How to start a NEMT business in Kansas: KanCare plans, their brokers, and KMAP rules
Kansas Medicaid runs through KanCare, and each of the three KanCare health plans arranges its members' rides through a broker. SafeRide Health handles Sunflower Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, and MTM Health handles Healthy Blue. Every NEMT provider must still enroll with the Kansas Medical Assistance Program (KMAP), because the plans deny payment to providers who are not KMAP-enrolled. Fee-for-service members ride with KMAP-enrolled providers who get prior authorization from the state and bill KMAP directly.
Kansas NEMT at a glance
- Runs the program
- Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Division of Health Care Finance (KDHE-DHCF)
- Program
- KanCare and Kansas Medical Assistance Program (KMAP) Nonemergency Medical Transportation
- How rides are arranged
- Health plans each contract a broker. KanCare plans arrange rides through their brokers. Fee-for-service trips go to KMAP-enrolled providers, who get prior authorization and bill KMAP.
- Brokers you will contract with
- SafeRide Health, MTM Health
- State operating license
- No NEMT license from KDHE. Every provider must enroll with KMAP and file vehicle, insurance, and driver KBI records with KMAP Provider Enrollment.
- EVV for NEMT trips
- Not required
- Medicaid enrollment
- 323,737 (May 2026)
On this page
How Medicaid NEMT works in Kansas
KDHE runs Kansas Medicaid, and KanCare is its managed care program. KDHE picked three health plans for January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2027: Sunflower Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, and Healthy Blue, which replaced Aetna Better Health of Kansas. When a member is in a KanCare plan, the plan is responsible for commercial NEMT, and the plan's broker schedules the ride and pays the provider.
Enrollment with KMAP comes first. KanCare uses one Provider Enrollment Wizard for KMAP and the plans, and you choose which plans get your application for credentialing. Since July 1, 2019, the KanCare plans deny payment to providers who are not actively enrolled with KMAP. You do not have to accept fee-for-service members to enroll.
For fee-for-service members, KMAP pays enrolled NEMT providers directly. Every trip needs prior authorization from the KMAP NEMT prior authorization team before the ride, claims go on the CMS-1500 with the authorization number, and the base code covers the first 10 miles one way. KMAP's NEMT Fee-for-Service Provider Manual, updated March 2026, holds the driver, vehicle, and documentation rules.
Governing rule:KMAP Nonemergency Medical Transportation Fee-for-Service Provider Manual (updated March 2026)
Who brokers Medicaid rides in Kansas
Two brokers cover the three KanCare plans. Check the member's plan before you accept a trip, because the plan decides who authorizes and pays.
| Broker | Serves | Provider sign-up |
|---|---|---|
| SafeRide Health | Sunflower Health Plan members (rides 877-917-8162) and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan members (888-462-6044).Since November 1, 2024 for Sunflower. | Provider page |
| MTM Health | Healthy Blue members (rides 833-270-2254). Members book at least three days ahead. | Provider page |
| KMAP fee-for-service (no broker) | Traditional Medicaid members not in a KanCare plan. KMAP-enrolled providers get prior authorization from the NEMT prior authorization team and bill KMAP. | Provider page |
The current KanCare plan contracts run through December 31, 2027. Members can change plans once a year during their open enrollment period.
MediKan and QMB-only members have no NEMT benefit. Transportation for nursing facility residents is part of the facility's services, not NEMT.
How to become a NEMT provider in Kansas
Kansas is a two-step state: KMAP enrollment first, then a contract with each broker whose plan members you want to carry.
Form the business
Register the company with the Kansas Secretary of State and get a federal EIN. KMAP requires a business phone number on the application and asks the owner to disclose any other businesses and provider numbers they hold.
Enroll with KMAP
Apply through the KanCare Provider Enrollment Wizard, which is the same application the plans use. Select the KanCare plans you want to be credentialed with, and KMAP shares your approved application with them. KMAP Provider Enrollment is at 1-800-933-6593.
File your vehicles and drivers with KMAP
Send the make, model, and VIN of every vehicle, photos of each vehicle and its VIN (and the lift on wheelchair vans), proof of insurance for each vehicle, a notarized statement signed by your auto insurance agent covering all vehicles, an outside safety inspection, and a copy of each driver's license and Kansas Bureau of Investigation background check. KMAP terminates enrollment if you add a driver or vehicle without filing these.
Contract with SafeRide Health and MTM Health
SafeRide carries Sunflower and UnitedHealthcare trips and MTM Health carries Healthy Blue trips. SafeRide asks for company insurance, vehicle registration and insurance, and driver files with national background and sex-offender checks, motor vehicle reports, pre-hire drug screens, First Aid or CPR, defensive driving, and wheelchair securement training.
