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October 30, 20266 min
Congress Wants Every Medicaid Trip Verified? Genie Journal Recap, NEMT News October 2026
A bill in Congress would require electronic proof of every Medicaid trip starting January 2027. Three states moved on coverage, contracts, and rural funding. And a Mayo Clinic study put a number on what a missing ride costs. October was the month the trip became the thing everyone is measuring. This recap covers HR 10618, the STOP Medicaid Fraud Act and its six-point trip verification standard, Iowa's proposed NEMT coverage for low-income adults, Louisiana's statewide broker contract going to bid, Kansas grants aimed at the rural transportation gap, the CMS Investing in Health Outcomes model with 37 state partners, a Mayo Clinic finding that unmet transportation needs cut show rates by 5.2 points, and Minnesota tying NEMT mileage rates to fuel prices. Get the full analysis and source links in The Genie Journal newsletter: https://go.routegenie.com/newsletter RouteGenie builds routing, dispatching, billing, and credentialing software for NEMT providers. See how it works: https://routegenie.com/get-a-demo/ #NEMT #Medicaid #MedicalTransportation #NEMTsoftware #RouteGenie
September 30, 20267 min
Colorado Rate Cuts Close NEMT Providers | September NEMT News 2026
September was defined by costs providers do not set.Colorado's July 1 rate change dropped the per-trip ambulatory rate to $12.15, down from $36.40, and mileage to $2.74. Transit-to-Care, serving the Pikes Peak region, closed September 1. Van With a Plan stopped transporting about 25 families and let roughly 15 people go, but it remains in operation. Those trips did not disappear. More than twenty providers still serve El Paso County, new provider enrollment reopens October 1, and the state moves to a single broker January 1.Fuel moved the same direction. Regular gasoline reached $4.48 a gallon for the week of September 21, up about 43 cents since mid-August. Diesel set a record weekly average above $6.50.The month was not all pressure. Iowa filed a state plan amendment adding non-emergency medical transportation for its Health and Wellness Plan population, creating new trip volume where none existed. New York City released Vision Zero Reimagined, a ten-year plan whose fleet safety commitments reach contracted and regulated fleets. Waymo launched transit rewards in the Bay Area, positioning autonomous service as a connection to transit rather than a replacement. And the Department of Transportation released America Leads, its updated national strategy for automated vehicles, with no binding rules yet and a roadmap running through 2030.Three Medicaid transportation contracts also changed hands in Virginia, Washington D.C., and Orange County, California. The lesson across all three is the same: a transition date on paper is not a transition date until the award clears and your paperwork is current.We close with the new episode of Inside the Lamp, where Cameron Craig talks with Jim Ingalls, Director of Operations at MediCab of Rochester. Jim joined as a driver in 1991 and is direct about the squeeze. Insurance on thirty-two vehicles ran over $500,000 this year while Medicaid reimbursement stayed flat.The through line is straightforward. The rate, the wage, and the price at the pump are set somewhere else. Routing, verification, credentialing, and service mix are set by you.Read the full issue: https://routegenie.com/blog/genie-journal-september-2026/Subscribe to The Genie Journal: https://go.routegenie.com/newsletterLearn about RouteGenie: https://routegenie.com
September 29, 202628 min
$500K on Insurance and Still Fully Booked: Jim Ingalls, MediCab of Rochester
Driver in 1991. Director of Operations today. Jim Ingalls has spent 35 years at MediCab of Rochester, and he doesn't sugarcoat what it takes to run NEMT in New York right now. Cameron Craig sits down with Jim to talk about how a company started in 1975 out of a basement in Rochester became a 32-vehicle operation that's fully booked every day. Jim covers losing the adult day program business to a state rate cut, pivoting into car transports, and why they now run more taxis than wheelchair vans. He also gets into the real cost of doing business: over $500,000 a year on vehicle insurance, Medicaid rates that haven't kept pace with minimum wage, and GPS breadcrumb verification that can hold up payment for weeks when an appointment gets canceled. Plus how he got longtime drivers to buy into new technology, including an 80-year-old driver whose career got extended by it, and why the dash cams he fought against turned into his biggest win of the year. 00:00 Intro 00:39 The MediCab of Rochester story 03:00 From fax and paper to software 04:47 Getting drivers on board with technology 10:31 Fleet mix and the pivot away from adult day programs 13:01 GPS verification and deviation requests in New York 17:29 Insurance, wages, and Medicaid reimbursement rates 20:50 Advice for new operators 22:29 Dispatch: pre-planned routes vs on the fly 23:58 The dash cam win 25:50 What's next for MediCab Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJI2vZL9Gfg If you're building something interesting in transportation or care and want to join us on Inside the Lamp, fill out our guest form: https://forms.gle/RnaYKHUJsn4JtrNh7
