How to start a NEMT business in Tennessee: TennCare brokers, rules, and enrollment
TennCare delivers NEMT through its managed care organizations, and each one hires a broker. Verida handles BlueCare and TennCare Select members, and Tennessee Carriers handles UnitedHealthcare and Wellpoint members. There is no separate NEMT license. The rules that matter sit in Attachment XI of TennCare's statewide MCO contract, which sets driver training, drug testing, background checks, vehicle equipment, and insurance for every provider in either network.
Tennessee NEMT at a glance
- Runs the program
- Division of TennCare
- Program
- TennCare Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) benefit
- How rides are arranged
- Health plans each contract a broker. Each TennCare MCO contracts a broker. Verida serves BlueCare and TennCare Select; Tennessee Carriers serves UnitedHealthcare and Wellpoint.
- Brokers you will contract with
- Verida, Tennessee Carriers
- State operating license
- None for NEMT. Drivers need a Class D license with the F (for hire) endorsement or a CDL. Stretcher vehicles need a Department of Health invalid vehicle permit.
- EVV for NEMT trips
- Not required
- Medicaid enrollment
- 1,357,979 (July 2026)
On this page
How Medicaid NEMT works in Tennessee
TennCare delivers Medicaid services through managed care organizations. BlueCare, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, and Wellpoint (formerly Amerigroup) enroll members in all three grand regions, and TennCare Select covers a smaller group. Every MCO must provide NEMT to covered services under Attachment XI of the TennCare statewide contract, most recently amended July 1, 2026, and each delivers it through a broker.
Members or their representatives request rides at least two business days ahead through the NEMT call center for their plan, and the broker verifies urgency with the medical provider when notice is shorter. The broker approves or denies each request within 24 hours, picks the most cost-effective mode, and assigns the trip to a contracted provider. Members do not get to pick the transportation company. Will-call returns must be picked up within an hour of the call.
For a provider the path is short: register with TennCare for a Medicaid ID, then contract with Verida, Tennessee Carriers, or both. Brokers pay providers under their own agreements, which TennCare requires to include its vehicle, driver, training, and insurance standards. The contract also requires fraud checks: pre-trip validation of 2 percent of scheduled trips each month, and matching 2 percent of each provider's monthly NEMT claims against medical claims.
Governing rule:TennCare statewide MCO contract (Amendment 25, July 1, 2026), Attachment XI: NEMT requirements
Who brokers Medicaid rides in Tennessee
Two brokers split all four TennCare plans. Contract with both if you want every member in your area. TennCare lists each plan's call center on its NEMT provider page.
| Broker | Serves | Provider sign-up |
|---|---|---|
| Verida | BlueCare and TennCare Select members statewide, 556,511 members in July 2026. Verida was formerly Southeastrans. | Provider pageProvider service line 1-855-735-1020 |
| Tennessee Carriers | UnitedHealthcare Community Plan and Wellpoint members statewide, 796,549 members in July 2026. A Memphis-based company serving TennCare since 1994. | Provider page901-795-7055 |
Both brokers add providers only where the network needs capacity. Verida reviews each Request for Qualifications against need in the applicant's region, and Tennessee Carriers selects new vendors on network needs, capabilities, experience, and location.
Transportation network companies can serve TennCare members only on the terms of TennCare policy PRO 22-003.
How to become a NEMT provider in Tennessee
Expect three layers: TennCare registration, broker credentialing, and a driver file for every driver that meets Attachment XI.
Form the business and register with TennCare
Register the company with the Tennessee Secretary of State and get a federal EIN. Federal managed care rules require the state to enroll every network provider, including companies paid through a broker (42 CFR 438.602(b)), and TennCare issues the TennCare/Medicaid ID through its online provider registration. Register before you apply to a broker.
Apply to Verida
Submit Verida's Request for Qualifications with your driver and vehicle lists. If your region needs capacity, Verida interviews you and asks for business documents, then inspects vehicles, trains drivers, and holds a provider orientation. Its checklist includes a current business license, proof of liability insurance, current background checks and motor vehicle reports for drivers, and drug screens for owners and drivers.
Apply to Tennessee Carriers
Download the Tennessee Carriers application, complete every section, and email it to NEMTOnboarding@tenncarriers.com. Incomplete applications are rejected, and not every applicant is accepted.
Build a compliant driver file
Attachment XI requires 32 hours of training before the first trip and 15 hours every year, a physical exam at least as thorough as the FMCSA commercial driver exam, a drug test before service plus random, post-accident, and reasonable-suspicion testing, criminal background checks under TCA 38-6-109 plus a national check every five years, registry and exclusion checks, and an annual motor vehicle report.
Equip and mark every vehicle
Exhibit C of Attachment XI lists the equipment: working heat and air conditioning, two seat belt extensions, a seat belt cutter, a stocked first aid kit, a Class B fire extinguisher inspected within 12 months, a spill kit, and emergency triangles. Your business name and phone number go on both sides in letters at least 3 inches tall, and nothing on the vehicle may suggest it carries TennCare members. The broker inspects each vehicle at least once a year and applies a sticker.
