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How to start a NEMT business in Alaska: travel authorizations, vouchers, and enrollment

Updated

Alaska has no NEMT broker. The member's healthcare provider requests travel, HMS (the Medicaid fiscal agent) or a Tribal travel office authorizes it, and the traveler gets a paper Travel Voucher for each approved taxi or wheelchair van ride. Air and ferry tickets are booked through the Medicaid Travel Office, CTM. Enrolled taxi, wheelchair van, lodging, and meal providers bill Alaska Medicaid directly for the approved units.

Alaska NEMT at a glance

Runs the program
Alaska Department of Health (DOH), Division of Health Care Services
Program
Alaska Medicaid Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) Program
How rides are arranged
No broker: providers bill Medicaid directly. HMS, the Medicaid fiscal agent, authorizes travel statewide, and Tribal travel offices authorize and book trips for their own patients. Enrolled providers bill Alaska Medicaid for the units on each voucher.
Brokers you will contract with
None. HMS and Tribal travel management offices authorize trips. CTM books air and ferry.
State operating license
No statewide NEMT license. Taxi and wheelchair van providers enroll with a state business license, plus a vehicle-for-hire permit in Anchorage.
EVV for NEMT trips
Not required
Medicaid enrollment
207,612 (May 2026, Medicaid and CHIP (Denali KidCare))
On this page

How Medicaid NEMT works in Alaska

The Department of Health covers transportation and accommodation under 7 AAC 120.400 to 120.490. It pays for the least expensive mode to the closest appropriate provider when the member has no other way to get there, and every nonemergency trip needs prior authorization. The member's enrolled healthcare provider requests it. Requests from members are not accepted.

HMS reviews standard requests sent by fax at least 10 business days ahead, and up to a year in advance. Travel needed within three calendar days goes to the NEMT call center with an urgent travel attestation. Alaska Native and American Indian members may be approved to travel to the nearest tribal health facility, and the Tribal travel offices at ANTHC, Tanana Chiefs Conference, and Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation authorize and book travel for their affiliated patients.

Local travel covers shuttle, taxi, bus, and wheelchair van. Out-of-area travel adds ferries, flights, lodging, meals, and prematernal homes. Once a trip is approved, the healthcare provider fills out a Travel Voucher (AK-04) for each ground ride, and the member books air and ferry tickets through CTM at 800-514-7123.

Governing rule:7 AAC 120.400 to 120.490: Transportation and accommodation services

Who brokers Medicaid rides in Alaska

No broker stands between you and Alaska Medicaid. Healthcare providers and Tribal travel offices decide who carries an approved rider, and you bill the state for the units on the voucher.

BrokerServesProvider sign-up
HMS, Alaska Medicaid fiscal agent (no broker)Travel authorizations for Alaska Medicaid and Denali KidCare members whose travel is not handled by a Tribal travel office. Standard requests by fax at least 10 business days ahead; urgent requests by phone.Provider pageTravel authorizations 800-770-5650 (option 1, 5). Provider enrollment option 1, 2
Tribal travel management offices (ANTHC, Tanana Chiefs Conference, Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation)Authorize, book, and manage Medicaid travel for their affiliated patients.ANTHC 907-729-7720 (option 1); TCC 907-451-6682 (ext. 3711); YKHC 907-543-6625
CTM, Alaska Medicaid Travel OfficeBooks commercial air and ferry travel that HMS authorizes. Members book their tickets through CTM online or by phone.800-514-7123

The rules let the department contract regional transportation providers or a travel manager (7 AAC 120.445). Ground rides today go to enrolled providers through vouchers.

Alaska Medicaid posts a list of enrolled transportation providers by community, updated May 6, 2026, for healthcare providers arranging travel. It points transportation companies that want to enroll to Provider Enrollment at 800-770-5650 (option 1, 2).

How to become a NEMT provider in Alaska

Enrollment with Alaska Medicaid is the only credential step. Trips then come from healthcare providers and Tribal travel offices that issue vouchers.