Get prior authorization for fee-for-service trips
Call the KMAP automated line at 1-800-285-4978 or fax 1-800-913-2229 before the trip, with the member, addresses, appointment, and shortest-route miles. Requests after the trip are denied, except emergencies after hours, which you report within 48 hours. Report changes within 72 hours.
Document every trip
Complete the KMAP NEMT Transportation form for every fee-for-service trip, with the member's original signature taken at the time of the ride, and keep records for at least five years. Wheelchair and stretcher (Level II) codes also need the member's doctor to file a certification form, renewed yearly unless the member is permanently confined to a wheelchair.
Vehicle and driver requirements in Kansas
KMAP's manual sets the state minimums for every enrolled provider. SafeRide and MTM Health add their own credentialing on top for KanCare trips.
Vehicles
| Requirement | State rule | Broker contract |
|---|---|---|
| Registration and records | Licensed and registered under Kansas law, with make, model, and VIN on file with KMAP, plus photos of each vehicle, its VIN, and any wheelchair lift. | SafeRide collects vehicle registration and insurance at credentialing. |
| Safety inspection | Passed at a business that offers automotive mechanical services to the public. Providers cannot inspect their own vehicles. | Same. |
| Equipment | Working passenger restraints, turn signals, lights, horn, brakes, windshield, windows, and mirrors, child restraints when carrying children, and comfortable temperature and ventilation. | Same. |
| Mileage | Billed from shortest-distance mapping software between origin and destination. Odometer mileage is not accepted. | Set by each broker for KanCare trips. |
Drivers
| Requirement | State rule | Broker contract |
|---|---|---|
| Age and license | At least 21, with a valid, legible license with no restrictions other than corrective lenses, and no condition or medication that interferes with safe driving. | Driver's license and motor vehicle report collected by SafeRide. |
| Background check | A current Kansas Bureau of Investigation check before hire, filed with KMAP. KDHE-DHCF may require KBI fingerprints. | SafeRide adds national background and national sex-offender registry checks. |
| Disqualifying history | Includes any DUI in the past 8 years, felony fraud in 10 years, drug possession in 5 years, assault in 10 years (15 with a weapon), robbery or burglary in 10 years, any child or adult abuse, domestic violence, rape, or homicide, and any felony involving a vehicle. | Same, applied at credentialing. |
| Drug and alcohol testing | Pass a pre-employment drug screen, and submit to random drug or alcohol screening if the employer requests it. | SafeRide requires pre-hire drug screens. |
| Training | Not specified in the KMAP manual beyond safe operation and passenger restraint use. | SafeRide requires First Aid, CPR, or AED training, defensive driving, and wheelchair securement training. |
Insurance minimums in Kansas
KMAP ties the minimum to Kansas law and wants a notarized statement from your insurance agent. SafeRide sets higher contract limits for KanCare work.
| Coverage | Minimum | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Auto liability and medical coverage | At least the minimum Kansas law requires, with a notarized statement signed by the insurance agent for all vehicles | KMAP NEMT Provider Manual, section 8700 |
| Kansas auto liability minimum | $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, $25,000 for property damage, plus personal injury protection | K.S.A. 40-3107 |
| Proof of insurance on file | Mailed to KMAP Provider Enrollment each time the policy renews or changes | KMAP NEMT Provider Manual, section 8700 |
| SafeRide Health general liability | $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, with SafeRide as additional insured | Broker contract |
| SafeRide Health auto liability | $500,000 | Broker contract |
Does Kansas require EVV for NEMT?
No. Kansas requires EVV for home and community based services, including personal care, and for home health visits since December 3, 2023. No NEMT codes are on the state's EVV code list.
Fee-for-service NEMT is checked through prior authorization for every trip, the signed NEMT Transportation form, shortest-route mileage, and utilization reviews that can recoup payment when records are missing. SafeRide holds its network to 95 percent on-time performance and a 95 percent ride acceptance rate.
What changed in Kansas in 2025 and 2026
Kansas Medicaid covered 323,737 people in May 2026, plus 71,454 in CHIP, according to CMS preliminary monthly data.
For fee-for-service trips, KMAP pays a base code that covers the first 10 miles one way or 20 miles round trip, then A0425 for each mile beyond that. Waiting time and attendants who help the driver are never paid. Wheelchair and stretcher codes (A0130, T2002, T2005) require the member's Level II certification on file within 45 days.
