How to start a NEMT business in Georgia: Verida, DCH rules, and DPS registration
Georgia runs Medicaid transportation through one broker. Since April 1, 2026, Verida arranges every Medicaid ride in all five NEMT regions, after Modivcare left the Central, East, and Southwest regions. Transportation providers do not enroll with Georgia Medicaid. They sign a service agreement with Verida and follow the Department of Community Health (DCH) NEMT manual. The Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) regulates NEMT companies as non-emergency medical passenger carriers.
Georgia NEMT at a glance
- Runs the program
- Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), Division of Medical Assistance Plans
- Program
- Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) broker program
- How rides are arranged
- One statewide broker. DCH pays one broker, Verida, a monthly capitation rate per eligible member. Verida schedules every ride and pays its contracted transportation providers.
- Brokers you will contract with
- Verida
- State operating license
- No NEMT-specific state license. DPS regulates NEMT companies as non-emergency medical passenger carriers (Rule 570-38-4), and Verida asks for a current business license.
- EVV for NEMT trips
- Not required
- Medicaid enrollment
- 1,686,907 (April 2026, Medicaid only)
On this page
How Medicaid NEMT works in Georgia
DCH has run NEMT through regional brokers since October 1, 1997, when the state split into five regions: North, Atlanta, Central, East, and Southwest. Each broker receives a monthly capitation payment for every eligible Medicaid member living in its region. The broker handles eligibility checks, decides the right mode of transportation, books the trip, assigns it to a provider in its network, and pays that provider.
Verida, which changed its name from Southeastrans in 2022 and is headquartered in Villa Rica, held the North and Atlanta regions before 2026. On April 1, 2026 it took over the Central, East, and Southwest regions from Modivcare, so one company now brokers every Georgia Medicaid ride. Members book at least three business days ahead, and urgent same-day care is honored within three hours of the request.
For a provider, the path to trips is a service agreement with Verida. The DCH manual sets the rules the broker must write into that agreement: driver qualifications, vehicle equipment, pickup windows, training, and records. The broker pays undisputed invoices within 15 business days unless the agreement sets other terms, and it pays the first leg of a trip when a member fails to board within the pickup window.
Governing rule:DCH Part II Policies and Procedures for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (July 1, 2026)
Who brokers Medicaid rides in Georgia
One broker covers the whole state. Verida contracts providers region by region, and each region has its own provider relations manager and booking line.
| Broker | Serves | Provider sign-up |
|---|---|---|
| Verida | All Georgia Medicaid members in all five NEMT regions: North (34 counties, including Cobb and Hall), Atlanta (Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett), Central, East, and Southwest. Held North and Atlanta before 2026.Since April 1, 2026 (statewide). Took over the Central, East, and Southwest regions from Modivcare on April 1, 2026. | Provider pageTransportation provider line 877-236-1352 |
Verida adds providers only where a region needs capacity. You submit a Request for Qualifications with driver and vehicle lists, and Verida contacts you for an interview if your service area has a need.
Georgia Pathways to Coverage does not cover NEMT, except for members ages 19 and 20.
Member booking lines by region: Atlanta 404-209-4000, North 678-510-4555, Central 888-224-7981, East 888-224-7988, Southwest 888-224-7985.
How to become a NEMT provider in Georgia
There is no Georgia Medicaid enrollment for transportation companies. You register the business, register with DPS, and then qualify with Verida.
Form the business and get local licenses
Register the company with the Georgia Secretary of State, get a federal EIN, and get the city or county business license where you are based. Verida asks for a current business license in its compliance checklist.
Register with the Department of Public Safety
DPS rules call a for-hire carrier that takes elderly or disabled riders to medical care a non-emergency medical passenger carrier, and Rule 570-38-4-.03 bars operating as a passenger carrier without a DPS passenger carrier certificate. DPS's own "What do I need" guide sends carriers that exclusively transport elderly or disabled passengers (10 or fewer, for hire) within Georgia to Georgia Intrastate Motor Carrier (GIMC) registration. For 11 or more passengers it lists a Passenger Permit Authority, which can cover non-emergency carriers. Ask DPS Regulations Compliance (404-624-7244) which one fits your fleet. GIMC registration runs by calendar year, and the 2026 registration was due December 31, 2025.
Insure the fleet
Carry at least the DPS passenger carrier minimums, then the limits Verida lists: general liability with $1 million sexual abuse and molestation (SAM) coverage and a $2 million aggregate, and auto liability covering all owned, hired, and non-owned vehicles, with carriers rated A- or better.
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 570-38-4-.04: Minimum required insurance
Submit Verida's Request for Qualifications
Fill out the online Request for Qualifications form with your driver list and vehicle list. Verida reviews whether your region needs more providers. If it does, Verida contacts you for an interview and asks for step two documents: business license, proof of liability insurance, driver credentials, criminal background checks for every driver, drug screens for all owners and drivers, and a motor vehicle report for every driver.
