process, how to cancel or reschedule individual rides without disrupting your schedule, standing order pricing, and the advantage of having the same assigned driver for every recurring trip.
What Is a Standing Order?
A standing order is a pre-arranged recurring transportation schedule between you and your NEMT provider. Instead of calling to book each individual ride, you provide your full weekly schedule once, and the provider automatically dispatches a vehicle and driver for every scheduled trip going forward.
Think of it like a recurring prescription: your doctor writes one prescription for a medication you take daily, and the pharmacy fills it automatically each month. A standing order works the same way for transportation. Your schedule is set once, and rides happen automatically until you change or cancel the order.
Standing Order Example
Patient: Mrs. Johnson, 72, wheelchair user in Harvey, IL
Treatment: Hemodialysis at DaVita Dialysis Center, South Holland
Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday — Pickup at 6:30 AM, Return pickup at 11:00 AM
Vehicle: Wheelchair-accessible van
Standing Order: Set up once in January. Mrs. Johnson has not needed to call to book a ride since. Her driver, Marcus, arrives every M/W/F at 6:30 AM and picks her up at 11:00 AM after her session.
Who Benefits Most from Standing Orders?
Standing orders are most valuable for patients with predictable, recurring medical appointments. The higher the frequency of your appointments, the greater the benefit of having them automated.
Dialysis Patients
Dialysis patients are the single largest user group for standing orders. Hemodialysis requires three sessions per week, every week, for the foreseeable future. That is six one-way trips per week, 24+ per month, and over 300 per year. Without a standing order, a dialysis patient or their caregiver would need to book each of these rides individually. Standing orders eliminate that burden entirely. Learn more about dialysis transportation in Chicago.
Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Patients
Post-surgery and post-stroke patients often attend physical therapy two to three times per week for 8 to 12 weeks. Standing orders ensure consistent, timely transportation throughout the rehabilitation period without requiring weekly scheduling. This is especially important for patients recovering from joint replacements, spinal surgeries, and neurological events.
Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy Patients
Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy cycles (often every 2 to 3 weeks) or daily radiation therapy (5 days per week for several weeks) benefit from standing orders that match their treatment schedule. Because cancer treatment can cause fatigue and cognitive effects, removing the need to remember and schedule transportation reduces one source of stress during an already difficult time.
Wheelchair Users with Regular Appointments
Patients who use wheelchairs and have recurring specialist visits, therapy sessions, or wound care appointments benefit from standing orders because wheelchair-accessible vehicles must be specifically reserved. A standing order guarantees vehicle availability for every scheduled trip. See wheelchair transportation options in Chicago.
The One-Call Setup Process
Setting up a standing order with Dream Care Rides takes a single phone call. Here is what happens:
Call Dream Care Rides
Call (708) 505-6994 and tell our team you need a standing order for recurring transportation. We will ask for your name, pickup address, destination address, and mobility needs (ambulatory, wheelchair, or stretcher).
Provide Your Schedule
Tell us which days you need rides, what time you need to be picked up, what time your appointment ends (for the return trip), and whether you need a wait-and-return or scheduled return. For dialysis, we typically set the return pickup based on your expected session end time.
Receive Your Price
We provide an upfront price per trip based on your route and vehicle type. This rate applies to every ride in your standing order — no fluctuation, no surge pricing. You know exactly what each trip costs before confirming.
Confirm and Start
Once you confirm, your standing order is active immediately. Your first ride can be as soon as the next scheduled day. You receive a confirmation with your schedule details, and your rides begin automatically.
Canceling or Rescheduling Individual Rides
Having a standing order does not mean your schedule is locked in stone. Life happens — you may feel unwell one morning, have a doctor reschedule your appointment, or need to attend a family event. Here is how adjustments work:
Cancel a Single Ride
Call (708) 505-6994 at least 4 hours before your pickup time. The individual ride is cancelled, and your remaining schedule continues unchanged. No penalty. No rebooking required for future rides.
Reschedule a Single Ride
Need to shift one ride to a different time or day? Call us and we will adjust that single trip. Your standing order schedule for all other days remains unchanged. Rescheduled rides are confirmed immediately.
Change Your Entire Schedule
If your treatment schedule changes permanently (e.g., dialysis moves from M/W/F to T/Th/Sa), call to update your standing order. The new schedule takes effect immediately and replaces the old one.
Pause or End Your Standing Order
If you need to pause rides temporarily (hospital stay, vacation) or end them permanently (treatment completed, moving), call to suspend or cancel the standing order. You can reactivate it at any time with another phone call.
Standing Order Pricing
Standing order pricing follows the same transparent rate structure as individual private pay rides. Your rate is based on vehicle type and route distance:
| Service Level | Base Rate | Per Mile |
|---|---|---|
| Ambulatory (sedan) | $35–$65 | $2–$4/mi |
| Wheelchair-accessible | $65–$115 | $3–$6/mi |
| Stretcher/gurney | $300–$525 | $5–$16/mi |
The key advantage of standing order pricing is consistency. Because your route is the same every trip, your cost per ride is the same every trip. There are no surge prices, no variable rates, and no surprises on your bill. You know exactly what your monthly transportation budget will be.