License stretcher service with the Department of Health
Stretcher vehicles must be owned and operated by an entity licensed by the Tennessee Department of Health to provide invalid services, with a DOH ground invalid vehicle permit. Ambulances need a DOH ambulance permit.
Vehicle and driver requirements in Tennessee
In Tennessee the state standard is TennCare's MCO contract, which every broker agreement must carry. Verida and Tennessee Carriers add their own checks.
Vehicles
| Requirement | State rule | Broker contract |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection | Broker inspects every vehicle before use and at least once a year; a passing vehicle gets a sticker on the passenger-side rear window showing its plate (Attachment XI, A.17.6). | Verida inspects vehicles as step 3 of its four-step credentialing. |
| Markings | Business name and phone number on both sides in letters at least 3 inches tall; no wording implying TennCare riders; license number, the plan's toll-free number, and complaint steps posted inside in English and Spanish (Exhibit C). | Same. |
| Safety equipment | Heat and air conditioning, two seat belt extensions, seat belt cutter, first aid kit, Class B fire extinguisher, spill kit, emergency triangles, no smoking (Exhibit C). | Checked at the broker inspection. |
| Accessibility | Vehicles carrying members with disabilities meet ADA accessibility specifications. | Verida trains drivers on wheelchair securement, stretcher operation, and pre-trip assessment. |
| Stretcher and ambulance | Department of Health invalid service license and ground invalid vehicle permit for stretcher transport; DOH ambulance permit for ambulances. | Brokers do not inspect DOH-permitted invalid vehicles or ambulances. |
Drivers
| Requirement | State rule | Broker contract |
|---|---|---|
| Age and license | At least 18, with a Class D license and F (for hire) endorsement or a Class A, B, or C CDL. | Current driver credentials on file (Verida checklist). |
| Training | 32 hours before the first trip and 15 hours a year, covering passenger assistance, wheelchair securement, HIPAA, ADA, defensive driving, infection control, fraud reporting, and an annual road test. | Verida adds Medic First Aid and CPR with AED, National Safety Council defensive driving, and the AAA Driver Improvement Program. |
| Drug and alcohol testing | Test before service, random tests of at least 20 percent of drivers a year, same-day post-accident tests, and reasonable-suspicion tests, to FMCSA standards. | Verida requires current drug screens for all owners and drivers. |
| Background checks | Criminal check under TCA 38-6-109 plus a national check before service and every five years; Tennessee Abuse Registry, Felony Offender Registry, LEIE, SAM, and TennCare terminated provider list; sex offender registries before service and every year. | Current criminal background checks for all drivers (Verida). |
| Driving record | Annual MVR covering every state lived in: no DUI in 10 years, no reckless driving or leaving an injury accident in 36 months, no more than two minor moving violations in 12 months, and no more than one at-fault accident in 36 months. | Current motor vehicle report for all drivers (Verida). |
| Physical exam | Before service, at least as extensive as the FMCSA commercial driver medical exam, with an attestation in the driver file. | Tennessee Carriers drivers get regular physicals and drug and alcohol testing. |
Insurance minimums in Tennessee
TennCare writes the minimums into every NEMT provider agreement. Brokers can ask for more.
| Coverage | Minimum | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Automobile liability | $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence, including owned, leased, hired, and non-owned vehicles | TennCare MCO contract, Attachment XI, A.13.3.14 |
| Commercial general liability | $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate | TennCare MCO contract, Attachment XI, A.13.3.14 |
| Workers compensation and employers liability | Statutory workers compensation; employers liability of the statutory amount or $1,000,000 per occurrence, whichever is greater | TennCare MCO contract, Attachment XI, A.13.3.14 |
| Verida additions | Carrier rated A- or better; general liability with $1,000,000 sexual abuse and molestation coverage and $2,000,000 aggregate; auto policy covering all owned, hired, and non-owned vehicles | Broker contract |
Does Tennessee require EVV for NEMT?
No. TennCare applies EVV to personal care and home health services, including CHOICES and ECF CHOICES home and community based services and private duty nursing (MCO contract, section A.2.9.17). NEMT is not included.
NEMT has its own controls in Attachment XI. Drivers keep daily logs with the VIN, the broker's trip number, the mode, scheduled and actual pickup times, and notes on no-shows, cancellations, and incidents (Exhibit E). Brokers pre-validate 2 percent of scheduled trips each month and match 2 percent of the claims each provider submits each month against medical claims. When a trip turns out not to be for a covered service, the broker validates that member's next three requests.
What changed in Tennessee in 2025 and 2026
TennCare covered 1,357,979 members in July 2026: BlueCare 529,180, UnitedHealthcare 401,086, Wellpoint 395,463, and TennCare Select 27,331. That puts about 797,000 members behind Tennessee Carriers and 557,000 behind Verida.
