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How to start a NEMT business in Oregon: CCO ride services, OHA rules, and credentialing

Updated

Oregon has no single NEMT broker. Each coordinated care organization (CCO) runs rides for its members through a contracted ride service, and the Oregon Health Authority runs regional brokerages for open card members. A provider works as a subcontractor to one or more of these brokerages, which set the rates and pay for trips. Oregon has no statewide NEMT license. The Oregon Administrative Rules set the driver and vehicle standards every brokerage enforces.

Oregon NEMT at a glance

Runs the program
Oregon Health Authority (OHA)
Program
Oregon Health Plan (OHP) non-emergent medical transportation (NEMT)
How rides are arranged
Health plans each contract a broker. Each CCO contracts a ride service, called a brokerage, for its members. OHA uses regional brokerages for open card (fee-for-service) members, and in many counties one local brokerage serves both.
Brokers you will contract with
Ride to Care, MTM Health, Modivcare, WellRide (Transdev Health Solutions), RideSource, TransLink, GOBHI, Bay Cities Brokerage, ReadyRide, NW Rides, Cascades West Ride Line, Cascades East Transit, and OHA open card brokerages
State operating license
None statewide. OHA sets vehicle and driver standards in OAR 410-141-3925 (CCO rides) and OAR 410-136-3040 (open card rides).
EVV for NEMT trips
Not required
Medicaid enrollment
1,091,780 (May 2026, Medicaid only)
On this page

How Medicaid NEMT works in Oregon

OHA runs the Oregon Health Plan. NEMT is part of the budget OHA pays each CCO (OAR 410-136-3010), and OAR 410-141-3920 makes every CCO responsible for its members' rides. OHA provides NEMT only for members not enrolled in a CCO, through transportation brokerages it enrolls as OHP providers (OAR 410-136-3020). NEMT is a benefit for OHP Plus members only.

The brokerage decides every trip. It approves the ride before it happens and picks the least costly mode that fits the member's medical needs. OHA's open card brokerages must also assign rides based on cost, the equipment needed, and each provider's capability, availability, and past performance. Members can book up to 90 days ahead, book recurring rides in one call, and ask for same-day rides. Drivers may not drop a member off more than 15 minutes before a clinic opens or pick up more than 15 minutes after it closes, unless the member asks.

For a provider, the brokerage is the customer. OHA does not pay transportation providers for CCO rides; payment is between the CCO, its brokerage, and the provider. Brokerages set a base rate for each mode with each subcontractor. On OHA open card rides, a shared ride pays the full base rate for the first member and half for each additional member, and mileage is paid only for actual miles driven (OAR 410-136-3220).

Governing rule:OAR chapter 410, division 141: Oregon Health Plan (CCO NEMT rules 410-141-3920 to 3965)

Who brokers Medicaid rides in Oregon

The ride service depends on the member's CCO and county, so a fleet in the Portland area may need three different contracts. OHA's ride service map and county lookup list the brokerage for every CCO and for open card members.

BrokerServesProvider sign-up
Ride to Care (CareOregon for Health Share of Oregon)Health Share of Oregon members in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties. CareOregon manages the program, Transdev runs the main call center, and Ride Connection credentials the roughly 60 contracted transportation providers.Provider pageRide Connection provider support 503-528-1751
MTM HealthTrillium Community Health Plan members in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties.Provider pageMember line 877-583-1552
ModivcarePacificSource Community Solutions members in Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, and Klamath counties, the Columbia Gorge (Hood River, Wasco), and Marion and Polk counties.
WellRide (Transdev Health Solutions)Yamhill Community Care members in Yamhill County and parts of Polk and Washington counties.Provider pageProvider line 866-336-2906
RideSource (Lane Transit District)All OHP members in Lane County, plus Trillium members in western Douglas and western Linn counties.PacificSource left Lane County on February 1, 2026, and its members moved to Trillium. RideSource still handles their rides.
TransLink (Rogue Valley Transportation District)Jackson Care Connect members, Cascade Health Alliance members in Klamath County, and open card members in Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, and Lake counties.
GOBHI Transportation ServicesEastern Oregon CCO members in its 12 counties, and open card members in 13 eastern counties including Hood River and Wasco.Provider page
Bay Cities BrokerageAdvanced Health members in Coos and Curry counties and Umpqua Health Alliance members in Douglas County.Since July 1, 2023 for Umpqua Health Alliance.Provider page877-324-8109
ReadyRideAllCare CCO members in Curry, Douglas, Jackson, and Josephine counties.800-479-7920
NW Rides (Tillamook County Transportation District)Columbia Pacific CCO members in Clatsop, Columbia, and Tillamook counties.
Cascades West Ride Line (Oregon Cascades West Council of Governments)InterCommunity Health Network CCO members and open card members in Benton, Lincoln, and Linn counties.
Cascades East Transit (Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council)Open card members in Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties.
OHA open card brokerages: Tri-County MedLink, Marion-Polk MedLink, NW MedLinkOpen card members in Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill (Tri-County MedLink), Marion and Polk (Marion-Polk MedLink), and Clatsop, Columbia, and Tillamook (NW MedLink) counties.