For a personalized standing order quote, call (708) 505-6994 or use the NEMT cost calculator to estimate per-trip costs. For full rate details, visit our rates page.
Same Driver When Possible: Why Consistency Matters
One of the most common complaints about broker-dispatched NEMT is rotating drivers. Each trip brings a different person who does not know the patient, their home layout, their mobility needs, or their preferences. For patients who ride three to five times per week, this inconsistency creates stress and discomfort.
Dream Care Rides assigns the same driver to standing order patients whenever possible. Here is why that matters:
- Familiarity with the patient: Your regular driver learns your mobility needs, your home entry points, whether you need extra time getting ready, and your preferred route. This reduces stress and makes every ride smoother.
- Trust and comfort: Patients, especially elderly and wheelchair-dependent individuals, feel more comfortable with a driver they know and trust. This is particularly important for patients who experience anxiety about leaving their home.
- Reliability: A driver who knows your schedule and your route is less likely to be late or take a wrong turn. They know traffic patterns for your specific trip and plan accordingly.
- Safety observations: A consistent driver may notice changes in the patient's condition or behavior that rotating drivers would miss. They can alert family members or the provider if something seems off.
While driver availability may occasionally require a substitute (scheduled time off, vehicle maintenance), our goal is to keep the same driver on your standing order for as long as the order is active.
Set Up Your Standing Order Today
One call. One schedule. Automatic rides every week. Dream Care Rides provides standing order NEMT for dialysis, physical therapy, chemotherapy, and more across the Chicago area.
Frequently Asked Questions About Standing Orders
What is a standing order for NEMT?
A standing order is a pre-arranged, recurring transportation schedule. Instead of booking each ride individually, you set up the entire schedule once — for example, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:30 AM for dialysis — and your NEMT provider automatically dispatches a driver for every scheduled ride without requiring you to call again. Standing orders are used for any recurring medical appointment including dialysis, physical therapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, wound care, and mental health sessions.
Who benefits most from standing orders?
Dialysis patients benefit most because they typically require three round trips per week for the duration of their treatment, which can be indefinite. Physical therapy patients who attend sessions two to three times per week also benefit significantly. Other common standing order users include chemotherapy patients on multi-week treatment cycles, radiation therapy patients receiving daily treatment for several weeks, patients attending regular wound care appointments, and individuals with recurring mental health or substance abuse treatment sessions.
Do I get the same driver with a standing order?
Dream Care Rides assigns the same driver to standing order patients whenever possible. Consistent driver assignment is one of the key advantages of private pay standing orders compared to broker-dispatched rides, which typically use rotating drivers from a large network. While driver availability may occasionally require a substitute (due to scheduled time off or vehicle maintenance), the goal is to provide the same familiar driver for every ride in your recurring schedule.
How do I cancel or reschedule a single ride in my standing order?
To cancel or reschedule a single ride within your standing order, call Dream Care Rides at (708) 505-6994 at least 4 hours before the scheduled pickup time. The individual ride will be adjusted without affecting the rest of your recurring schedule. Your regular rides continue as normal on all other scheduled days. If you need to permanently change your standing order schedule (such as switching from Monday/Wednesday/Friday to Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday), call to update the entire standing order.
Is there a discount for standing order patients?
Standing order pricing uses the same transparent rate structure as individual private pay rides — base rate plus per-mile charges based on vehicle type. However, standing order patients benefit from pricing consistency (the same rate applies to every ride in the schedule), no booking fees for individual rides, and the operational efficiency of a pre-planned route, which can result in more favorable scheduling. Contact Dream Care Rides at (708) 505-6994 for a standing order quote based on your specific route and schedule.
Can I set up a standing order through Medicaid?
Yes, Medicaid NEMT through brokers like MTM and Modivcare also supports standing orders for recurring appointments. Contact your MCO's transportation line to set up a recurring schedule. The main difference is that Medicaid standing orders are dispatched through the broker's network with rotating drivers, while private pay standing orders through Dream Care Rides offer direct provider communication and consistent driver assignments.
How quickly can a standing order be set up?
A private pay standing order with Dream Care Rides can be set up in a single phone call and begins as soon as your first scheduled ride date. There is no multi-day approval process or authorization requirement. Call (708) 505-6994, provide your schedule details, and your recurring rides are confirmed immediately. Medicaid standing orders through brokers may take longer to set up due to the authorization process, typically requiring 3 to 5 business days.
Related Reading
Stop Rebooking Every Week
If you are currently calling to book each ride individually, a standing order can save you hours of scheduling time every month. One call sets up your entire recurring schedule. Same driver. Same time. Automatic dispatch.
Call (708) 505-6994 or book online to set up your standing order.
Otse Amorighoye
Founder & CEO, Dream Care Rides · NPI #1033989991
Otse Amorighoye founded Dream Care Rides to eliminate the transportation barriers that prevent patients from accessing healthcare. With direct experience managing NEMT operations across Illinois and Indiana, Otse oversees fleet operations, Medicaid compliance, and patient care standards. All medical transportation content is reviewed for clinical accuracy and regulatory compliance.