# How to Become a BGCAP (Blue Grass Community Action) Medicaid Transportation Provider in 2027

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/brokers/bgcap/ · Updated 2026-09-30

Blue Grass Community Action Partnership (BGCAP), a Frankfort nonprofit, brokers Kentucky Medicaid rides in Region 8's 11 central counties as of September 2026, and it runs Bluegrass RIDE public routes. Riders book at 800-456-6588 at least 72 hours ahead. Private companies get Taxi or Disabled Persons Vehicle authority from the state, then call BGCAP at 502-695-4290 to subcontract.

- BGCAP brokers Medicaid rides in Anderson, Boyle, Casey, Franklin, Garrard, Jessamine, Lincoln, Mercer, Scott, Washington, and Woodford counties.
- It also runs public rides and Bluegrass RIDE routes, and state law lets a broker send riders who need no special vehicle on public transit.
- Type 07 and Type 08 riders may ask BGCAP for your company by name, and BGCAP must share their trips fairly among providers.
- Your contract is with BGCAP, but the Transportation Cabinet approves you, licenses your vehicles, and sets the rate for each service type.
- BGCAP's bad weather plan, updated August 25, 2026, tells subcontractors it announces limited or no service by 6 a.m.

BGCAP is Blue Grass Community Action Partnership, a nonprofit community action agency based at 111 Professional Court in Frankfort. Its community programs cover Head Start, senior meals, family support, and help applying for benefits in nine central Kentucky counties. Transportation is its other large line of work, and it spans public routes as well as Medicaid rides.

As of September 2026, BGCAP is the Medicaid ride broker for Region 8 of Kentucky's Human Service Transportation Delivery program, or HSTD. In its 11 counties, Medicaid riders book every trip through BGCAP. BGCAP can carry the rider itself, put the rider on public transit when that fits, or send the trip to an approved subcontractor. That last option is where a private NEMT company comes in.

## What BGCAP runs in Region 8

The state spells the agency "Bluegrass" and the agency spells itself "Blue Grass." Both mean the same Frankfort nonprofit. The table shows how its Medicaid region lines up with its other services, from the Cabinet's broker list and BGCAP's own pages as of September 2026.

| Region 8 county | On BGCAP's list of community program counties | Bluegrass RIDE local route |
|---|---|---|
| Anderson | Listed | No |
| Boyle | Listed | Danville |
| Casey | Not listed | No |
| Franklin | Listed | No; a Frankfort to Lexington route is coming |
| Garrard | Listed | No |
| Jessamine | Listed | Nicholasville |
| Lincoln | Listed | No |
| Mercer | Listed | No |
| Scott | Listed | Georgetown |
| Washington | Not listed | No |
| Woodford | Listed | No |

Fayette County, home to Lexington's hospitals, is not in Region 8; it is FTSB's Region 10. It borders Jessamine, Scott, and Woodford, though. A Medicaid ride may go to the rider's home county or any county that touches it, so riders in those three counties can reach Lexington care without a referral. A trip beyond that area needs a referral on the state's Medicaid Medical Referral Form, good for six months, to the closest provider of that care.

### BGCAP's transportation services

BGCAP and Bluegrass RIDE list these services as of September 2026:

| Service | Hours | Fare | Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicaid rides | Weekdays 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Paid by Medicaid | 800-456-6588 |
| Public rides, open to anyone | Weekdays 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. | $1.75 a mile, $5 minimum | 800-456-6588 |
| Bluegrass RIDE local routes in Danville, Georgetown, and Nicholasville | Monday through Saturday | $1 with one free transfer; Georgetown's routes are free, courtesy of the City of Georgetown | 800-456-6588 |
| Bluegrass RIDE regional route, Danville to Nicholasville to Lexington | Weekdays | $5 each way; children 12 and under ride free with a paying adult | 800-456-6588 |

The regional route stops at UK Chandler Hospital Pavilion A, downtown Lexington, and Bluegrass Community and Technical College's Newtown campus. Georgetown to Lexington and Frankfort to Lexington routes are listed as coming soon.

