{"id":"columbus-cota-discount-fares","name":"COTA Discount Fares","provider":"Central Ohio Transit Authority","entitlement_type":"government-benefit","entitlement_type_label":"Government benefit","entitlement_type_context":{"definition":"A government-funded or administered benefit, service, coverage program, assistance program, or public access route.","domain":"public-benefits","archetype":"direct-program","agent_instruction":"Identify the administering jurisdiction and disclose income, household, age, disability, immigration, residence, renewal, fee, and capacity rules that apply."},"summary":"Older adults, veterans, Medicare and disability-eligible riders, and people receiving qualifying assistance can receive discounted COTA fares.","benefit":{"description":"A 50% fixed-route fare discount and reduced daily or monthly fare caps; approved ADA paratransit cardholders can ride fixed route at no fare.","estimated_value_usd":null},"discovery":{"focus":"public-service","has_estimated_dollar_value":false},"access":{"relationships":["Approved COTA discount-fare rider"],"requirements":"Meet a listed age, veteran, disability, Medicare, Social Security Disability, or public-assistance category and complete COTA's in-person verification with current proof.","activation":"Apply in person with the required identification and eligibility document, then use the approved account, app, or card.","cost_basis":"varies","cost_basis_label":"Variable by provider or eligibility","cost_basis_context":{"classification":"variable","definition":"The user's out-of-pocket cost cannot be represented by one fixed amount because it depends on provider policy, income, household, geography, selected service, coverage group, subsidy amount, or the underlying program. It may be free, reduced, sliding-scale, or partly paid.","agent_instruction":"Read and disclose the record's fees and requirements; use the most precise bounded price or variation reason available instead of repeating only that cost varies.","variation_patterns":["bounded price range","provider-set price","income-based sliding scale","coverage or service-dependent cost sharing","partial subsidy","directory of programs with different terms"],"does_not_mean":["universally free","cost information was necessarily omitted"]},"fees":"Approved riders pay discounted fares up to published caps; some fixed-route riders with an eligible ADA card ride free.","personalized":false,"regions":["US","Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio"],"expires":null},"status":"verified","last_checked":"2026-08-04","claim_url":"https://cota.com/riding-cota/discount-fares/","source_url":"https://cota.com/riding-cota/discount-fares/","source":{"primary_url":"https://cota.com/riding-cota/discount-fares/","evidence":[{"source":"Central Ohio Transit Authority","url":"https://cota.com/riding-cota/discount-fares/","kind":"provider","checked_at":"2026-08-04"}]},"parent":null,"coverage":{"level":"local","family":"reduced-fare-transit","jurisdiction":"Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio","maturity":"direct"},"web_url":"/benefits/columbus-cota-discount-fares","taxonomy":{"version":"1.0","url":"/api/v1/taxonomy"}}