  1. Get your business license and local permits

    Alaska Medicaid asks taxi and wheelchair van applicants for a state business license, and Anchorage providers also submit a vehicle-for-hire permit. 7 AAC 120.400 requires every certificate and license the law requires for the service.

  2. Enroll as provider type 083 or 086

    Apply through the Alaska Medicaid Provider Enrollment Portal as type 083 (taxi) or 086 (wheelchair van services), as a group or sole proprietor, and sign the tax certification and provider enrollment agreement. Taxi and wheelchair van providers pay the application fee, $750 in 2026, unless they already paid it to Medicare or another state. New document submission rules took effect August 1, 2026.

    Alaska Medicaid: Provider enrollment and resources

  3. Get on the provider list

    Healthcare providers arranging travel use Alaska Medicaid's posted list of enrolled transportation providers, sorted by community. Tribal travel offices book ground trips for their own patients, so contact the office that serves your area.

    Alaska Medicaid: Enrolled transportation providers (May 6, 2026)

  4. Run the ride on an original voucher

    Only an original Travel Voucher (AK-04) is valid for payment. Copied, scanned, faxed, or emailed vouchers are not accepted. Each taxi voucher covers one unit, so a hotel to clinic to hotel trip takes two.

    Alaska Medicaid: Arranging Patient Travel manual

  5. Bill the approved units within 12 months

    Bill the units on the voucher with its service authorization number within 12 months of the date of service. Taxi claims over $89 need a copy of the voucher and the taxi charge slip. Medicaid fares cannot exceed what other passengers pay.

    Alaska Medicaid: SFY27 transportation and accommodation fee schedule

Vehicle and driver requirements in Alaska

Alaska's Medicaid rules require enrollment and the licenses the law already requires, with no NEMT-specific vehicle or driver standard. There is no broker contract, so this table stays short.

Vehicles

RequirementState ruleBroker contract
LicensingAll certificates and licenses required by law (7 AAC 120.400). A state business license at enrollment, and an Anchorage vehicle-for-hire permit for Anchorage providers.No broker.
Covered modesLocal: shuttle, taxi, bus, wheelchair van. Out of area: ferry, commercial flights, lodging, meals, prematernal homes. Charter flights only when the department decides waiting for a commercial flight would harm the member (7 AAC 120.410).No broker.
Trip paperworkOne original AK-04 voucher per taxi or wheelchair van ride, filled in by the arranging healthcare provider with the service authorization number and travel dates. Copies are not valid for payment.No broker.

Drivers

RequirementState ruleBroker contract
Driver standardsNo NEMT driver standard in 7 AAC 120.400 to 120.490. Local vehicle-for-hire rules apply where they exist.No broker.
EscortsEscort travel is covered for members 17 and younger, and for adults when medically necessary. No escort travel when the member rides by ambulance (7 AAC 120.430).No broker.

Insurance minimums in Alaska

Alaska Medicaid sets no NEMT insurance minimum. The state auto liability floor applies to every vehicle.

CoverageMinimumSet by
NEMT-specific minimumNone in 7 AAC 1207 AAC 120.400
Auto liability, any vehicle$50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident, $25,000 property damageAS 28.22.101

Does Alaska require EVV for NEMT?

No. The federal EVV requirement covers Medicaid personal care and home health visits. Alaska ties NEMT payment to a prior authorization and a Travel Voucher instead.

Alaska's controls are the service authorization, the controlled AK-04 voucher, and the claim. Each voucher carries its own number and the service authorization number, providers log every voucher they issue, and taxi claims over $89 need the voucher and charge slip attached.

CMS: Electronic visit verification

What changed in Alaska in 2025 and 2026

Alaska Medicaid and Denali KidCare covered 207,612 people in May 2026 (CMS preliminary count).

Distance shapes the program. Out-of-area travel covers flights, ferries, lodging, and meals, and Alaska Native and American Indian members can travel to the nearest tribal health facility. Ground providers carry the local rides and the airport, hotel, and clinic legs of approved out-of-area trips.