August 31, 202610 min
$12M in Fake Medicaid Rides and a Broker Shakeup | Genie Journal Recap, August 2026
Four people were charged this month over twelve million dollars in Medicaid transportation claims, and the operation behind it was never a transportation company. Prosecutors say it manufactured ride data and spoofed GPS coordinates, then supplied it to companies that billed Medicaid for trips that never happened. That is one of six stories in the August Genie Journal Recap, your monthly update on the regulatory, financial, and operational shifts shaping medical transportation. In this episode: (00:19) RouteGenie at NEMTAC Transform 2026 in Orlando, where accountability ran through the whole agenda (01:13) DOJ charges the "War Room" in a $12M Medicaid transportation fraud case, and what it means that the claims were caught as unmatched (03:04) Alabama, West Virginia and North Dakota put roughly $8.5M behind NEMT vehicles and wheelchair-accessible capacity (04:40) A 125-mile wheelchair ride to the Wisconsin State Capitol (05:47) Maine's high court upholds Modivcare's $750M MaineCare contract, and Montana moves to Modivcare on October 1 (07:03) Nevada clears thousands of robotaxis for Las Vegas, and why the accessibility gap still matters (08:23) RouteGenie now integrates directly with Uber Health (08:52) A new Inside the Lamp episode with BraunAbility, plus Cameron Craig on the SourceForge Podcast August rewarded the same provider throughout: the one who can document the work, enroll early, and deliver the hands-on service technology still cannot. Subscribe to The Genie Journal newsletter: https://go.routegenie.com/newsletter Broker changes guide: https://routegenie.com/blog/nemt-broker-changes/ Inside the Lamp with BraunAbility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN0Yib8Ho7E Sources: U.S. Department of Justice, Alabama Governor's Office, West Virginia Department of Health, North Dakota HHS, Wisconsin Examiner, Maine Morning Star, Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Montana DPHHS, TechCrunch, NEMTAC.
August 26, 202620 min
20 Years in NEMT ft. Chas McCarthy, Orqa Group | Inside the Lamp NEMT Podcast
Is rideshare a threat to NEMT, or the most useful tool in the toolbox? Host Jonathon Anthon talks with Chas McCarthy, General Manager at Orqa Group, who has spent nearly two decades across the NEMT ecosystem in operations, provider relations, and broker management. Chas covers what makes the broker and provider relationship work, why rideshare has matured into an asset rather than a disruptor, and how aligning stakeholders around one definition of success leads to better outcomes for patients, providers, brokers, and payers. He also shares how endurance sports and the volunteer fire service shaped his approach to leadership and discipline. Practical listening for anyone who runs or dispatches for an NEMT company. Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:22 Meet Chas McCarthy 0:44 Two decades across the NEMT ecosystem 2:26 What triathlons and the fire service taught him about leadership 4:02 What a strong broker and provider relationship looks like 6:47 Rideshare in NEMT: no longer the threat everyone feared 7:40 Finding rideshare's place in the toolbox 10:24 A hospital discharge story: why speed matters 11:54 How rideshare frees capacity for rural and long-distance trips 12:40 Rates, cost savings, and reinvesting in providers 13:19 Getting every stakeholder on the same page 15:54 Acting as one team, not separate organizations 16:44 GPS mandates and the New York Department of Health 18:41 How to reach Orqa Group and wrap-up RouteGenie: https://routegenie.com The Genie Journal newsletter: https://go.routegenie.com/newsletter
August 5, 20268 min
Genie Journal Recap: Latest 2026 News — The Month About NEMT Proof
July was a month about proof, and the providers who can document clean trips are pulling ahead. This month's Genie Journal Recap covers the regulatory, financial, and operational shifts shaping medical transportation, plus what each one means for providers. In this episode: Ohio SB 315 makes GPS-confirmed pickup, transport, and drop-off a condition of payment for NEMT, phasing in over 18 months Iowa stands up a Medicaid Fraud Elimination Task Force with EVV in focus and a strategy due in 120 days Federal officials defer more than $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota while documentation is verified (deferrals, not cuts) California raises its managed care tax to backfill Medi-Cal money, and Oregon weighs a broad spending adjustment while NEMT stays a mandatory benefit Illinois and Texas Blue Cross Medicaid plans move from Modivcare to MTM Health on October 1, plus leadership shuffles at both brokers The FTA opens roughly $12 million in coordination funding at up to an 80% federal share, due September 9 A DC robotaxi bill never mentions wheelchairs, and why that gap is a moat for accessible providers