### How big BGCAP transportation is

For fiscal year 2023 to 2024, BGCAP reports 186,002 Medicaid trips and 2,031,932 miles driven on Medicaid-related transportation, or about 11 miles per trip. It adds 48,362 public transportation trips, 14,652 people served across its transportation services, and 308,906 rides in all.

### How BGCAP is paid

Kentucky Medicaid pays the Transportation Cabinet a monthly [capitation](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/capitation/) rate for each member in a region, and the Cabinet passes it to the broker. The November 5, 2025 briefing to lawmakers listed Region 8 at $7.95 per member per month, the fifth lowest of the 15 regions. The Cabinet's state fiscal year 2023 report showed $5.93. That payment covers everything BGCAP does as broker. It is not a trip rate.

The Cabinet awards each region by request for proposals under KRS Chapter 45A. Contracts run one state fiscal year, July 1 to June 30, and may be renewed four times for a year each (603 KAR 7:080). The federal waiver that covers the program for April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2027 notes that each region bids on its own schedule.

## Where a private company fits in Region 8

Kentucky law lets a broker coordinate Medicaid rides with general public transportation (KRS 281.877). Under 603 KAR 7:080, a rider who needs no special vehicle can go by taxi, community or city bus, or private auto, grouped with other riders when that is feasible. Because BGCAP also runs Bluegrass RIDE, those rules let it put a rider who walks and lives along a route on the bus instead of in a van.

Riders who need a specialty carrier are different. A Type 07 rider walks but is disoriented and may need an escort, and a Type 08 rider uses a wheelchair and rides in a lift or ramp vehicle. The rider's own clinician sets that level, and BGCAP cannot change it. Under KRS 281.874, these riders may ask for any eligible subcontractor by name, or for BGCAP. They still book through BGCAP. When they name no one, BGCAP must spread their trips fairly among all certified providers, itself included, weighing coordination first, then cost, and rotating trips when neither decides.

Before you buy a vehicle, ask BGCAP which counties and which service types it needs more capacity for. A Type 08 subcontract needs a [wheelchair accessible vehicle](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/wheelchair-accessible-vehicle/) with a lift or ramp, while Type 02 riders can ride in a sedan or minivan.

### Private auto providers are a separate lane

A private person, not a business, can be approved to drive a Medicaid rider in their own vehicle for a set mileage rate. The applicant asks BGCAP for the packet, BGCAP has a background check done and signs it, the Cabinet verifies the license and registration, and Kentucky Medicaid issues a provider number. A private auto provider may not drive a relative or anyone in the same household. This lane does not lead to a business contract; a company follows the steps below.

## How to subcontract with BGCAP

The Cabinet sets the same order for every regional broker. BGCAP cannot sign you until the Cabinet approves you, and trips come only after that.

| Stage | Who handles it | What you hand over or get |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Company | Kentucky Secretary of State, IRS, NPPES | Business filing where your company form needs one, an EIN, and an [NPI](https://nemtguide.com/guides/how-to-get-an-npi-number-for-nemt/) |
| 2. Operating authority | Division of Motor Carriers, 502-564-1257 | Your insurer's Form E, at least one vehicle plated by the county clerk, a technician's inspection of each vehicle, and a nationwide background check on each driver; then a Taxi or Disabled Persons Vehicle certificate, in up to 14 business days, with a plate and fee receipt card for each vehicle |
| 3. BGCAP review | BGCAP, 502-695-4290 | Certificate and fee receipt cards, vehicle liability insurance, Kentucky workers' compensation proof, registrations, and every vehicle lease; BGCAP inspects your vehicles |
| 4. Safety setup | BGCAP and your company | Drivers in the statewide random drug and alcohol pool, pre-employment tests and background checks for safety-sensitive staff, required training, signed HIPAA confidentiality statements, and a list of your safety-sensitive staff |
| 5. Medicaid numbers | Kentucky Medicaid, through KY MPPA | One MAP-811 per service type, signed by you and by BGCAP on page 12, with your certificate and an IRS letter showing your EIN (a W-9 is not accepted) |
| 6. Approval and start | BGCAP and the Office of Transportation Delivery | Your welcome letters with Medicaid provider numbers go to BGCAP, the Cabinet approves the subcontract, and BGCAP holds an orientation before your first trip |

