Some people cannot sit upright for a ride but do not need medical care during transport. For them, a wheelchair van is unsuitable and an ambulance may be unnecessary or not covered. Non-emergency stretcher transportation, sometimes called gurney or bed-to-bed transport, fills that gap. It is a valuable service, but many families and even some facility staff do not know it exists or when it is appropriate.
That makes marketing partly an education job. This guide explains how to position the service, who to reach, how to price and present it and how to measure results.
Explain what stretcher transportation is, and is not
Clear explanations prevent misunderstandings and protect riders. State plainly:
| Option | Typically suitable for | Not suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Ambulatory ride | People who can walk with little help | People who cannot sit or stand safely |
| Wheelchair transport | People who can sit in a wheelchair | People who must lie flat |
| Non-emergency stretcher | People who must lie down but are medically stable | People needing medical monitoring or care during transport |
| Ambulance | People who need medical care or monitoring | Routine rides for stable riders |
Who needs stretcher transport
- Residents of skilled nursing facilities travelling to appointments or between facilities.
- Patients discharged from hospital who must lie flat.
- Hospice patients moving between home, facility and appointments.
- People recovering from surgery or with conditions that prevent sitting.
- Long-distance transfers for stable patients moving closer to family.
Who decides
Stretcher rides are often arranged by professionals: hospital case managers, skilled nursing staff, hospice coordinators, home health agencies and sometimes families. Each needs to know you offer the service, when you can confirm and how payment works.
Show competence and care
Stretcher transport involves moving people who may be frail, in pain or anxious. Your marketing should show:
- Vehicles and equipment: stretcher-equipped vans, the stretcher type, securement and comfort features.
- Crew: whether you use two-person crews, and their training in safe transfers, stair navigation and patient dignity.
- Process: how you move a rider from bed to stretcher, through the home or facility, and back.
- Communication: how you coordinate with facility staff and families before and after.
Real photos and short videos of the equipment and process, without identifiable riders, are powerful trust builders. See NEMT video marketing.
Build a dedicated stretcher transportation page
Include:
- Headline with service and area: "Non-Emergency Stretcher Transportation in [Area]".
- Who the service is for and when an ambulance is needed instead.
- Vehicle and equipment details, crew size and training.
- Common trips: facility transfers, discharges, hospice moves, appointments, long distance.
- How to book, notice required and hours.
- Pricing structure.
- FAQs and reviews with permission.
Link it from your home page and facility page. See NEMT website design.
Stretcher transportation pricing
Stretcher rides cost more than wheelchair rides because of equipment, crew and time. Explain what drives the price:
- Base rate including two-person crew where applicable.
- Mileage.
- Stairs or difficult access.
- Wait time at the destination.
- After-hours and weekend rates.
- Long-distance surcharges and return legs.
Publishing a pricing structure or examples helps facilities compare and approve faster. See NEMT rates page.
Search visibility for stretcher services
Searches like "stretcher transportation near me", "non-emergency stretcher transport" and "bed-to-bed transport" have strong intent. Add stretcher transport as a service in your NEMT Google Business Profile, optimise your stretcher page for the service and area and create content that explains when stretcher transport is appropriate. Families often search "how to transport a bedridden patient" or "transport for someone who can't sit up". Answering those questions helps both SEO and AI visibility; see NEMT SEO.
Outreach to facilities and agencies
Target the professionals most likely to need stretcher rides:
| Target | Message |
|---|---|
| Skilled nursing facilities | Reliable appointment and transfer rides for residents who must lie flat |
| Hospitals | Discharge capacity for stable patients who cannot use a wheelchair |
| Hospice agencies | Respectful, calm transfers between home and facility |
| Home health agencies | Appointment rides for homebound patients |
| Long-term acute care and rehab | Inter-facility transfers |
Bring materials that explain the service clearly and your booking process; see NEMT brochure and NEMT sales outreach.
Paid search for stretcher rides
A small, focused campaign for stretcher keywords in your service area can generate high-value calls. Add negatives for stretcher sales, rentals and emergency terms, and send clicks to your stretcher page. See NEMT Google Ads.
Payment and coverage questions
Callers frequently ask whether insurance covers stretcher transport. Coverage depends on the person's plan, programme and circumstances, and rules differ by state. Explain what payment options you accept, suggest callers check with their plan or programme, and never promise coverage. Clear answers prevent frustration and disputes.
Long-distance stretcher transport
Some families need to move a stable, bedbound relative across the state or country, for example to be near family or enter a facility. Long-distance stretcher trips need careful planning: crew rest, overnight stops, comfort and communication. If you offer this, market it on its own page. See long distance medical transportation.
Measure stretcher service results
Track stretcher requests, conversion to booked trips, trip revenue, declined requests and their reasons, and vehicle utilisation. Declined requests reveal whether you need more capacity, different hours or clearer qualification on the phone.
Operational readiness before marketing
Stretcher marketing creates demand that only a prepared team can serve. Before increasing promotion, check that you have enough trained two-person crews for peak days, that equipment is inspected and documented, that dispatch knows the questions to ask when qualifying a stretcher request, and that you have a clear process for situations where a rider turns out to need an ambulance. A single badly handled stretcher trip can cost a facility relationship that took months to build.
Grow your stretcher transportation service
Projectify Lab helps NEMT providers build service pages, local SEO and targeted campaigns for stretcher and specialised transport. See our NEMT marketing and software approach or book a demo call.
