How to start a NEMT business in Mississippi: Modivcare, MTM Health, and DOM rules
Mississippi Medicaid rides come through two brokers. Modivcare has been the Division of Medicaid's statewide broker for fee-for-service members since June 8, 2024. MTM Health arranges rides for all three MississippiCAN health plans: Magnolia Health, Molina Healthcare, and TrueCare. There is no NEMT license, but Title 23, Part 201 of the state administrative code sets detailed driver and vehicle rules, including fingerprinting and a vehicle inspection every six months.
Mississippi NEMT at a glance
- Runs the program
- Mississippi Division of Medicaid (DOM)
- Program
- Non-Emergency Transportation (NET) Broker Program
- How rides are arranged
- One statewide broker. Modivcare is DOM's statewide broker for fee-for-service members. The three MississippiCAN plans cover rides for their own members and all use MTM Health.
- Brokers you will contract with
- Modivcare, MTM Health
- State operating license
- No NEMT license from DOM. Title 23, Part 201 sets driver and vehicle standards, and the broker inspects every vehicle before service and every six months.
- EVV for NEMT trips
- Not required
- Medicaid enrollment
- 500,826 (May 2026)
On this page
How Medicaid NEMT works in Mississippi
DOM contracts one broker to run NET statewide for fee-for-service Medicaid under Miss. Admin. Code Title 23, Part 201, Chapter 2. The broker authorizes, schedules, and pays for every ride through contracted NET providers. It must authorize 98 percent of routine requests within three business days and all of them within ten. Medicaid transportation is the last resort after other free sources, and members cannot ask for a particular provider.
Modivcare won the 2023 invitation for bid with the lowest bid and took over rides on June 8, 2024. Its contract runs from February 8, 2024 to June 7, 2027, capped at $96,544,607.49. MTM ran the program until then, including under an emergency contract from October 1, 2023.
MississippiCAN plans cover NET as part of their benefits. Since July 1, 2025, the three plans are Magnolia Health, Molina Healthcare, and TrueCare, and DOM lists MTM Health as the transportation vendor for all three. UnitedHealthcare left MississippiCAN and CHIP after June 30, 2025. Rides for long-term care facility residents are covered under a separate rule (Part 207), outside the broker program.
Governing rule:Miss. Admin. Code Title 23, Part 201: Transportation Services
Who brokers Medicaid rides in Mississippi
Which broker pays depends on whether the member is in fee-for-service Medicaid or a MississippiCAN plan. A provider that wants both kinds of trips needs a contract with each broker.
| Broker | Serves | Provider sign-up |
|---|---|---|
| Modivcare | All fee-for-service (traditional) Medicaid members statewide. Member reservations 866-331-6004, facilities 866-381-4850.Since June 8, 2024. Contract period of performance ends June 7, 2027. | Provider page |
| MTM Health | MississippiCAN and CHIP members of Magnolia Health (888-889-0605), Molina Healthcare (888-597-1206), and TrueCare (833-230-2050). | Provider page |
MTM lost the fee-for-service contract to Modivcare in 2024 but still carries every MississippiCAN plan. A provider with only one of the two contracts sees only part of the state's Medicaid trips.
Members can switch plans during open enrollment, October 1 to December 15, with changes effective January 1, 2027. All three plans use MTM Health, so a plan switch does not move the trip to a different broker.
Medically necessary non-emergency ambulance transfers between hospitals are covered outside the broker program under Part 201, Chapter 3.
How to become a NEMT provider in Mississippi
Mississippi NET providers contract with the broker, not with DOM. The broker applies the Part 201 standards before it signs you and keeps checking them after.
Form the business
Register the company with the Mississippi Secretary of State and get a federal EIN. DOM's broker contract bars the broker from signing providers that are not eligible to be Mississippi Medicaid providers, so check that no owner is on a federal or state exclusion or debarment list.
Apply to Modivcare and MTM Health
Modivcare covers fee-for-service members and MTM Health covers MississippiCAN members. Modivcare's provider agreement follows a DOM-approved model contract that covers modes of transportation, driver qualifications, driver training, vehicle requirements, and evidence of insurance for vehicles and drivers.
Fingerprint and screen every driver
Each driver needs a one-time fingerprint background check, national and state criminal checks, a Mississippi Sex Offender Registry check, and a motor vehicle record check at hire, with the name-based checks and MVR repeated every year. New providers submit all driver fingerprint checks within 90 days of the contract start, and new hires within 90 days of hire. The broker cannot pay for trips by a driver whose fingerprint check is not on file.
Set up drug testing
Part 201 calls for annual random drug testing of all NET drivers, and a driver who fails an annual random test is removed from service.
Pass the vehicle inspection
The broker inspects every vehicle before your operations start date and at least every six months after, then places a Medicaid-approved sticker on the outside of the passenger-side rear window. Inspection reports go to DOM by the 15th of the following month.
