NEMT dispatch log template: the day's changes, delays, and decisions
A NEMT dispatch log is the running, timed record of every change dispatch makes to the day's plan: reassigned trips, late alerts, breakdowns, cancellations, no-shows, broker calls, and incidents. Each entry names the trip, what happened, who was told and when, and who made the call. When a rider complains or a broker audits, it shows what dispatch knew and what it did.
On this page
What the log is for
The daily manifest is the plan. The dispatch log is what happened to the plan. Every time a trip moves to another driver, a van goes down, a rider cancels at the door, or a broker calls with a change, dispatch writes one timed line saying what happened and who decided what to do.
It is not a replacement for the other records. The trip log proves each ride for payment, the incident report covers anything that hurt someone or damaged something, and the complaint log tracks complaints to closure. The dispatch log ties them together with times. When a rider says nobody came, it shows when the late alert went up, who was called, and what the broker was told.
How to keep it
- One line per event, written when it happens. An entry rebuilt from memory at the end of the day loses the details that matter. Keep the log open all shift.
- Time every entry to the minute. Broker deadlines run in minutes and hours, so the log has to as well.
- Name people. “Called broker” is weak. “Called broker at 9:42, spoke to Dana, reference 55812” holds up.
- Write what was seen and heard. CareOregon asks providers to document incidents objectively, meaning what was seen, heard, or measured, not what someone felt or sensed. Apply the same rule to every entry.
- Never erase. If an entry is wrong, add a new line that corrects it and points to the original time. Illinois’s transportation handbook warns that falsified records can be referred to law enforcement.
- Close the loop. Any entry that owes a follow-up (a callback, a report, a broker email) stays open until a later line closes it.
- Hand off in writing. At shift change, the outgoing dispatcher lists every open item, and the incoming dispatcher initials the list.
The template
Log header
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Date | |
| Dispatchers on duty, with start and end times | |
| Drivers out today, and any called out sick | |
| Vehicles out of service at the start of the day, and why | |
| Trips on the board at start of day | |
| Weather or road closures affecting today’s runs |
Entry columns
| Time | Trip ID / rider initials | Driver / vehicle | Code | What happened (facts only) | Who was told: name, time, how, reference | Decision, and who made it | Follow-up owed / closed at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Event codes
| Code | Event | The entry must show |
|---|---|---|
| RA | Trip reassigned to another driver | Old and new driver, the reason, updated arrival time given to the rider |
| LT | Late alert | How late, when dispatch knew, every rider and facility called, broker told |
| BD | Breakdown or lift failure | Vehicle, location, riders on board, how they were moved, backup arrival time |
| CX | Cancellation | Who cancelled (rider, facility, broker, your company), when, how far ahead of pickup |
| NS | Rider no-show | Arrival time, wait time, call attempts, dispatch approval before the driver left |
| TB | Trip returned to the broker | When, why, the broker’s confirmation |
| AD | Same-day add | Who requested it, the authorization or trip number, the driver assigned |
| CH | Change to time, address, or vehicle type | Who approved it, and the reference number |
| WT | Extra wait approved | Who approved, how long |
| BK | Broker call, either direction | Name, reference, what was agreed |
| IN | Incident or accident | Time reported, who was notified and when, written report due and sent |
| CP | Complaint received | Who complained, the complaint log number |
| SF | Safety or weather | What changed, who decided, which trips moved |
Example entries
The entries below are an example for a hypothetical Tuesday. The names and numbers are made up.
| Time | Trip / rider | Driver / vehicle | Code | What happened | Who was told | Decision | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:12 | 4418 / J.M. | L. Ortiz / Van 3 | LT | Van 3 behind after a road closure; next pickup projected 20 minutes late | J.M. by phone 7:14; dialysis desk 7:15 | Keep on Van 3, new arrival 7:50 (dispatcher K.R.) | Tell broker; closed 7:20 |
| 7:20 | 4418 / J.M. | L. Ortiz / Van 3 | BK | Broker told of delay | Broker line, agent Sam, ref 99120 | None needed | Closed |
| 9:05 | 4431 / R.T. | B. Chen / Van 5 | BD | Lift will not deploy at pickup; rider still at home | R.T. 9:07; broker 9:10, ref 99147 | Van 2 sent, arrival 9:40 (K.R.) | Van 5 out of service; closed 9:45 |
| 11:30 | 4450 / A.S. | M. Diaz / Van 1 | NS | Arrived 11:28 for 11:30 pickup; no answer at door | Calls to A.S. 11:33 and 11:40 | Driver cleared to leave 11:46 after 15-minute wait (K.R.) | No-show reported to broker 11:50 |
| 14:02 | 4477 / P.W. | B. Chen / Van 2 | CH | Facility asked for pickup at the east entrance instead of main | Broker 14:05, ref 99203 | Approved by broker | Driver told 14:06; closed |
Close-out
| Item | Entry |
|---|---|
| Entries by code today (RA, LT, BD, CX, NS, TB, AD, CH, WT, BK, IN, CP, SF) | |
| Incidents with written reports sent, and when | |
| Open follow-ups carried to tomorrow, with owner | |
| Vehicles still out of service | |
| Closing dispatcher’s initials and time |
Deadlines the log helps you prove
Broker rules turn minutes into money, and the log is your evidence. A few examples:
| Program | Event | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia Medicaid | Late vehicle | 20 minutes behind schedule counts as excessively late; a backup vehicle is due within 30 minutes |
| Georgia Medicaid and MTM Health, Rhode Island | Delay at pickups | The provider contacts waiting riders at their pickup points about the delay and offers other arrangements when appropriate |
| MTM Health, Rhode Island | Injury, police, EMS, missing rider | Call MTM at once; the written account follows inside 24 hours, and any police report inside 5 business days |
| MTM Health, Rhode Island | Non-injury accident, securement problem, verbal altercation | Report within 24 hours; a missed reporting deadline brings $500 in liquidated damages |
| CareOregon | No-show | The driver waits at least 15 minutes past the scheduled pickup time and cannot leave without telling dispatch |
| CareOregon | Late assignment | If the brokerage gives you a same-day ride that is late before you get it, the pickup time is not changed, you are not penalized for the late pickup, and the brokerage notes that it assigned the trip late |
| MTM Health, Virginia (trips from October 1, 2026) | Any incident or accident | Failing to report it to MTM Health is a level 3 infraction worth 3 points; points last a year, and 10 points means termination from the network |
Our guides on a driver running late and a vehicle breakdown cover what to do in the moment. The log is where you write down that you did it.
Using the log when questions come
- A complaint. Pull every line for that trip. The late alert time, the calls, and the broker reference usually settle whether the complaint is about the delay itself or about not hearing about it. MTM Health’s Virginia standard is fewer than 0.1% substantiated complaints against completed trips.
- A broker audit. Georgia’s broker must be able to pull its records within two business days when the state asks. CareOregon has its brokerages check 5% of all trips before and after the ride, and its manual requires providers to help with those audits and supply what is requested. File each day’s log where you can find it by date.
- Coaching drivers. Three late alerts in a week on the same run can point to the schedule as easily as the driver, so check both. Count codes by driver and by run each month.
- Fixing the plan. Recurring breakdowns point to a maintenance gap. Recurring same-day adds from one facility point to a standing order that should exist.
For the full shape of a dispatcher’s day, see the dispatcher checklist.
Where software helps
In HealthRide, every change is recorded, and changes made from the office or from the road show up for everyone in real time. Late pickups are flagged on the live map, the fleet list, and the dispatch board together, so the late alert is on screen before a rider calls. Trip records keep timestamps, GPS-recorded miles, signatures, and recorded no-show waits, so the facts behind each log entry are already saved.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a dispatch log different from a trip log?
- A trip log proves each ride happened: pickup and drop-off times, miles, and the rider's signature, which payers check before they pay. On Virginia fee-for-service trips from October 1, 2026, for example, MTM Health denies the claim when the electronic trip log lacks the trip ID, the scheduled or actual pickup time, the departure or arrival time, or the member's signature. A dispatch log records the office side of the same day: why a trip moved, who approved it, and who was called.
- How soon does a broker need to hear about an incident?
- Fast, and the log is how you show you met the deadline. For injuries, police or EMS calls, and similar events, MTM Health's Rhode Island handbook expects a call at once, the written account inside a day, and a copy of the police report inside five business days. Missing a deadline costs $500 in liquidated damages. CareOregon wants immediate written notice when anyone is hurt and a report within 24 hours for incidents without injury.
- When does a late vehicle become the broker's problem too?
- Sooner than many dispatchers think. Georgia's NEMT rules call a vehicle excessively late at 20 minutes behind schedule and expect a backup vehicle in place within 30 minutes. Georgia and MTM Health in Rhode Island both require the provider to reach riders at their pickup points and explain the delay. Log the minute you knew, each rider and facility you called, and when you told the broker.
- Can dispatch move a pickup time to make the schedule work?
- Not on a broker trip without approval. CareOregon's manual requires brokerage sign-off before a provider changes a pickup time, appointment time, or address, and before swapping in a different vehicle type unless the new one still meets the rider's needs. Trips not run as authorized are not paid. Write down who approved the change, the time, and any reference number.
- How long should dispatch logs be kept?
- Keep them as long as your longest record rule. CareOregon asks providers to keep trip documentation, including grievances and incidents, for at least six years after service. Federal managed care rules make health plans keep grievance and appeal records for at least 10 years and pass that duty to subcontractors where it applies. Every Medicaid provider agreement also requires records that show the extent of services furnished.
- Should the log use rider names?
- Use the trip ID and the rider's initials when the trip ID leads back to the full record. The log gets read by dispatchers, supervisors, and sometimes brokers, so keep it to what each entry needs. HIPAA's minimum necessary standard asks covered providers to limit the health information they use and share to the purpose at hand. Leave diagnoses and medical details out entirely.