Deep Read: a Michigan State University study finds unreliable transportation a stronger predictor of missed care than illness itself RouteGenie product news: passenger language support across 15 languages, and smarter per-position multi-load pricing Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:22 July's theme: proof 0:29 Ohio SB 315 and GPS-confirmed payment 0:59 Iowa's Medicaid Fraud Elimination Task Force 1:28 $1B+ in Medicaid deferrals (California, Minnesota) 1:55 California's managed care tax and HR One 2:19 Oregon's Medicaid gap 2:49 Blue Cross drops Modivcare for MTM (IL and TX) 3:23 MTM and Modivcare leadership moves 3:49 FTA opens $12M in coordination funding 4:31 The DC robotaxi bill and the accessibility gap 5:06 Deep Read: transportation insecurity study 5:50 Blog: 10 NEMT conferences worth attending in 2026 6:15 RouteGenie at NEMTAC Transform, Booth 228 6:32 Product news: 15-language passenger support 6:54 Product news: smarter multi-load pricing 7:20 Wrap-up Full breakdown and source links: The RouteGenie Journal → https://go.routegenie.com/newsletter Blog mentioned: https://routegenie.com/blog/nemt-conferences See us in person: RouteGenie at Booth 228, NEMTAC Transform, August 16–19, JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes Sources this month: Ohio and Iowa governors' offices, Axios, the Associated Press, Mercury News, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Newswire, Business Wire, Tech Times, Electrek, and a Michigan State University study in the journal Sustainability.
June 30, 20267 min
Genie Journal Recap — Summer 2026: Fuel Down, Standards Up
Gas prices have fallen for five straight weeks, and if you run a fleet, you'll feel it. In this month's Genie Journal Recap, we cover what moved in medical transportation in June — from the pump to the statehouse. This episode covers: Fuel prices — The national average hit $3.91/gallon on June 25, the fifth consecutive weekly decline. What's driving it and what it means for fleet operations. Colorado — Governor Polis signed HB 26-1328, one of the most comprehensive NEMT modernization bills of 2026. Plus: the MediDrive broker transition takes effect July 1, and providers need to be ready. Maryland — CMS approved a new state plan amendment requiring Medicaid NEMT to cover lodging and meals for qualifying members. Minnesota — A five-month revalidation sweep of 5,583 high-risk Medicaid providers produced 3,411 disenrollment notices. NEMT providers were caught in the wave. Ohio — SB 315 names NEMT providers directly in new GPS and electronic verification requirements, moving EVV from best practice to law. Federal policy — KFF breaks down what the 2025 reconciliation law means for NEMT reimbursement starting in 2029, and CMS consolidates its technology functions under a new office. The Genie Journal Recap is RouteGenie's monthly update on the regulatory, financial, and operational shifts shaping medical transportation. New episodes every month. Follow the show so you don't miss the next one.
June 3, 202617 min
How to Diversify NEMT with Student Transportation: Joe Siddle | Inside the Lamp Podcast
What if the fastest path to doubling your NEMT revenue had nothing to do with Medicaid? In this episode of Inside the Lamp, NEMT consultant and sales expert Joe Siddle joins RouteGenie Co-Founder and Growth Partner Jonathon Anthon to share the exact strategy he's used to help NEMT providers break into school transportation contracts and unlock a whole new revenue stream. Joe walks through his proven approach to winning school contracts, including a real-world example of 40 daily trips translating to $200K a month in additional billing. He covers how to research your market, size up the competition, close the deal, and why saying "yes" to opportunities outside the typical NEMT lane builds the kind of reputation that compounds over time. Jonathon also shares the RouteGenie features that make scaling into student and non-NEMT transportation actually manageable, from contract templates to passenger app notifications. What you'll hear:0:47 Joe Siddle's background2:16 The step-by-step process of an NEMT consultant4:33 Post-sale marketing and contract execution8:59 RouteGenie features that make growing your business easier12:08 RouteGenie templates for non-NEMT transportation12:53 RouteGenie passenger app and notifications13:54 How to reach Joe Siddle Want to be a guest on Inside the Lamp? Fill out the invite form: https://forms.gle/dATuK6brMqghWBpw7 Want to see how RouteGenie helps NEMT providers diversify and scale?Book a demo: https://routegenie.com/get-a-demo/ Call: 1 (877) 599-6560 Connect with RouteGenie:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/routegenie/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/routegenie/ X: https://twitter.com/theroutegenie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/routegenie/ Disclaimer: The information provided in this episode does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal, financial, medical, or business advice. All content is for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the most up-to-date information.
