How to start a NEMT business in Arkansas: NET regions, brokers, and DHS rules
Arkansas splits Medicaid transportation into seven regions, and the Department of Human Services pays one broker to run each region. Verida runs Regions A through D, Central Arkansas Development Council runs Region E, the Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas runs Region F, and Modivcare took over Region G (Pulaski, Faulkner, and Lonoke counties) on January 2, 2026. Providers subcontract with the broker for their region, and DHS writes strict camera, driver, and $1 million insurance rules into every broker contract.
Arkansas NEMT at a glance
- Runs the program
- Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Services (DMS)
- Program
- Non-Emergency Transportation (NET) Waiver Program
- How rides are arranged
- Regional brokers, one per area. DHS contracts one broker for each of seven NET regions and pays it a monthly rate per member. The broker schedules every ride and subcontracts with local providers.
- Brokers you will contract with
- Verida, Central Arkansas Development Council, Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas, Modivcare
- State operating license
- DHS issues no NEMT license. Broker contracts require vehicle registration, a business license for each region served, and Arkansas Department of Transportation intrastate compliance.
- EVV for NEMT trips
- Not required
- Medicaid enrollment
- 709,201 (May 2026)
On this page
How Medicaid NEMT works in Arkansas
DHS's Division of Medical Services runs NET as a waiver program. It awards one broker per region, pays that broker a fixed amount per member each month rather than per trip, and awards each region to the lowest responsive bidder. The broker takes reservations, confirms each member's eligibility in the Arkansas Medicaid portal during the call, assigns the trip, and pays its subcontractors. A broker can drive every trip itself or build a network of local providers.
NET covers members on traditional Medicaid and ARKids First-A going to Medicaid-covered services from enrolled providers, with no trip or mileage cap. ARHOME adults in a commercial plan get eight one-way legs per calendar year, with extensions when medically necessary, and medically frail adults have no limit. ARKids First-B, nursing home and ICF/IID residents, and qualified Medicare beneficiaries cannot use NET. Members call at least 72 hours ahead, not counting weekends and holidays, and brokers must run Saturday service for dialysis, chemotherapy, and radiation.
DHS rebid every region in 2025 under Invitation for Bid 710-25-049. Each award is a one-year term that DHS can renew each year, up to seven years in total. A DHS NET Monitoring Contractor inspects vehicles and reviews brokers, and the contract terms flow down to every subcontractor.
Governing rule:Arkansas DHS Invitation for Bid 710-25-049: Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Services
Who brokers Medicaid rides in Arkansas
Each region has exactly one broker, so the county you operate in decides who you contract with. Trips that cross regions need a doctor's referral and still belong to the broker for the member's home region.
| Broker | Serves | Provider sign-up |
|---|---|---|
| Verida (formerly Southeastrans) | Regions A, B, C, and D. The DHS NET map shows the counties in each region. Member lines: A 888-833-4136, B 888-833-4128, C 888-833-4130, D 888-822-6155. | Provider pageProvider service line 404-698-0643 |
| Central Arkansas Development Council (South Central Arkansas Transit) | Region E. Member line 800-385-9992. | Provider page |
| Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas | Region F. Member line 844-683-2300. | Provider page |
| Modivcare | Region G: Pulaski, Faulkner, and Lonoke counties (the Little Rock area). Member line 888-833-4135.Since January 2, 2026. | Provider page |
Region G changed brokers on January 2, 2026. Modivcare now schedules those rides, and members kept the same scheduling number. Providers in Pulaski, Faulkner, and Lonoke counties need a Modivcare contract for Region G trips.
Central Arkansas Development Council and the Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas also run public transit services (SCAT and SEAT) with their own vehicles. Ask them directly whether they are adding subcontractors.
DHS posts a NET ownership and control disclosure that names the owners and board members of Verida, CADC, the Area Agency on Aging, and the subcontractors in their networks.
How to become a NEMT provider in Arkansas
Arkansas NET providers work as subcontractors to their region's broker. The broker decides whether it needs more capacity, then checks your company against the DHS contract before it signs a service agreement.
Form the business and license it
Register the company with the Arkansas Secretary of State and get a federal EIN. The DHS contract requires a business license for each NET region you serve, current vehicle licenses and Department of Finance and Administration registrations, and vehicles that meet Arkansas Department of Transportation intrastate requirements.
Find your region's broker
Use the DHS NET map to match your counties to a region. The NET help line (888-987-1200, option 1) can also tell you which broker covers an area.
Apply to the broker
Verida starts with a Request for Qualifications form plus driver and vehicle lists, reviews whether your region needs more providers, and then interviews you. Its second step asks for a current business license, proof of liability insurance, driver credentials, criminal background checks for all drivers, drug screens for all owners and drivers, and motor vehicle reports. For Regions E, F, and G, contact CADC, the Area Agency on Aging, or Modivcare directly.