Pass the vehicle inspection and orientation
Verida inspects every vehicle no earlier than 60 days before it enters service and every six months after that. It also runs an orientation covering vehicle rules, accident procedures, scheduling, trip assignment, reimbursement, and the logs drivers must keep.
Run trips and invoice Verida
Drivers complete a daily vehicle manifest for every trip, with the member, pickup and destination, and scheduled and actual times. Verida pays undisputed invoices within 15 business days unless your service agreement says otherwise. Claims questions go to 678-510-4600, option 2.
Vehicle and driver requirements in Georgia
The DCH manual is unusually specific about vehicles and drivers, and it binds every provider through the broker agreement. Verida adds drug screens, which the manual does not require.
Vehicles
| Requirement | State rule | Broker contract |
|---|---|---|
| Safety equipment | Fire extinguishers totaling at least 5 pounds, three triangular reflectors (no flares), a first aid kit, a spill kit, two seat belt extensions, and a seat belt cutter mounted above the driver's door (DCH manual 908). | Checked at Verida's initial and six-month inspections. |
| Communication and comfort | A working two-way communication system linking each vehicle to the base, plus working heat and air conditioning. A vehicle with either one broken goes out of service. | Verida providers work trips on iPads and a provider portal, with Verida tech support for both. |
| Markings and signs | Provider name on the exterior per DPS rules. Provider name, vehicle number, and the broker's phone number displayed inside. No smoking, eating, or drinking and seat belt signs posted. | Same, checked at inspection. |
| Boarding and child seats | A retractable step or an approved step stool (8 1/4 inches tall, four legs, anti-skid tips) on vehicles that need a step up. Child safety seats as Georgia law requires for young children. | Same. |
| Wheelchair vans | ADA-compliant, at least 56 inches of floor-to-ceiling clearance, a lift interlock that keeps the vehicle in park, and an ADA tiedown at every wheelchair position (DCH manual 909). | Lifts, ramps, and securements inspected at credentialing and every six months. |
| Inspection cadence | The broker inspects every vehicle before service and every six months. A vehicle with two passenger complaints about cleanliness or climate within five days gets reinspected. | Verida runs the inspections with its own staff. |
Drivers
| Requirement | State rule | Broker contract |
|---|---|---|
| Age and license | At least 21, with a valid Georgia license or a license from a bordering state of residence (DCH manual 914). | Driver credentials reviewed at step two. |
| Criminal history | No conviction for a sexual crime or a crime of violence. A felony within the past five years needs review by the broker and DCH before the person drives. | Current criminal background check for every driver. |
| Driving record | No DUI conviction in the five years before hire. No suspended or revoked license in the past five years, with a narrow child-support exception. Two at-fault moving violations or accidents on NEMT trips means removal. Driver files hold a three-year driving record. | Current motor vehicle report for every driver. |
| Drug testing | Drivers may not use or be under the influence of alcohol or impairing drugs on duty. The manual sets no testing schedule. | Current drug screens for all owners and drivers. |
| Training | Driver training, first aid, and spill kit and biohazard training, including passenger assistance, safety and sensitivity, and defensive driving, completed within 90 days of assignment at the latest. A driver who fails to secure a wheelchair once is pulled until retraining is documented. | Verida orientation for every provider. |
| Conduct | Visible company ID, no headphones, hands-free phone use only, door assistance to the main entrance, and a check that the passenger is inside before leaving. | Same, enforced through complaints and incident reports. |
Insurance minimums in Georgia
DPS sets dollar minimums for passenger carriers. Verida sets the working limits in its provider agreement.
| Coverage | Minimum | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Auto liability, passenger vehicles seating 12 or fewer people | $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident bodily injury, $50,000 property damage | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 570-38-4-.04 |
| Auto liability, passenger vehicles seating more than 12 people | $100,000 per person and $500,000 per accident bodily injury, $50,000 property damage | Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 570-38-4-.04 |
| General liability | $1 million SAM (sexual abuse and molestation) coverage with a $2 million aggregate | Broker contract (Verida) |
| Auto liability scope | All owned, hired, and non-owned vehicles, with each vehicle listed on the policy | Broker contract (Verida) |
| Carrier rating | A- or better | Broker contract (Verida) |
Does Georgia require EVV for NEMT?
No. Georgia requires electronic visit verification for Medicaid personal care services and, for claims with dates of service on or after September 14, 2026, home health care services. NEMT is a separate program outside EVV.
Trip proof in Georgia comes from the broker system instead. Drivers fill out a daily vehicle manifest for every trip with the member, Medicaid number, pickup and destination, and scheduled times, and Verida validates that every paid trip was authorized and actually delivered. Keep your manifests and driver files ready: the broker must produce records within two business days when DCH asks.
What changed in Georgia in 2025 and 2026
Georgia had 1,686,907 people on Medicaid and 178,714 on PeachCare for Kids (CHIP) in April 2026, according to CMS enrollment data.
The big change is consolidation. Until March 2026, Verida brokered the North and Atlanta regions and Modivcare brokered Central, East, and Southwest. Modivcare exited on April 1, 2026, and Verida now brokers all 159 counties. Providers who ran Modivcare trips in the Central, East, and Southwest regions need a Verida service agreement to keep working Medicaid rides.