Keep daily trip logs
DOM's broker contract requires each driver's daily log to show the date, driver name and signature, member name and signature, vehicle ID, request tracking number, authorized mode, scheduled and actual pickup and drop-off times in military time, odometer miles, destination, and notes on cancellations, no-shows, and incidents.
Vehicle and driver requirements in Mississippi
Part 201 is written as rules the broker must enforce. MTM Health and Modivcare apply them through their provider contracts and may add their own terms.
Vehicles
| Requirement | State rule | Broker contract |
|---|---|---|
| Markings | Business name and phone number on both sides of the vehicle in letters at least 3 inches tall, in a contrasting color. No words or business name suggesting Medicaid members are being carried. The broker's phone numbers and complaint procedures posted inside. | Checked at the broker inspection. |
| Inspection | Broker inspection before the operations start date and at least every six months, with a Medicaid-approved sticker on the passenger-side rear window. Communication equipment tested at each inspection. | Carried out by the broker, with reports to DOM by the 15th of the next month. |
| Safety equipment | Fire extinguisher, first aid kit with listed contents, spill kit, seat belt cutter, at least two seat belt extensions, "All passengers must wear seat belts" and "No smoking" signs, and a vehicle packet with registration, insurance card, and accident forms. | Same. |
| Condition and comfort | Working heat and air conditioning, accurate speedometer and odometer, two exterior mirrors plus an interior mirror, and a clean interior and exterior. | Same. |
| Communication | A real-time link from every vehicle by phone or two-way radio. Pagers do not count. | Same. |
| Accessibility | ADA accessibility specifications for transportation. The broker must keep providers in its network that can carry members up to 800 pounds and must track each vehicle's lift capacity. | Enforced by the broker. |
Drivers
| Requirement | State rule | Broker contract |
|---|---|---|
| Age and license | At least 18 with a current, valid license for the assigned vehicle. | Same. |
| Background checks | One-time fingerprint check, national and state criminal checks, Mississippi Sex Offender Registry, and MVR at hire. Name-based checks and MVR repeated annually. Disqualifying crimes follow Miss. Code Ann. § 43-13-121. | The broker cannot pay for trips by a driver without a fingerprint check on file. |
| Drug testing | Annual random drug testing. A failed test removes the driver from service. | Same. |
| Driving record | Removed after two moving violations or accidents related to NET trips, or a license suspended or revoked for moving violations in the previous five years. | Same. |
| Training | Part 201 lists no course requirements. The broker must keep trained staff and check driver experience and training as part of quality monitoring. | Modivcare asks for PASS wheelchair training, First Aid and CPR, and a defensive driving certificate. |
| Conduct and assistance | Visible name tag, curb-to-curb, door-to-door, or hand-to-hand help as the trip requires, secure every mobility device, confirm the member is safely inside before leaving, never leave a member unattended, and no headphones except a hands-free phone for dispatch or 911. | Same. |
Insurance minimums in Mississippi
Mississippi's NET rule sets no separate dollar figure. It points to state law and local ordinances, and each broker sets its own limits in the provider contract.
| Coverage | Minimum | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| All vehicles | Coverage at all times that meets state law and any county or city ordinance | Miss. Admin. Code Title 23, Part 201, Rule 2.7 |
| Vehicle and driver insurance evidence | Required in every provider agreement, on the broker's terms | Broker contract (DOM model contract) |
| Modivcare provider requirements | General liability (limits vary by state), sexual abuse and molestation coverage, auto liability at or above state minimums, and workers compensation where required | Broker contract |
| Indemnification | Hold-harmless language protecting the State of Mississippi and DOM | Broker contract (DOM model contract) |
Does Mississippi require EVV for NEMT?
No. Mississippi uses EVV for personal care and home health services, as the 21st Century Cures Act requires. NET is not part of it.
The broker checks rides instead. Each month it validates 3 percent of trip requests before transport and 2 percent after, confirming the appointment was for a covered service and the ride happened. Drivers keep signed daily trip logs, DOM's broker contract calls for real-time GPS tracking of providers, and trip-level encounter data goes to DOM's fiscal agent.
Mississippi Division of Medicaid: Electronic Visit Verification (EVV)
What changed in Mississippi in 2025 and 2026
Mississippi Medicaid covered 500,826 people in May 2026, plus 83,380 in CHIP, according to CMS preliminary monthly data.
Broker pay terms matter. DOM's broker contract terms require the broker to pay at least 90 percent of clean provider claims within 30 days and 99 percent within 90 days, and to disclose its per-trip rates to DOM on request.
The market changed twice in two years. Modivcare replaced MTM for fee-for-service rides on June 8, 2024, after DOM ranked its $160.9 million bid lowest. Then on July 1, 2025, TrueCare replaced UnitedHealthcare in MississippiCAN, leaving three plans that all use MTM Health for rides.