Insure every vehicle
The DHS contract requires $1,000,000 in liability insurance on each vehicle, with contractual liability coverage that protects the State and DHS named as an additional insured. Verida also asks for a general liability policy that includes $1 million in sexual abuse and molestation (SAM) coverage with a $2 million aggregate, from carriers rated A- or better.
Equip the vehicles
Every vehicle needs a working interior video camera (720p HD, GPS, 45 days of playback, recording whenever the vehicle runs). Vehicles designed for more than seven passengers plus the driver need a child safety alarm. Each vehicle also carries a fire extinguisher, biohazard kit, first aid kit, reflective triangles, web cutter, flashlight, and reflective vest.
Pass the inspections
The broker inspects every vehicle before it signs a service agreement and then at least every 30 days. A certified mechanic inspects each vehicle yearly, and the DHS NET Monitoring Contractor inspects at least once a year plus random checks. Drivers complete a written walk-around checklist before and after every day's work.
Build compliant driver files
Each driver needs federal and Arkansas State Police background checks, a DHS Central Registry check, a clean driving record, drug and alcohol testing before hire and at random, and hands-on First Aid and CPR. The tables below list the full DHS minimums.
Vehicle and driver requirements in Arkansas
DHS writes its minimum standards into each broker contract, and the broker must hold every subcontractor to them. Brokers can add more on top.
Vehicles
| Requirement | State rule | Broker contract |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing and registration | Vehicle licenses, DF&A registration permits, a business license for each region, ArDOT intrastate compliance, and commercial liability insurance under the Arkansas State Highway Commission's passenger carrier rules. | Verida asks for a current business license and proof of insurance at step two. |
| Video camera | Interior camera, 720p HD, GPS, at least 45 days of retrievable playback, recording whenever the vehicle is in operation. A vehicle with a broken camera cannot carry members. | Same. |
| Child safety | Child safety alarm on vehicles designed for more than seven passengers plus the driver, placed so the driver must walk to the back to switch it off. Child seats under the Child Passenger Protection Act (Ark. Code § 27-34-104). | Same. |
| Inspections | Driver walk-around before and after each day, broker inspection before contracting and monthly after, yearly certified mechanic inspection, and at least one NET Monitoring Contractor inspection a year. | Carried out by the broker for its subcontractors. |
| Equipment and condition | Fire extinguisher, biohazard kit, first aid kit, reflective triangles, web cutter, flashlight, and reflective vest. Tires with at least 4/32 inch tread. A retractable step or four-legged step stool when the floor is over 12 inches high. Anti-skid ribbed rubber flooring or carpet. | Same. |
| Accessibility | Lift-equipped vehicles meet ADA requirements for wheelchair passengers. Any noncompliant vehicle is removed from service immediately. | Same. |
Drivers
| Requirement | State rule | Broker contract |
|---|---|---|
| Age and license | At least 21, with a valid license for the vehicle class, meeting state and federal motor carrier safety rules. | Driver credentials reviewed at contracting. |
| Driving record | Clean record before hire. Two moving violations or at-fault accidents in 12 months, in any vehicle, removes the driver. No suspended or revoked license in the last five years. | Current motor vehicle report for every driver. |
| Background checks | Federal and Arkansas State Police criminal checks, a DHS Central Registry check, and a prior state's check for anyone in Arkansas under five years. Disqualified: any sexual offense or violent crime, any felony or drug misdemeanor in five years, offenses listed in Ark. Code § 21-15-102, and Medicaid exclusions. | Current criminal background check for every driver. |
| Drug and alcohol testing | Before hire and at random under a USDOT program or one that mirrors it, plus reasonable suspicion testing. | Verida asks for current drug screens for all owners as well as drivers. |
| Training | Certified training in child passenger safety, defensive driving, lift operation, and wheelchair securement, plus First Aid and CPR to American Heart Association or Red Cross standards. Online-only certification is not accepted. | Same. |
Insurance minimums in Arkansas
The dollar minimum comes from the DHS broker contract, which applies to every subcontractor vehicle. Verida adds general liability with abuse and molestation coverage.
| Coverage | Minimum | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Liability on each vehicle | $1,000,000, including contractual liability coverage that protects the State | DHS IFB 710-25-049, section 2.24 |
| Additional insured | Arkansas DHS named on every liability policy the contract requires | DHS IFB 710-25-049, section 2.24 |
| Verida general liability | Includes $1 million sexual abuse and molestation (SAM) coverage with a $2 million aggregate, carriers rated A- or better | Broker contract |
| Verida auto policy | All owned, hired, and non-owned vehicles covered | Broker contract |
Does Arkansas require EVV for NEMT?
No. Arkansas uses EVV for in-home caregiver visits required by the 21st Century Cures Act, including self-directed IndependentChoices and ARChoices care since April 1, 2021. NET rides are outside it.