The plan side changed in the last two years. SafeRide Health took over Sunflower's transportation on November 1, 2024, and Healthy Blue replaced Aetna Better Health of Kansas on January 1, 2025. Healthy Blue members book rides through MTM Health.
KanCare plans begin denying payment to providers who are not actively enrolled with KMAP.
SafeRide Health begins managing transportation for Sunflower Health Plan members.
New KanCare contracts start with Sunflower, UnitedHealthcare, and Healthy Blue. Healthy Blue replaces Aetna Better Health of Kansas.
KMAP publishes its updated NEMT Fee-for-Service Provider Manual.
The KanCare health plan contract period that began January 1, 2025 ends.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the NEMT broker in Kansas?
- It depends on the member's KanCare plan. SafeRide Health arranges rides for Sunflower Health Plan (877-917-8162) and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan (888-462-6044). MTM Health arranges rides for Healthy Blue (833-270-2254). Fee-for-service members have no broker: KMAP-enrolled providers get prior authorization and bill KMAP directly.
- Do I need to enroll with KMAP if I only want KanCare plan trips?
- Yes. Since July 1, 2019, the KanCare plans deny payment to providers who are not actively enrolled with KMAP. You enroll once through the Provider Enrollment Wizard and choose which plans receive your application. You do not have to accept fee-for-service members.
- What are the NEMT driver requirements in Kansas?
- KMAP requires drivers to be at least 21 with a valid license (no restrictions except corrective lenses), a Kansas Bureau of Investigation background check before hire, and a passed pre-employment drug screen. Drivers are disqualified for a DUI in the past 8 years and a list of other offenses. SafeRide adds national background and sex-offender checks, a motor vehicle report, First Aid or CPR, defensive driving, and wheelchair securement training.
- Can I inspect my own NEMT vehicles in Kansas?
- No. KMAP requires a safety inspection by a business that provides automotive mechanical services to the public, and providers cannot inspect their own vehicles. You also send KMAP photos of each vehicle, its VIN, and any wheelchair lift.
- How does Kansas Medicaid pay NEMT mileage?
- For fee-for-service trips, the base code includes the first 10 miles one way or 20 miles round trip. Miles beyond that bill under A0425, one unit per mile, calculated with shortest-distance mapping software. Odometer readings are not accepted, and waiting time is not covered.
- What is Level II NEMT in Kansas?
- Level II covers members who need a wheelchair or stretcher, or who travel with equipment that cannot be removed, such as a ventilator or IV fluids. The member's primary care doctor files a certification form with the prior authorization team, renewed yearly unless the member is permanently confined to a wheelchair. Without it, Level II claims deny after 45 days.
- Does Kansas require EVV for NEMT?
- No. Kansas EVV covers home and community based services and home health visits. NEMT codes are not on the state's EVV list. Fee-for-service trips are checked through prior authorization and the signed NEMT Transportation form instead.
- What changed for Kansas NEMT in 2025 and 2026?
- Healthy Blue replaced Aetna Better Health of Kansas on January 1, 2025, and uses MTM Health for rides. SafeRide Health has managed Sunflower's rides since November 1, 2024. KMAP updated its fee-for-service NEMT manual in March 2026, and the current plan contracts run through December 31, 2027.
Running NEMT in Kansas with HealthRide
Kansas providers often bill KMAP for fee-for-service trips while SafeRide and MTM Health pay for plan trips. HealthRide keeps every trip on one dispatch board and records every payment, whichever payer it came from, in one ledger.
Credential and inspection reminders flag expiring driver licenses and vehicle inspections before a driver or van gets assigned, and the driver app records timestamps and signatures on every leg.
Official resources
- KanCare: Choosing a health plan
- KanCare: 2025 request for proposal and selected health plans
- KanCare: Become a provider
- KanCare: Aetna to Healthy Blue plan change letter
- KMAP: Nonemergency Medical Transportation Fee-for-Service Provider Manual (March 2026)
- KMAP: Provider publications, manuals, and forms
- KanCare: Electronic Visit Verification
- KanCare: Covered codes and services requiring EVV
- Sunflower Health Plan: Transportation and gas reimbursement
- Healthy Blue Kansas: Transportation
- UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Kansas: KanCare benefits
- SafeRide Health: UnitedHealthcare Kansas
- SafeRide Health: Sunflower Health Plan
- SafeRide Health: What to expect as a NEMT provider
- MTM Health: Join the service provider network
- Kansas Statutes: K.S.A. 40-3107, required motor vehicle liability coverage
- CMS: State Medicaid and CHIP enrollment data
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