Rates are negotiated with the broker, not set by a state fee schedule. DCH pays Verida a capitation rate, and Verida negotiates individual rates with each provider. One published figure: the July 2026 manual sets fuel reimbursement for foster parents driving Georgia Families 360 children at $0.54 per mile, the rate Verida set.
The manual also moved in 2025 and 2026. Routine COVID-19 testing for drivers who carry nursing home residents ended in July 2025. January 2026 added a hospital discharge transportation coordination policy, and April 2026 extended discharge rides to psychiatric residential treatment facilities.
The DCH manual drops routine COVID-19 testing for drivers transporting nursing home residents in favor of symptom reporting.
Modivcare, then the broker for three Georgia regions, files for Chapter 11.
The DCH manual adds a hospital discharge transportation coordination policy (section 906).
DCH tells members to contact Verida to schedule rides for services on or after this date.
Verida becomes the statewide broker for all five regions. Modivcare stops serving the Central, East, and Southwest regions.
The manual adds fuel reimbursement for foster parents transporting Georgia Families 360 members, at $0.54 per mile.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the NEMT broker in Georgia?
- Verida. Since April 1, 2026 it brokers Medicaid transportation in all five DCH regions: North, Atlanta, Central, East, and Southwest. Modivcare served Central, East, and Southwest until March 31, 2026. Verida's transportation provider line is 877-236-1352.
- Do I need to enroll with Georgia Medicaid to be a NEMT provider?
- No. The DCH manual says transportation providers must arrange a service agreement with the broker for the regions they want to serve. In practice that means qualifying with Verida.
- Does Georgia require a license to run a NEMT business?
- There is no NEMT-specific state license. DPS regulates NEMT companies as non-emergency medical passenger carriers, and its rules require a passenger carrier certificate. DPS's registration guide sends carriers that exclusively transport elderly or disabled riders, 10 or fewer passengers, to yearly GIMC registration, and larger operations to a Passenger Permit Authority. Verida also asks for a current local business license.
- What insurance do Georgia NEMT providers need?
- DPS requires passenger carriers to carry $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 property damage for vehicles seating 12 or fewer people. Verida asks for general liability with $1 million SAM coverage and a $2 million aggregate, auto liability covering all owned, hired, and non-owned vehicles, and carriers rated A- or better.
- What are the driver requirements for NEMT in Georgia?
- Drivers must be at least 21 with a Georgia license or one from a bordering state, have no conviction for a sexual or violent crime, no DUI in the five years before hire, and no suspended or revoked license in the past five years. They need first aid, passenger assistance, safety and sensitivity, and defensive driving training. Verida adds background checks, motor vehicle reports, and drug screens.
- How long does a Georgia NEMT driver have to wait for a member?
- The DCH manual says the carrier does not have to wait more than 10 minutes after the scheduled pickup time. If the member does not board, the broker pays the provider for the first leg of the trip. Return pickups must arrive within one hour of the call.
- How often are NEMT vehicles inspected in Georgia?
- The broker inspects each vehicle before it enters service, no earlier than 60 days ahead, and then every six months. Inspections cover the DCH vehicle list, including brakes, tires, signals, seat belts, heat and air, and wheelchair lifts.
- Does Georgia require EVV for NEMT?
- No. Georgia EVV applies to personal care and home health care services. NEMT trips are documented with the driver's daily vehicle manifest and the broker's trip records instead.
- How fast does Verida pay Georgia providers?
- The DCH manual requires the broker to pay undisputed invoices for authorized trips within 15 business days of receipt, unless the service agreement sets different payment terms.
Running NEMT in Georgia with HealthRide
Georgia fleets now run every Medicaid trip for one broker, and the manifest, the 10-minute wait rule, and the six-month inspections apply to every provider. HealthRide keeps Verida trips and private pay work on one dispatch board and one ledger, with credential expiry reminders and vehicle inspection records in the same place.
The driver app records GPS-recorded miles, timestamps, and signatures on every leg, plus the wait time on every no-show, and the trip log exports as CSV or PDF when Verida or DCH asks for records.
Official resources
- Georgia Medicaid: Non-Emergency Medical Transportation
- Georgia Medicaid: NEMT FAQs
- DCH Part II Policies and Procedures for NEMT (July 1, 2026)
- Verida: Georgia transportation providers
- Verida: Georgia Medicaid members
- Verida: Georgia statewide service area map (2026)
- Verida: Southeastrans is now Verida
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 570-38-4-.02: Passenger carrier definitions
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 570-38-4-.03: Passenger carrier certificate
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 570-38-4-.04: Minimum required insurance
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 570-38-4-.06: Non-emergency medical passenger carriers
- Georgia DPS Regulations Compliance: What do I need
- Georgia DPS: GIMC and UCR registration
- Georgia Medicaid: Electronic Visit Verification (EVV)
- CMS: Medicaid and CHIP monthly enrollment data
- SEC: Modivcare Form 8-K, August 2025
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