Plan on at least three vehicles and three drivers from day one: the Cabinet requires every new provider to keep three operational passenger vehicles and three active, approved drivers. The Cabinet's own page walks through the same steps; see [how to get NEMT broker contracts](https://nemtguide.com/guides/how-to-get-nemt-broker-contracts/) for the broader picture.

### Costs and coverage

| What you pay or carry | Amount as of September 2026 | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Taxi or DPV certificate | $250 to apply and $250 at each yearly renewal | KRS 281.630 |
| Motor carrier license for each vehicle | $30 a year | KRS 281.631 |
| Local license, in a city or county that charges one | $30 a year at most per vehicle | KRS 281.631 |
| Liability insurance, 7 or fewer regular seats | $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, $50,000 property damage | KRS 281.655 |
| Liability insurance, 8 or more regular seats | $100,000 per person, $600,000 per accident, $50,000 property damage | KRS 281.655 |
| Kentucky Medicaid enrollment as provider type 56 | Free | DMS application fee list |

A Taxi certificate covers vehicles with up to 8 regular seats. A DPV certificate requires every vehicle to be ADA compliant with a built-in lift or ramp, with up to 15 regular seats, and those vehicles may also carry riders who walk. Enter provider type 56 in box 7 of each MAP-811 and the specialty code in box 8: 263 for Type 02 (for-profit, riders who walk), 262 for Type 04 (nonprofit bus), 264 for Type 07, and 265 for Type 08.

### What your BGCAP contract must spell out

Under 603 KAR 7:080, every broker subcontract includes how and when you are paid, the hours and scheduling rules, the rates for each service, pickup and delivery standards, the contract's length, termination and penalty terms, your staff's signed HIPAA statements, and a current list of your safety-sensitive staff. Ask for the pickup and delivery standards in writing before you sign.

## Escorts, assistance, and rider rules on BGCAP trips

KRS 281.873 sets who rides along with a Medicaid rider and what your driver must do at the door. It applies on every BGCAP trip.

- **Children.** A parent, guardian, or their designee must ride with any child under 13. Your driver or other staff cannot be the designee for a child 12 or under.
- **Escorts.** A rider 13 or older needs an escort only when their physician, physician assistant, APRN, or qualified mental health professional recommends one because of harmful or violent behavior. Each rider who needs one gets one escort, though one escort can serve several riders headed to the same place. A family member may serve, and escorts ride free.
- **Help to the door.** For a Type 07 or 08 rider without an escort who needs help to and from the vehicle, your driver gives it when it takes under 5 minutes and the driver can keep the vehicle in sight if other riders are aboard. Otherwise one escort per vehicle is required.
- **The running vehicle.** A driver who steps away turns the engine off and keeps the key, or sets a transmission lock and keeps the key.
- **Temporary specialty rides.** A rider may ask for specialty carrier service for up to 30 days without a clinician's written recommendation.

Riders must be ready 15 minutes before pickup, may not ride under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs, may not hold a child on their lap, and must cancel at least 24 hours ahead. BGCAP also posts rider rules of conduct: no open food or drinks, no smoking or vaping, pets only in a secured carrier unless they are service animals, seat belts on until the vehicle stops, and no weapons. Its drivers have the right and the duty to enforce them.