The SFY27 fee schedule (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) pays taxis their billed charges, capped at what other passengers pay. A wheelchair van trip (A0130) pays up to $35.00, and a rural pickup pays $35.00 plus 69 cents a mile. Lodging pays up to $110 a night, and meals pay actual food costs up to $36.

Recent changes are process changes. Travel request packets started September 1, 2024. A quick reference guide with the urgent travel process came out in April 2025, and REAL ID became necessary for air travel on May 7, 2025. New enrollment document rules took effect August 1, 2026.

  1. Medicaid Travel Request Packets become the standard way to request travel.

    Notice

  2. Alaska Medicaid issues the Requesting NEMT Travel quick reference guide, including the urgent travel process.

    Notice

  3. The REAL ID requirement takes effect for Medicaid air travelers.

    Notice

  4. Alaska Medicaid updates its list of enrolled transportation providers.

    Notice

  5. SFY27 transportation and accommodation fee schedule takes effect.

    Notice

  6. New provider enrollment document submission rules take effect.

    Notice

Frequently asked questions

Is there a NEMT broker in Alaska?
No. HMS, the Alaska Medicaid fiscal agent, authorizes travel, and Tribal travel management offices at ANTHC, Tanana Chiefs Conference, and Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation authorize and book travel for their own patients. CTM books air and ferry tickets. Enrolled ground providers bill Alaska Medicaid directly.
Who requests Medicaid travel in Alaska?
The member's enrolled healthcare provider. Requests from members or unenrolled providers are denied. Standard requests go to HMS by fax at least 10 business days before travel, and urgent requests for travel within three calendar days go to the NEMT call center with an urgent travel attestation.
How do I become a Medicaid transportation provider in Alaska?
Enroll through the Alaska Medicaid Provider Enrollment Portal as provider type 083 (taxi) or 086 (wheelchair van services). Submit the tax certification and provider enrollment agreement, a state business license, and an Anchorage vehicle-for-hire permit if you operate there. The 2026 application fee is $750 unless you already paid it to Medicare or another state.
What does Alaska Medicaid pay for taxi and wheelchair van rides?
Under the SFY27 fee schedule, taxis are paid billed charges, which cannot exceed what other passengers pay. A wheelchair van trip (A0130) pays up to $35.00, and a rural pickup pays $35.00 plus 69 cents a mile. Taxi claims over $89 need the voucher and charge slip attached.
Does Alaska Medicaid pay for flights and ferries?
Yes, for authorized out-of-area travel. Members book commercial air and ferry tickets through CTM, the Medicaid Travel Office. Charter flights are paid only when the department decides that waiting for a commercial flight would harm the member. The department does not pay to rebook a flight the traveler misses for reasons in their control, such as arriving late or lacking a valid ID.
How long do I have to bill Alaska Medicaid for transportation?
Claims must be filed within 12 months of the date of service. Bill only the units on the original Travel Voucher, with its service authorization number.
What insurance does an Alaska NEMT provider need?
Alaska Medicaid sets no NEMT-specific minimum. State law requires auto liability of at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident, and $25,000 property damage (AS 28.22.101). Check your city's vehicle-for-hire rules as well.
Does Alaska require EVV for NEMT?
No. EVV covers Medicaid personal care and home health visits. NEMT runs on prior authorizations and controlled Travel Vouchers.

Running NEMT in Alaska with HealthRide

Alaska ground work is voucher by voucher: one authorized ride, one voucher, one claim. HealthRide schedules each leg of an out-of-area trip, airport to hotel to clinic and back, as its own leg on the dispatch board, and the driver app records pickup and drop-off times and GPS-recorded miles on every one.

Voucher rides, facility work, and private pay land in one billing ledger, and the trip log exports as CSV or PDF.

See pricing

Official resources

HealthRide plans the whole day in one click and bills every ride.

$59 per vehicle per month. No contracts.

NEMT in other states

Comparing brokers across states?See who arranges Medicaid rides in every state