NET is checked other ways. Brokers confirm eligibility during every reservation call, submit trip-level encounter data to DHS, and keep GPS video from every vehicle for at least 45 days. The DHS NET Monitoring Contractor inspects vehicles and receives the broker's accident and incident reports.
What changed in Arkansas in 2025 and 2026
Arkansas Medicaid covered 709,201 people in May 2026, plus 78,483 in CHIP, according to CMS preliminary monthly data. ARKids First-B, the CHIP-funded group, has no NET benefit.
DHS pays each broker a monthly amount per member, and the broker pays its subcontractors under their own agreements. For the 2025 rebid, DHS published actuarial rate ranges for 2026, bids had to fall inside them, and each region went to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder.
The 2025 rebid changed one region. Modivcare took over Region G, the Little Rock area, on January 2, 2026. DHS told members in every other county that their broker did not change.
DHS starts EVV for self-directed IndependentChoices and ARChoices caregivers. NET is not included.
DHS issues Invitation for Bid 710-25-049 to rebid NET in every region, including day treatment transportation.
NET bids are due and opened by video conference.
DHS revises the NET region map to show Modivcare in Region G.
Modivcare takes over Region G (Pulaski, Faulkner, and Lonoke counties). Members keep the same scheduling number.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the NEMT broker in Arkansas?
- It depends on the region. Verida runs Regions A, B, C, and D. Central Arkansas Development Council runs Region E (800-385-9992). The Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas runs Region F (844-683-2300). Modivcare runs Region G, Pulaski, Faulkner, and Lonoke counties (888-833-4135), since January 2, 2026. The NET help line at 888-987-1200, option 1, can look up any county.
- How do I become a NET provider in Arkansas?
- Contract with the broker for your region. Verida starts with a Request for Qualifications form and driver and vehicle lists, checks whether the region needs more providers, then interviews you and collects your business license, insurance, and driver files. Before any service agreement, the broker inspects every vehicle against the DHS contract.
- Do Arkansas NET vehicles need cameras?
- Yes. The DHS contract requires an interior video camera in every vehicle, at least 720p HD with GPS and 45 days of playback, recording whenever the vehicle is running. A vehicle with a broken camera cannot carry members until it is fixed.
- What insurance does an Arkansas NET provider need?
- The DHS contract requires $1,000,000 in liability insurance on each vehicle, including contractual liability coverage protecting the State, with DHS named as additional insured. Verida also asks for a general liability policy with $1 million in sexual abuse and molestation coverage and a $2 million aggregate, from A- or better carriers.
- What are the driver requirements for Arkansas NET?
- Drivers must be at least 21 with a clean driving record, pass federal, Arkansas State Police, and DHS Central Registry checks, and pass drug and alcohol tests before hire and at random. They need child passenger safety, defensive driving, lift and wheelchair securement training, and hands-on First Aid and CPR. Two moving violations or at-fault accidents in 12 months removes a driver.
- Does Arkansas require EVV for NEMT?
- No. Arkansas EVV covers in-home caregiver visits. NET is checked through broker eligibility checks, trip encounter data, in-vehicle video, and inspections by the DHS NET Monitoring Contractor.
- Does ARHOME cover NET rides?
- Yes, as a wrap-around benefit paid by Arkansas Medicaid directly. ARHOME adults get eight one-way legs per calendar year, with extensions when medically necessary. Traditional Medicaid members have no trip limit.
- What changed for Arkansas NET in 2026?
- Modivcare became the Region G broker on January 2, 2026, covering Pulaski, Faulkner, and Lonoke counties. Members kept the same scheduling number, 888-833-4135. The other six regions kept their brokers after the 2025 rebid.
Running NEMT in Arkansas with HealthRide
Arkansas brokers expect daily walk-arounds, monthly broker inspections, and a yearly mechanic check on every van. HealthRide tracks vehicle inspections and driver credentials and warns you before an expired driver or vehicle gets assigned.
The driver app records GPS-recorded miles, timestamps, and signatures on every leg, and trip logs export as CSV or PDF when a broker or the DHS monitor asks for records.
Official resources
- Arkansas DHS: NET (Non-Emergency Transportation)
- Arkansas DHS: NET region map (revised December 2025)
- Arkansas DHS: Invitation for Bid 710-25-049
- Arkansas DHS: IFB 710-25-049 solicitation, revision 2
- Arkansas DHS: IFB 710-25-049 revised written questions and answers
- Arkansas DHS: NET ownership and control disclosure
- Arkansas DHS: Electronic Visit Verification (EVV)
- AFMC: Non-Emergency Transportation (NET) program
- AFMC: What providers should know about NET
- Verida: Arkansas transportation providers
- Verida: Provider request for qualifications form
- Central Arkansas Development Council: Transportation
- Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas: Non-emergency transportation
- Modivcare: Transportation providers
- CMS: State Medicaid and CHIP enrollment data
HealthRide plans the whole day in one click and bills every ride.
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