Why this is a real problem and not a marketing angle
Two things are true at once, and together they strand people.
One: the escort requirement is federal law, not a facility preference. 42 CFR §416.52 requires ambulatory surgery centers to “ensure all patients are discharged in the company of a responsible adult, except those patients exempted by the attending physician.”
Two: San Diego facilities say, in their own published words, that a rideshare will not do.
And the consequence is published too. Unio Specialty Care’s colonoscopy instructions: “If you arrive without an escort, your procedure will need to be rescheduled” (source). Euclid Endoscopy Center: “Your procedure will be cancelled if you do not have proper transportation home… We do not provide transportation of any kind” (source).
A colonoscopy you prepped two days for, cancelled at the desk, because nobody could take a Tuesday morning off to drive.
What we actually sell
Two scheduled legs and a car with room for the person taking care of you.
| Where the facility is | Round trip BMW i7 · 2 seats | Rivian R1S up to 4 | Escalade IQ-L up to 5 | One way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 — Hillcrest, Bankers Hill, Kearny Mesa, Serra Mesa, Mission Valley, Downtown, Point Loma, National City | $120 | $160 | $200 | $65 |
| Zone 2 — La Jolla, UTC, Torrey Pines, Sorrento Valley, Carmel Valley, La Mesa, El Cajon, Chula Vista, Coronado, Del Mar | $150 | $190 | $230 | $80 |
| Zone 3 — Encinitas, Rancho Bernardo, Poway, Rancho Santa Fe | $175 | $215 | $255 | $95 |
| Zone 4 — Escondido, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos | $250 | $290 | $330 | $115 |
The rate is per vehicle, not per person — your escort rides at no additional charge. The round trip is two scheduled legs: we take you in, and we come back for you when the unit calls. There is no hourly meter and no waiting charge.
The rate includes gratuity, tolls and waiting time. There is no tip line, no surge, no early-morning surcharge, no extra-passenger fee and no percentage service charge. The figure you are quoted before the procedure is the figure you pay after it.
The second leg is the one that matters. We drop you, we leave, and we come back when the unit calls — which means your escort is not sitting in a waiting room for three hours feeding a parking meter. La Jolla Endoscopy Center tells patients to expect “a stay of two to three hours total” (source). That is the block of time we hand back.
Where we run
Every outpatient facility in San Diego County. The zone is set by where the facility is:
Zone 1 — Scripps Mercy Surgery Pavilion and San Diego Endoscopy Center (Hillcrest) · Sharp San Diego Surgery Center and San Diego Outpatient Surgical Center (Kearny Mesa) · Kevin H. Cook Infusion Center (Serra Mesa) · Euclid Endoscopy Center (Encanto).
Zone 2 — Scripps ASC XiMED and La Jolla Endoscopy Center (9850 Genesee, La Jolla) · UC San Diego Health La Jolla and Moores Cancer Center · Surgical Center of San Diego (Sorrento Valley) · Scripps Clinic Carmel Valley ASC · Sharp Grossmont Surgery Center (La Mesa) · Sharp Chula Vista.
Zone 3 — UC San Diego Center for Surgery of Encinitas · Unio Specialty Care (Encinitas and Rancho Bernardo) · Scripps Clinic Rancho Bernardo ASC · Poway Surgery Center.
Zone 4 — Palomar Surgical Center Escondido · North Coast Surgery Center (Oceanside).
Facility names are listed to show coverage and zone. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a partner of any of them.
The honest concession
If you have a friend or family member who can drive you both ways and does not mind the waiting room, use them. That is free and we are not. We are for the case where the person who has to be your escort cannot also be your driver — because they do not drive, because the facility opens at 5 a.m., because parking at a medical campus in La Jolla is its own ordeal, or because they would rather spend the three hours working than circling a garage.
What we are, and what we are not — read this before you book
We are a licensed passenger carrier, not a medical transport service. Elite Green Transportation holds California CPUC charter-party carrier permit TCP #0046494-A. We carry ambulatory passengers — people who can walk to the car and sit in an ordinary seat.
We cannot be your “responsible adult.” Federal law governing ambulatory surgery centers (42 CFR §416.52) requires the facility to “ensure all patients are discharged in the company of a responsible adult, except those patients exempted by the attending physician.” A paid driver does not satisfy that requirement, and we will never tell you otherwise. Euclid Endoscopy Center in San Diego states the rule about as plainly as it can be stated: a patient must be accompanied by a responsible adult “(not the taxi driver)” (source).
So here is the actual product: we drive you and the person taking care of you. Your escort still has to be there — but they no longer have to drive at 5 a.m., find parking at a medical campus, sit in a waiting room for three hours, and then drive home while keeping an eye on someone who is still coming out of sedation. That is the job we take off them.
What we do not do: we do not provide gurney or stretcher transport, we do not transport passengers who cannot transfer out of a wheelchair unaided, and we provide no medical care, monitoring or assistance of any kind en route. Those are separate, separately-licensed services — in California, ambulance, litter van and wheelchair van are the regulated categories (22 CCR §51323). If that is what you need, we will tell you so and we will not take the booking.
We do not bill insurance. This is a private-pay service. See the cost page for what is and is not covered.
Frequently asked
Can my driver be my responsible adult after sedation?
No. Federal law (42 CFR 416.52) requires an ambulatory surgery center to discharge you in the company of a responsible adult, and a paid driver does not satisfy that. Euclid Endoscopy Center in San Diego states it directly: a responsible adult, "not the taxi driver." We drive you and your escort. We never claim to be the escort.
Do you charge extra for my escort to ride along?
No. The rate is per vehicle, not per person. Your escort rides at no additional charge, both ways.
Do you charge for waiting during the procedure?
No. The round trip is two scheduled legs. We drop you off, we leave, and we come back when the unit calls. There is no hourly meter and no wait charge.
Will my insurance pay for this?
Almost certainly not, if you have commercial insurance or Original Medicare. Medicare Part B covers ambulance only, and only when another vehicle would endanger your health. Medi-Cal's NEMT and NMT benefits are for Medi-Cal members and require a provider prescription. UC San Diego Health puts it plainly on its own transportation page: "not all forms of medical transport are covered by health plans." Assume this is out of pocket.
What if I use a wheelchair or need a gurney?
Then we are the wrong service and we will tell you so rather than take the booking. Wheelchair van, litter van and ambulance are separately regulated categories in California. We carry ambulatory passengers who can walk to the car and sit in an ordinary seat.
How early can you pick up?
As early as you need. Scripps Ambulatory Surgery Center at the XiMED building in La Jolla publishes a 5:00 am open, and Scripps Rancho Bernardo and Carmel Valley open at 6:00 am, so pre-dawn pickups are routine for us.
Do you serve every hospital and surgery center in San Diego?
Yes, county-wide, priced by the zone the facility sits in. That includes the Scripps, Sharp, UC San Diego and Palomar campuses as well as independent surgery and endoscopy centers.
Can I book a recurring ride?
Yes, and it is the most common version of this. Infusion and dialysis run on a fixed schedule and we hold the same slot and the same driver.
Book the ride — tell us the facility and the time
We call you back to confirm. Prefer to skip the form? Call (858) 522-0264 or text us — an owner answers.