The MCO contract sets the service bar for both brokers. Drivers wait at least five minutes after the scheduled pickup and call dispatch before leaving. Members should not wait more than 10 minutes past the pickup time, must be dropped off at least 15 minutes before the appointment, and may not arrive more than an hour early. On shared rides, no member rides more than an hour longer than the direct trip.
Rates are set in each broker agreement, and each MCO must keep a fuel price adjustment policy for NEMT payments. Brokers use the most cost-effective mode, including mileage reimbursement when a friend or family member can drive.
Tennessee has tested shared credentialing. TennCare, all three MCOs, and both brokers ran a nine-month pilot with NEMTAC, written up in a fall 2022 white paper, that cut redundant compliance tasks by 75 to 86 percent. The current MCO contract still commits the plans to pilot NEMT credentialing software.
TennCare revises its NEMT provider FAQ, confirming the two-business-day notice rule and the Verida and Tennessee Carriers call centers.
TennCare revises its How to Schedule a Ride guide with the current broker for each plan and hospital discharge pickup times of 3 hours urban and 4 hours non-urban.
Amendment 25 to the TennCare statewide MCO contract takes effect, carrying the Attachment XI NEMT requirements.
TennCare reports 1,357,979 members across BlueCare, UnitedHealthcare, Wellpoint, and TennCare Select.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the NEMT broker in Tennessee?
- It depends on the member's plan. Verida arranges rides for BlueCare (1-855-735-4660) and TennCare Select (1-866-473-7565). Tennessee Carriers arranges rides for UnitedHealthcare (1-866-405-0238) and Wellpoint (1-866-680-0633). Providers contract with the broker, not with TennCare directly.
- Do I need a license to run a NEMT business in Tennessee?
- There is no state NEMT license. Drivers need a Class D license with the F (for hire) endorsement or a CDL, and stretcher vehicles must be operated by a Department of Health licensed invalid service with a DOH vehicle permit. Federal rules also require every network provider, including those paid through a broker, to enroll with TennCare for a TennCare/Medicaid ID.
- How do I become a TennCare transportation provider?
- Register with TennCare for a Medicaid ID, then apply to Verida through its Request for Qualifications and to Tennessee Carriers through its application sent to NEMTOnboarding@tenncarriers.com. Both brokers accept new providers only where they need capacity. Expect vehicle inspections, driver training, and a review of every driver file.
- What are the driver requirements for TennCare NEMT?
- Drivers must be at least 18 with a Class D license and F endorsement or a CDL, complete 32 hours of training before service and 15 hours a year, pass a physical and a drug test, join a random testing pool, clear state and national background checks every five years and sex offender checks every year, and keep a clean motor vehicle report.
- What insurance does a TennCare NEMT provider need?
- TennCare requires $1,000,000 combined single limit auto liability covering owned, leased, hired, and non-owned vehicles, $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate general liability, and workers compensation with at least $1,000,000 employers liability. Verida also asks for an A- or better carrier and sexual abuse and molestation coverage.
- Does Tennessee require EVV for NEMT?
- No. TennCare's EVV requirement covers personal care and home health services, including CHOICES and ECF CHOICES home and community based services. NEMT providers keep daily driver logs and pass broker trip validation checks instead.
- How much notice do TennCare members give for a ride?
- At least two business days. For shorter notice, the call center checks with the medical provider whether the trip is urgent, such as a hospital discharge, a facility transfer, or same-day dialysis or behavioral health care. Will-call return trips must be picked up within an hour of the call.
Running NEMT in Tennessee with HealthRide
A provider contracted with both Verida and Tennessee Carriers answers to two brokers. HealthRide runs every trip on one dispatch board and records every payment, whichever payer it came from, in one ledger.
Credential expiry reminders and assignment guards keep drivers with lapsed credentials off the schedule, and the trip log exports as CSV or PDF.
Official resources
- TennCare: Non-Emergency Medical Transportation benefit (providers)
- TennCare: How to schedule a ride (rev. June 2026)
- TennCare: NEMT provider frequently asked questions (rev. November 2025)
- TennCare: Statewide MCO contract with Amendment 25 (July 1, 2026)
- TennCare: Managed care contractors
- TennCare: Provider registration
- 42 CFR 438.602: State responsibilities (provider screening and enrollment)
- 42 CFR 438.2: Definitions (network provider)
- Tennessee Secretary of State: Business services
- TennCare: Enrollment data
- TennCare: Enrollment report for July 2026
- TennCare and NEMTAC: Tennessee Medicaid NEMT credentialing pilot (fall 2022)
- Verida: Tennessee transportation providers
- Verida: Provider and driver training
- Verida: About Verida (formerly Southeastrans)
- Tennessee Carriers: NEMT providers
- Tennessee Carriers: About us
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