Your drivers must be 18 or older, licensed in Kentucky for the vehicle, have no more than two moving violations in three years and no sexual or violent crime convictions, pass a pre-employment drug test, and complete first aid, bloodborne pathogens, and passenger assistance training. Vehicles need working seat belts and two extensions, a belt cutter, a fire extinguisher, reflectors, first aid and spill kits, your legal company name on the driver and passenger side doors, and, for vehicles not covered by 601 KAR 1:005, Kentucky's motor carrier safety rule, a technician inspection every year. The [Kentucky state guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/kentucky/) and our [escorts and caregivers guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/escorts-and-caregivers/) cover these in more depth.

## Bad weather: what BGCAP tells subcontractors

Every broker must keep a bad weather policy the Cabinet approves, may not run trips in conditions that put drivers or riders at risk, and can ask the National Guard or other emergency units for help getting dialysis and urgent care riders through. BGCAP's FY27 Inclement Weather Plan, updated August 25, 2026 and addressed to its transit staff, health care facilities, and subcontracted providers, works like this:

| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Limited Service | BGCAP runs as road conditions allow. Service may be delayed, and all but urgent care rides will likely be affected |
| No Service | BGCAP provides no transportation |
| Bluegrass RIDE routes | Run as road conditions allow |

BGCAP announces the status no later than 6 a.m. on WKYT channel 27 and on its own social media page. A facility or program with its own closing rule, such as following local school closings, should tell BGCAP at 800-456-6588, and one that closes should call the same line to cancel its pickups. If the call goes to voicemail, leave a message. Build your own plan around those 6 a.m. calls; our [bad weather policy guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-bad-weather-policy/) shows how.

## Rates and how BGCAP pays you

A Region 8 trip pays the Cabinet's rate for its service type, and BGCAP's own vehicles earn the same rate a subcontractor does. The regulation lists what goes into the rate: geography, trip length, rider population, where medical care and jobs are, labor and economic factors, and how much the service is used. A change reaches the broker with 45 days of notice. The Cabinet's state fiscal year 2023 report lists the regions whose rates were adjusted May 1, 2023, and Region 8 was not among them. Ask BGCAP for the current rate sheet for each type you will run.

| Step | When |
|---|---|
| Invoice BGCAP | By the 1st of the month; a later invoice waits for the next month |
| BGCAP reports to the Cabinet | By the 7th |
| The Cabinet pays BGCAP | By the 15th, once reports and the Medicaid eligible count are in |
| BGCAP pays you | Within 3 business days (KRS 281.875) |
| Final billing deadline | 6 months from the date of service |

Keep encounter data and trip invoices for five years, and tell BGCAP at once about any moving violation or accident on a trip. Good [trip documentation](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-trip-documentation/) is your record if a trip is questioned.

## What House Bill 2 means for Region 8

House Bill 2 became 2026 Acts Chapter 179 on April 14, 2026, after lawmakers overrode the governor's line-item vetoes. For BGCAP subcontractors, the parts that matter most are a GPS device in every vehicle on Medicaid rides, paid for by the broker; 2% of each broker's capitation held back and earned on measures such as completed, delayed, and canceled trips and rider satisfaction; a floor requiring brokers to spend at least 85% of capitation on services from July 1, 2026, rising to 90% by July 1, 2029; and permission for hospitals and skilled nursing facilities to drive their own patients at the broker's contracted mileage rate. Our [House Bill 2 report](https://nemtguide.com/news/kentucky-hb2-nemt-changes/) has the details.

## Who to call

| For | Contact |
|---|---|
| BGCAP main office (subcontracts, MAP-811 signature) | 502-695-4290 or 800-456-6571, 111 Professional Court, Frankfort, KY 40601, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| BGCAP Medicaid and public ride booking, weather calls | 800-456-6588 |
| Motor Carriers, for Taxi and DPV certificates | 502-564-1257 |
| Transportation Cabinet, Office of Transportation Delivery | 502-564-7433, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern |
| Statewide line for rider complaints and ride denials | 1-888-941-7433 |
| Kentucky Medicaid provider enrollment help | 877-838-5085 |

Have your certificate, insurance declarations, vehicle list, and driver roster ready before you call; the [credentialing checklist](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-credentialing-checklist/) keeps them in one place. To compare with the neighboring brokers, see [FTSB](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/ftsb/) for Lexington and Louisville and [LKLP](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/lklp/) for south-central and eastern Kentucky.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which counties does BGCAP cover for Medicaid rides?