OHA's printed ride service map carries a July 1, 2023 effective date. Plan pages can be newer: PacificSource now lists Modivcare for its Klamath County members, where the map shows TransLink. Check the county lookup on OHA's NEMT page and the CCO's own ride page before you sign.

Many brokerages are public bodies such as transit districts and councils of governments. Their subcontractor contracts, rate requests, and credentialing files run on their own schedules.

How to become a NEMT provider in Oregon

There is no state NEMT application for providers. You contract with each brokerage whose members you want to serve, and each one credentials your drivers and vehicles against the OHA rules plus its own contract.

  1. Form the business

    Register the company with the Oregon Secretary of State and get a federal EIN. OHA does not require an NPI from transportation providers.

    OHA: Oregon Health Plan provider enrollment

  2. Find the brokerages for your counties

    Use OHA's county lookup to see which ride service handles each CCO and open card members where you operate. In the Portland area, Health Share, Trillium, and Yamhill Community Care members each use a different brokerage.

    OHA: OHP and travel help (ride service lookup)

  3. Apply to each brokerage

    Ride to Care providers work through Ride Connection. MTM Health runs application, credentialing, and contracting phases with a contract representative. GOBHI takes inquiries at nemtcredentialing@gobhi.org, and Bay Cities Brokerage posts a vendor application. GOBHI, for one, does not guarantee contracted providers any trip volume.

    Ride to Care: Transportation providers

  4. Equip and maintain every vehicle

    OAR 410-141-3925 requires seat belts, a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, roadside warning devices, a flashlight, traction devices when appropriate, disposable gloves, and ADA equipment for wheelchair or stretcher rides. Follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule and keep heating, air conditioning, mirrors, horn, and lights working. Ride to Care and GOBHI also require an inspection by an ASE-certified mechanic.

    OAR chapter 410, division 141: CCO NEMT rules

  5. Qualify and train drivers

    Before hire, each driver needs the right class of license, must not appear on the federal OIG exclusion list, and must pass a criminal background check under ORS 181A.195 and OAR chapter 257, division 10. Drivers must disclose state drug law violations and their driving history. For CCO rides, defensive driving and Passenger Service and Safety training are due within three months of hire and every three years, and First Aid, CPR, and blood spill training before the first ride.

  6. Carry workers compensation and the contract insurance

    Providers with employees must carry Oregon workers compensation, and OHA requires its brokerages to enforce it (OAR 410-136-3060). Each brokerage sets its own liability limits. MTM Health, for example, requires $1.5 million each in general and auto liability.

    MTM Health: Oregon transportation provider network

  7. Get Portland permits if you pick up in the city

    Ride to Care requires providers that pick up passengers inside the city of Portland to hold the city's permits for their drivers, vehicles, and company.

    City of Portland: Transportation Regulatory Program

Vehicle and driver requirements in Oregon

OHA's rules set the floor for every brokerage. Brokerage contracts add inspections, annual rechecks, and training on top.

