Terms & Conditions of Service

AZ Central provides non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) in central Arizona. We take riders to and from medical appointments, dialysis, therapy, hospital discharges, pharmacies, and other health related destinations. Depending on availability, we offer ambulatory rides for people who can walk with or without help and wheelchair accessible rides.

We are not an ambulance service. Our drivers are not paramedics or EMTs, and our vehicles are not equipped for emergencies. If you are having a medical emergency, call 911 right away.

You must be at least 18 years old to book a trip. A parent, legal guardian, caregiver, case manager, or healthcare facility may book on behalf of a rider. The person booking confirms that they have permission to do so and that the information they give us is accurate and complete.

Minors must ride with a parent, legal guardian, or authorized adult. Children must be secured in a child safety seat or booster seat as required by Arizona law, and the accompanying adult is responsible for providing it unless we agree otherwise in advance.

Please book at least 72 hours before your appointment. We will try to accept same day and last minute requests, but we cannot guarantee them. A trip is confirmed only after we confirm it with you by phone, text, or email.

When you book, please tell us:

• The rider's name, phone number, and pickup and drop off addresses
• The appointment time and expected length, if known
• The rider's mobility level and any equipment, such as a wheelchair, walker, cane, or portable oxygen
• Whether an escort, caregiver, or service animal will ride along
• Anything else that helps us assign the right vehicle and driver, such as stairs at the pickup location

If the information you give us is inaccurate or incomplete and we cannot safely complete the trip as a result, we may cancel the trip and charges may apply.

Please be ready at least 15 minutes before your scheduled pickup time. Our pickup window is 15 minutes before to 15 minutes after the scheduled time. Our driver will wait up to 10 minutes after arriving. After that, the trip may be marked as a no show.

For return trips, we will pick you up at the scheduled time or when you or your provider calls us, depending on how the trip was booked. Return pickups on "will call" trips are scheduled as quickly as possible, but wait times can vary.

We work hard to be on time. However, we are not responsible for delays caused by traffic, weather, road closures, vehicle breakdowns, earlier trips running long, or other events outside our reasonable control, and we are not responsible for missed or rescheduled appointments that result from such delays.

Unless another level of service is arranged in advance, our service is door to door. That means the driver will help the rider from the door of the pickup location to the vehicle and from the vehicle to the door of the destination. Drivers do not go inside private residences to lift or carry riders, and they do not provide personal care.

Drivers are not medical staff. They cannot give medication, perform medical procedures, or make medical decisions for a rider. Riders who need medical monitoring during travel should ride with a qualified caregiver or use a different type of transport.

Riders who use a wheelchair must have a wheelchair in safe working order. Our wheelchair vehicles have a combined weight limit for the rider and chair of 40 lbs. Please tell us in advance if the rider may be near this limit.

One escort or caregiver may ride with the rider at no extra charge when space allows. Additional passengers must be approved when booking and may be charged. Escorts must follow these terms as well.

Service animals trained to assist a rider with a disability are always welcome. The rider or escort must keep the animal under control during the trip. Pets that are not service animals are not allowed unless we agree otherwise in advance and they travel in a secure carrier.

We will give you a quote when you book. Rates may depend on distance, level of service, wait time, time of day, and extra stops. Prices may change, but the rate confirmed at booking applies to that trip unless the trip itself changes.

Private pay

Payment is due at the time the trip is booked or scheduled. We accept credit and debit cards. Additional wait time beyond the included amount is billed at $25 per 15 minutes.

AHCCCS, insurance, and facility billing

If your trip is covered by AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid), a health plan, or a facility account, the trip must meet that payer's rules, including prior authorization when required. If a payer denies coverage because the trip does not qualify or the information given was incorrect, the rider or responsible party may be billed at our private pay rate. We will make reasonable efforts to let you know before that happens.

Please cancel as early as you can so we can serve another rider. Trips canceled at least 24 hours in advance are free. Private pay trips canceled with less notice, or no shows, may be charged a fee of 50%.

A no show happens when the rider is not ready or not present within the wait period, or refuses the ride after the driver arrives. Repeated no shows or late cancellations may lead us to require prepayment or to limit future bookings.

We may cancel or reschedule a trip because of unsafe weather, road conditions, vehicle problems, or safety concerns. If we cancel, you will not be charged for that trip, and any prepayment will be refunded.

Everyone in our vehicles must:

• Wear a seatbelt, and remain secured in a wheelchair with the provided restraints, for the entire trip
• Follow the driver's safety instructions
• Treat drivers and other passengers with respect

The following are not allowed in our vehicles: smoking or vaping, alcohol, illegal drugs, weapons except as permitted by law, abusive or threatening language or behavior, and anything that distracts the driver or puts others at risk. We may end a trip at a safe location and refuse future service to anyone who does not follow these rules. Riders are responsible for any damage they cause to our vehicles beyond normal wear.

We may decline, stop, or cancel a trip if we reasonably believe the rider's condition requires emergency or medical care during transport, the rider's needs exceed the vehicle or level of service booked, the trip cannot be completed safely, or a rider or escort has broken these terms.

Riders are responsible for their own belongings, medications, and medical equipment. Please check the vehicle before you leave it. We will hold found items for 30 days and make reasonable efforts to contact the owner, but we are not responsible for items that are lost, stolen, or damaged.

We carry the insurance required for commercial passenger transportation in Arizona and use reasonable care to provide safe service. To the fullest extent allowed by law, AZ Central and its owners, employees, and drivers are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, including missed appointments, lost wages, or the cost of rescheduling care, that arise from our services. Our total liability for any claim related to a trip is limited to the amount paid for that trip, except where the law does not allow such a limit.

Nothing in these terms limits liability for injury caused by our negligence where the law does not permit that limit.

You agree to defend and hold harmless AZ Central and its owners, employees, and drivers from claims, losses, and costs, including reasonable attorney fees, that result from your breach of these terms, your conduct during a trip, or information you gave us that was false or incomplete.

By giving us your phone number, you agree that we may call or text you about your trips, such as confirmations, reminders, driver arrival notices, and schedule changes. Message frequency varies with your bookings. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to stop receiving text messages at any time, or reply HELP for help. Agreeing to receive texts is not a condition of receiving service. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Arizona. If a disagreement arises, please contact us first so we can try to resolve it informally. Any legal action related to these terms or our services must be brought in the state or federal courts located in Maricopa County, Arizona.

We may update these terms from time to time. The updated version will be posted on this page with a new effective date. Booking or riding after an update means you accept the updated terms. If any part of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the rest remains in effect.

Questions about these terms or your trip? Reach us here:

• Phone: 480-499-0960
• Email: rides@azcentralpts.com
• Address: 1757 E Baseline Rd, Ste 139 Bldg 10, Gilbert, AZ 85233
• Hours: Monday-Saturday 6am-7pm