June 1, 20267 min
Latest NEMT News: State Modernization Meets Federal Enforcement | Genie Journal Recap
May was the most decisive month of state level NEMT modernization this year. Colorado passed HB 26 1328, Wisconsin selected Verita as its new Medicaid NEMT vendor, and Massachusetts committed $15.66 million for 131 wheelchair accessible vans. On the federal side, CMS deferred $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments to California, HHS OIG launched reviews of every state Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and 15 people were charged in a $90 million Minnesota Medicaid fraud case. Inside the Lamp, we published a new case study on 360 Quality Care in Saint Louis, and this month's product release brings faster invoicing, an 837P billing fix, and Lightning Assign updates. Chapters:00:00 Welcome and what mattered in May00:20 Three state moves: Colorado, Wisconsin, Massachusetts00:30 Colorado HB 26 1328 passes State Senate01:03 Industry response: Tyler Bors O'Leary, MedRide01:38 Wisconsin selects Verita as new Medicaid NEMT vendor02:11 Fourth major broker change of 202602:31 Massachusetts $15.66M Community Transit Program funding03:28 Federal compliance push hits a new gear03:43 $1.3 billion California Medicaid deferral03:57 HHS OIG launches MFCU reviews04:14 Minnesota: 15 charged in $90M Medicaid fraud case04:41 Rising compliance baseline for Medicaid providers05:05 NEMTAC CSO Instructor Bridge course launches05:41 Inside the Lamp: 360 Quality Care case study06:31 Product release: invoice speed, 837P billing fix, Lightning Assign07:05 Wrap up and what it all means
May 26, 202627 min
Insights from NEMT Broker of the Year: Gabe Erwin, Provide A Ride | Inside the Lamp Podcast
What does it take to run nearly 2 million NEMT trips a year and earn NEMTAC's 2025 Broker of the Year? In this episode of Inside the Lamp, we find out. We sit down with Gabe Erwin, Sr. Director of Client Engagement and Market Strategy at Provide A Ride, the Cleveland-based hybrid broker and fleet operator that's redefining what payers can expect from their NEMT partners. By blending network management with direct transportation operations, Provide A Ride controls costs, enforces accountability, and stays ahead of rising payer demands. Gabe shares what makes a veteran NEMT organization resilient, how brokerage and fleet operations actually coexist day to day, the KPIs that matter most, the tools that keep the operation running, and the single biggest piece of advice he has for NEMT operators today. What you'll hear:0:43 Guest introduction1:15 Gabe's background at Provide A Ride4:10 What it means to be a veteran NEMT organization, and Provide A Ride's strategy for resilience6:50 How to navigate a changing NEMT environment9:39 How brokerage and fleet operations coexist day to day11:04 The operational advantages of a broker running its own fleet13:15 How to earn a NEMTAC Broker of the Year award15:25 What payers are demanding from brokers and transportation providers today17:14 The most important KPIs to track19:46 The essential tools for running an efficient NEMT operation23:59 The biggest piece of advice for NEMT operators Want to be a guest on Inside the Lamp? Fill out the invite form: https://forms.gle/dATuK6brMqghWBpw7 Become a transportation provider for Provide A Ride: https://providearide.com/ Provide A Ride on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/provide-a-ride-ohio Want to see how RouteGenie helps NEMT brokers and providers scale efficient operations?Book a demo: https://routegenie.com/get-a-demo/ Call: 1 (877) 599-6560 Connect with RouteGenie:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/routegenie/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/routegenie X: https://x.com/TheRouteGenie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/routegenie/ Disclaimer: This content is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, medical, or professional advice. Requirements, regulations, and practices may vary by jurisdiction and change over time.
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