Vehicles

RequirementState ruleBroker contract
Safety equipmentSeat belts where legally required, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, roadside warning devices, flashlight, traction devices when appropriate, disposable gloves, and ADA wheelchair or stretcher equipment (OAR 410-141-3925).GOBHI adds a seat belt extender, bloodborne pathogen spill kit, spare tire or repair kit, jack, and seat belt cutter.
Maintenance and inspectionA preventive maintenance schedule that includes everything the manufacturer recommends. Working mirrors, horn, heating, air conditioning, ventilation, turn signals, lights, and wipers.Ride to Care requires an ASE inspection by a certified mechanic. GOBHI requires one every year, a yearly ADA compliance check for wheelchair vehicles, and an ASE check before a damaged vehicle returns to service.
SmokingNo smoking, vaping, or aerosolized inhalants in the vehicle at any time.Same. Some brokerages also ask drivers to keep vehicles fragrance-free.
CamerasNot required by OHA rules.GOBHI strongly recommends inward and outward facing dash cameras and may use the footage in complaints.
Operating licenseNo statewide NEMT license.Brokerage credentialing is the approval that matters. Ride to Care requires City of Portland permits for pickups inside Portland.

Drivers

RequirementState ruleBroker contract
Driver licenseValid license of the class, with endorsements, needed for the vehicle driven (OAR 410-141-3925). Open card rides require an Oregon DMV-issued license (OAR 410-136-3040).Ride to Care accepts Oregon or Washington licenses. GOBHI accepts Oregon, Washington, Idaho, or California licenses.
Background and exclusionsCriminal background check under ORS 181A.195 and 181A.200, not on the OIG exclusion list, and disclosure of drug law violations and driving history. CCOs must have an exception process for drivers with a record.GOBHI rechecks the background and driving record every year and runs exclusion checks monthly. Ride to Care reviews both every year.
TrainingCCO rides: defensive driving and Passenger Service and Safety within three months of hire and every three years; First Aid, CPR, and blood spill before driving members. Open card rides allow six months (OAR 410-136-3040).GOBHI adds yearly HIPAA, fraud, waste and abuse, mandatory reporter, cultural competence, and bloodborne pathogen training, plus a road test in the vehicle type.
Drug and alcohol testingNo pre-hire drug test in the OHA NEMT rules.GOBHI can require an 8-panel laboratory drug screen at initial credentialing. Ride to Care requires a drug-free workplace policy.

Insurance minimums in Oregon

OHA's rules set no dollar minimum for transportation providers. Oregon's auto liability floor applies to every vehicle, and each brokerage writes its own limits into the contract.

CoverageMinimumSet by
NEMT-specific minimumNone in the OHA NEMT rulesBrokerage contract
Auto liability, any vehicle$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, $20,000 property damageORS 806.070
MTM Health (Trillium, Portland area)$1,500,000 general liability and $1,500,000 auto liability, MTM listed as certificate holder and additional insuredBroker contract
Workers compensationRequired for employers with subject workers; brokerages must require it of subcontractorsOAR 410-136-3060, ORS 656.017
Proof of coverageCertificate before the first trip and at every renewal; a lapse pulls trips from your scheduleBrokerage contract (Ride to Care, GOBHI)

Does Oregon require EVV for NEMT?

No. The federal Cures Act requires electronic visit verification for Medicaid personal care and home health services, and OAR 410-127-0046 applies it to Oregon home health agencies from January 1, 2024. NEMT is not an EVV service.

Brokerages check rides instead. OHA brokerages must call medical providers to confirm appointments on at least 5 percent of ride requests (OAR 410-136-3020). In September 2025 CareOregon told clinics that Ride to Care may ask them to confirm Health Share members' appointments, and that trips it cannot confirm may be denied. GOBHI requires providers to keep the scheduled and actual pickup times, drop-off time, mileage, driver, vehicle, and authorization number for every trip for ten years.

OAR 410-127-0046: Electronic visit verification (home health)

What changed in Oregon in 2025 and 2026

Oregon had 1,091,780 people on Medicaid and 180,216 on CHIP in May 2026, according to CMS's preliminary monthly data. OHA's own enrollment report shows more than 90 percent of OHP members in a CCO in June 2026, which is why the CCO table above decides who pays you.

Ride to Care, which serves Health Share members in the Portland metro, works with about 60 contracted transportation providers.