As of September 2026, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet lists BGCAP as the broker for Region 8: Anderson, Boyle, Casey, Franklin, Garrard, Jessamine, Lincoln, Mercer, Scott, Washington, and Woodford counties. Casey and Washington are in its Medicaid region but not on the list of nine counties its other community programs serve.

### Is BGCAP the same as FTSB?

No. Federated Transportation Services of the Bluegrass (FTSB) is a separate broker for Regions 6, 9, 10, and 11, which take in Louisville, Northern Kentucky, and Lexington's Fayette County. BGCAP, based in Frankfort, holds Region 8 only. Both names point to the Bluegrass region, so check the rider's county before you call either one.

### How do riders schedule a BGCAP Medicaid ride?

They call 800-456-6588 at least 72 hours before the appointment, counting weekends and holidays. Scheduling is open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Rides run weekdays 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hospital discharges and urgent care confirmed by a clinician need no 72-hour notice.

### How much does BGCAP pay subcontractors?

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet sets the rate, not BGCAP. Under 603 KAR 7:080 it sets one rate per service type in each region, the same for every provider there, BGCAP included, with 45 days of notice before a change. Invoice BGCAP by the 1st of the month, and it must pay you within 3 business days after the Cabinet pays it.

### Can I drive a neighbor to appointments and be paid through BGCAP?

Only as an approved Private Auto Provider: a private person, not a business, using a private vehicle. Ask BGCAP for the application packet. BGCAP has a background check done and signs it, the Cabinet checks your license and registration, and Kentucky Medicaid issues a provider number. You are paid a set mileage rate and may not drive a relative or anyone in your household.

### What does BGCAP do on snow days?

Its FY27 Inclement Weather Plan, updated August 25, 2026, says that when bad weather calls for Limited Service or No Service, BGCAP announces it by 6 a.m. on WKYT channel 27 and on its social media page. Under Limited Service, all rides except urgent care will likely be affected. Facilities and subcontractors with their own closing rules are asked to call 800-456-6588.

### Does BGCAP arrange stretcher rides?

No. Kentucky's NEMT waiver for April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2027 leaves stretcher rides out of the broker program. Members in a Medicaid health plan get them through the plan, and other members through fee-for-service Medicaid, as nonemergency ambulance service.

## Official resources

- [BGCAP: Transportation Services](https://www.bluegrasscommunityaction.org/Home/TransportationServices)
- [BGCAP: FY27 Inclement Weather Plan](https://www.bluegrasscommunityaction.org/docs/BGCAP%20FY27%20Inclement%20Weather%20Plan.pdf)
- [KYTC: How to become a subcontract NEMT provider](https://transportation.ky.gov/TransportationDelivery/Pages/Non-Emergency-Medical-Transportation-Provider.aspx)
- [KYTC: Become a Private Auto Transportation Provider](https://transportation.ky.gov/TransportationDelivery/Pages/Become-a-Private-Auto-Transportation-Provider.aspx)
- [KYTC: Regional brokers and the counties they serve](https://transportation.ky.gov/TransportationDelivery/Pages/Human-Services-Transportation.aspx)
- [Kentucky Division of Motor Carriers: Passenger vehicle certificates](https://drive.ky.gov/Motor-Carriers/Pages/Passenger-Vehicle.aspx)
- [Kentucky Medicaid: MAP-811 Provider Application](https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dms/MAPForms/Map811.pdf)
- [Kentucky Medicaid Partner Portal (KY MPPA)](https://medicaidsystems.ky.gov/Partnerportal/home.aspx)
- [Kentucky Administrative Regulations: 603 KAR 7:080](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/603/007/080/)