DOM issues its invitation for bid for fee-for-service NET brokerage services.
DOM announces its intent to award the NET contract to Modivcare, the lowest responsive bid. The award is protested.
MTM continues as broker under an emergency contract while the protest is pending.
Modivcare begins scheduling and running all fee-for-service Medicaid rides. Member phone numbers stay the same.
UnitedHealthcare stops covering MississippiCAN and CHIP members.
TrueCare joins Magnolia Health and Molina Healthcare as the three MississippiCAN plans, all using MTM Health for rides.
Modivcare's fee-for-service contract period of performance ends.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the NEMT broker in Mississippi?
- Two brokers. Modivcare handles fee-for-service Medicaid statewide (reservations 866-331-6004). MTM Health handles members of the three MississippiCAN plans: Magnolia Health (888-889-0605), Molina Healthcare (888-597-1206), and TrueCare (833-230-2050).
- Do I need a license to run a NEMT business in Mississippi?
- DOM issues no NEMT license. You contract with Modivcare or MTM Health, and the broker holds you to Title 23, Part 201: driver fingerprinting and background checks, annual random drug testing, and a vehicle inspection before service and every six months.
- What are the NEMT driver requirements in Mississippi?
- Drivers must be at least 18 with a valid license, pass a one-time fingerprint check plus national and state criminal checks, a Mississippi Sex Offender Registry check, and an MVR at hire, and repeat the name-based checks and MVR every year. Annual random drug testing applies, and two moving violations or accidents on NET trips removes a driver.
- How often are Mississippi NEMT vehicles inspected?
- The broker inspects every vehicle before your operations start date and at least every six months after. A passing vehicle gets a Medicaid-approved sticker on the outside of the passenger-side rear window, and the broker reports inspections to DOM monthly.
- What does a Mississippi NEMT vehicle need to display?
- Your business name and phone number on both sides in letters at least 3 inches tall, with no words suggesting Medicaid members ride in it. Inside, post the broker's phone numbers and complaint procedures, plus "All passengers must wear seat belts" and "No smoking" signs.
- Does Mississippi require EVV for NEMT?
- No. Mississippi EVV covers personal care and home health services. NET rides are checked through broker validation of trip requests, signed daily trip logs, and GPS tracking.
- What happened to UnitedHealthcare in Mississippi Medicaid?
- UnitedHealthcare stopped covering MississippiCAN and CHIP members after June 30, 2025. TrueCare, a provider-sponsored plan formed by Mississippi hospitals and health systems, started July 1, 2025. Its members book rides through MTM Health, like Magnolia and Molina members.
- How far ahead do Mississippi Medicaid members book rides?
- At least three business days before the ride. Part 201 makes an exception for hospital discharges and return trips from emergency care, which can be booked with less notice. Modivcare takes fee-for-service reservations at 866-331-6004.
- How fast does the broker pay Mississippi NEMT providers?
- DOM's broker contract terms require payment of at least 90 percent of clean claims within 30 calendar days of receipt and 99 percent within 90 days. Your own payment terms are set in your provider agreement with the broker.
Running NEMT in Mississippi with HealthRide
Mississippi fleets usually carry Modivcare fee-for-service trips and MTM plan trips on the same vans. HealthRide keeps both on one dispatch board and records every payment in one ledger.
The driver app captures signatures on screen and records GPS-recorded miles and pickup and drop-off timestamps on every leg, the same times and signatures the daily trip log asks for. Inspection and credential reminders warn you before a six-month inspection or a driver credential lapses.
Official resources
- Mississippi Division of Medicaid: Covered services (NET)
- Miss. Admin. Code Title 23, Part 201: Transportation Services
- Mississippi Division of Medicaid: Administrative code
- DOM: Modivcare to replace MTM as the new NET broker
- DOM: 2023-2024 procurements (NET brokerage IFB 20230113)
- DOM: NET brokerage services IFB 20230113
- DOM: NET IFB notice of intent to award (April 2023)
- DOM: Notice of contract award, Modivcare NET brokerage services
- DOM: Notice of contract award, MTM emergency contract
- DOM: MS SPA 23-0026 NET emergency contract approved by CMS
- DOM: 2025 MississippiCAN vendor list
- DOM: Managed care
- DOM: MississippiCAN and CHIP contracts
- DOM: Special enrollment period for managed care members (2025)
- DOM: Open Enrollment 2026
- DOM: Electronic Visit Verification (EVV)
- MTM Health: Mississippi
- MTM Health: Join the service provider network
- Modivcare: Mississippi
- Modivcare: Transportation providers
- CMS: State Medicaid and CHIP enrollment data
HealthRide plans the whole day in one click and bills every ride.
$59 per vehicle per month. No contracts.