Rates are negotiated. Under OHA's open card rules, brokerages set a base rate for each mode with each subcontractor and do not pay for time spent loading or waiting, except in special cases such as a member who cannot transfer from the provider's stretcher. GOBHI assigns rides mainly on rate, takes a rate request from a provider once every 90 days, and answers within 30 days.

Two rule changes matter in 2026. PacificSource left Lane County on February 1, 2026, moving its members to Trillium, though RideSource still runs their rides. From July 1, 2026, OAR 410-141-3920 bars CCO rides to an emergency department for care that was not prescheduled, including trips from urgent care clinics.

  1. Umpqua Health Alliance moves its NEMT from MTM to Bay Cities Brokerage. OHA's current open card brokerage map takes effect.

    Notice

  2. OHA starts a pilot letting CCOs use certified transportation network companies when no NEMT driver takes a ride.

    Notice

  3. The CCO transportation network company pilot ends.

    Notice

  4. CareOregon tells medical providers that Ride to Care may ask them to confirm Health Share members' appointments.

    Notice

  5. PacificSource Community Solutions stops serving Lane County. Its OHP members move to Trillium Community Health Plan.

    Notice

  6. An amended OAR 410-141-3920 takes effect, barring CCO NEMT rides to an emergency department for care that was not prescheduled.

    Notice

Frequently asked questions

Who is the NEMT broker in Oregon?
There is no single broker. Each CCO uses its own ride service: Ride to Care for Health Share, MTM Health for Trillium in the Portland area, RideSource in Lane County, Modivcare for PacificSource, WellRide for Yamhill Community Care, GOBHI for Eastern Oregon CCO, and regional services such as TransLink, Bay Cities Brokerage, ReadyRide, NW Rides, and Cascades West Ride Line. OHA runs separate brokerages for open card members.
Do I need a license to run a NEMT business in Oregon?
Oregon has no statewide NEMT license. You need a registered business, a subcontract with each brokerage you serve, and drivers and vehicles that meet OAR 410-141-3925. Ride to Care requires City of Portland permits for pickups inside Portland.
How do I become a Medicaid transportation provider in Oregon?
Find the brokerages for your counties on OHA's ride service lookup, then apply to each one. Each brokerage credentials drivers and vehicles, checks insurance, and signs a subcontract with you. Payment for CCO rides runs through the brokerage, not OHA.
What training do Oregon NEMT drivers need?
For CCO rides, drivers need defensive driving and Passenger Service and Safety training within three months of hire and every three years, and First Aid, CPR, and blood spill training before they drive any member. Open card brokerages allow six months. Brokerages such as GOBHI add yearly HIPAA, fraud, and mandatory reporter training.
What insurance does an Oregon NEMT provider need?
OHA sets no dollar minimum for providers, and the state auto floor is $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, and $20,000 property damage. Brokerages set the real limits. MTM Health requires $1.5 million each in general and auto liability for its Trillium network, and employers must carry workers compensation.
Does Oregon require EVV for NEMT?
No. EVV in Oregon applies to Medicaid personal care and home health services. Brokerages confirm rides through appointment checks and trip records instead.
How do Oregon brokerages pay NEMT providers?
Each brokerage negotiates a base rate per mode with each provider. On OHA open card rides, a shared ride pays the full base rate for the first member and half for each added member, and only actual miles are paid. Time spent loading or waiting is not paid except in special cases.
What changed for Lane County NEMT in 2026?
PacificSource stopped serving Lane County on February 1, 2026, and its members moved to Trillium. RideSource, run by Lane Transit District, still arranges rides for every OHP member in the county.
Can an Oregon NEMT ride go to the emergency room?
Not for unscheduled care. Since July 1, 2026, OAR 410-141-3920 bars CCO NEMT rides to an emergency department for services that were not prescheduled, including from urgent care clinics.

Running NEMT in Oregon with HealthRide

Oregon fleets often drive for two or three brokerages at once, each with its own portal and trip rules. HealthRide keeps every trip on one dispatch board and records every payment, whichever brokerage it came from, in one ledger.

Signatures are captured on screen in the driver app for every leg. The trip log exports as CSV or PDF with scheduled and actual pickup times, drop-off times, driver, vehicle, and miles, which are the trip records GOBHI and other brokerages ask providers to keep.

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