Cascades East Transit NEMT: How to Become a Central Oregon Provider in 2027

Cascades East Transit (CET) is Central Oregon’s public transit system and its Medicaid ride brokerage in one. It is run by the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC), designated a council of governments under ORS 190 in 1972. COIC serves Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties, the cities of Bend, Culver, La Pine, Madras, Metolius, Prineville, Redmond, and Sisters, and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

CET runs fixed routes in Bend, flex routes in Redmond, community connectors across the region, and Dial-a-Ride service in seven communities. Its non-emergent medical transportation (NEMT) program is a separate job. CET’s 2022 rider guide says COIC holds a contract with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to run the Medical Transportation Program in the three counties. CET takes ride requests, checks eligibility, and gives each ride to a contracted transportation company, a bus ticket, or a mileage payback. Its guide tells riders that rides depend on provider availability and that CET has a limited number of transportation providers under contract.

COIC used to broker these rides through the Cascades East Ride Center. On April 1, 2020, the ride center stopped brokering rides for PacificSource CCO members, whose rides moved to LogistiCare, and CET took over the open card rides. CET’s provider portal login and its after-hours sheet still sit on the ride center’s site.

Whose rides Cascades East Transit books

Oregon splits Medicaid rides by plan. Each coordinated care organization (CCO) picks its own ride service. Members who are not in a CCO are on open card, Oregon’s name for fee-for-service Medicaid, and OHA contracts a local brokerage for them in each region.

Oregon Health Plan members in Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties	Who books their rides (September 2026)
Open card members	Cascades East Transit, 866-385-8680, on OHA’s 2026 open card handbook and its ride service directory
PacificSource Community Solutions (Central Oregon CCO) members	Modivcare, 855-397-3619, on PacificSource’s ride page

OHA’s brokerage map, effective July 1, 2023, splits the three counties the same way: PacificSource members to LogistiCare, Modivcare’s former name, and every other member to COIC. Only members whose benefits include NEMT get rides, which OHA’s ride page limits to OHP Plus and OHP Bridge.

CET also takes rides that state agencies order. Caseworkers at the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), OHA, and the Oregon Youth Authority send it rides to department-ordered medical exams on form OHP 729B (September 2023 version).

One edge of the map needs a call. CET’s older ride center page still lists four northern Klamath County towns, Gilchrist, Crescent, Chemult, and Crescent Lake, as part of its area, while OHA’s 2023 map and 2026 handbook send all Klamath County open card rides to TransLink. Ask CET before you take a ride from those towns.

Who is on open card

OHA’s 2026 handbook says every new member starts on open card and usually joins a CCO within a few days. Some members stay on open card, and their rides in these counties go through CET:

• American Indian and Alaska Native members. They are enrolled in open card and are not placed in a CCO unless they choose one.
• Members with an approved medical reason to keep seeing a provider who is not in the local CCO.
• Members with other insurance or Medicare.

A bigger group arrives in January 2027. OHA’s notice, updated August 7, 2026, says federal changes will move every Healthier Oregon member to open card that month. Healthier Oregon gives full OHP benefits regardless of immigration status. Open card rides in these three counties go through CET, so plan for more open card trips in 2027.

Next door

Open card riders use the brokerage for the county they live in unless their local brokerage gives permission to use another (OAR 410-136-3340). Around Central Oregon, OHA’s 2026 handbook sends open card rides in Lane County to RideSource, in Linn County to Cascades West Ride Line, in Klamath and Lake counties to TransLink, and in Wasco, Wheeler, Grant, and Harney counties to GOBHI Transportation Services. If your vans cross those lines, you need a contract with each one. The Oregon state guide lists every ride service by plan.

How CET chooses a ride and a company

Oregon’s open card rule, OAR 410-136-3020, spells out what the brokerage does before a trip reaches you:

• Least costly ride that fits. CET prior authorizes the least costly but most appropriate ride for the rider’s medical needs, which may mean sharing the ride with other riders. See least costly mode.
• Local care and other options first. It checks that the care is covered and local, and asks whether the rider can drive or get a ride from family, a friend, or a neighbor.
• How it picks a company. It assigns rides by cost, the rider’s equipment needs, each company’s capabilities, availability, and past performance, and its own need to keep enough capacity.
• A backup. If the company first assigned cannot take a ride, CET schedules another one.
• Checks with the clinic. On at least 5 percent of ride requests, the brokerage calls the medical provider to confirm the appointment and that it is covered.

CET’s guide lists bus tickets, taxis, wheelchair vans, stretcher vans, and other rides, and asks riders to group appointments on one day when they can. Riders who can drive may take a mileage payback instead. OHA’s 2026 handbook lists $0.49 a mile, up to $34 a day for meals, and $110 a night for lodging. CET’s reimbursement guide adds that it may offer a bus ticket or a shared ride with a contracted provider instead when that costs less.

Trips outside Central Oregon are covered when the care is not available locally but is elsewhere in Oregon, when the care is in California, Idaho, or Washington within 75 miles of the border, or when no local provider will give it (OAR 410-136-3020). Brokerages may work together on the return ride. Long-distance medical transport covers how to price those runs.

Booking rules riders are given

Riders can book up to 90 days ahead, book recurring rides in one call, and ask for same-day rides, which the brokerage must try to arrange for urgent care (OAR 410-136-3020). OHA’s handbook tells riders to call at least two days before the appointment. CET’s NEMT page lists customer service from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and its contact page lists ride reservations at the Redmond Operations Center from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A voice in how the program runs

Each open card brokerage must run a regional advisory group that includes its subcontractors, along with OHA, ODHS, Area Agencies on Aging, riders, advocates, and NEMT ambulance providers (OAR 410-136-3020). The group helps monitor the program and recommends changes. The same rule requires the brokerage to share its written NEMT policies and procedures with its subcontractors, so ask CET for them and for how to take part in the group.

What CET and Oregon require of providers

Drivers

OAR 410-136-3040 sets the driver rules for every open card brokerage, and CET must hold each company to them to be paid.

Requirement	When
Valid Oregon DMV license of the right class, with any required endorsements	Before any ride
Criminal background check under ORS 181A.195 and OAR chapter 257, division 10	At hire or contracting
National Safety Council defensive driving or equivalent	Within 6 months of hire, then every 3 years
Red Cross-approved first aid, CPR, and blood spill procedures or equivalent	Within 6 months of hire, kept current
Passenger Service and Safety (PASS) or equivalent	Within 6 months of hire, then every 3 years
NEMT duties, reporting forms, vehicle operation, fraud reporting and whistleblower protections, and the service area	At hire or contracting, then at least every year
What to do when a rider needs emergency care	Part of the required training

The rule sends brokerages that are mass transit districts to a different background check law. COIC is a council of governments, so ask CET how it runs checks for your drivers. A driver who fails the check cannot give rides or be paid. See NEMT driver requirements and CPR requirements for NEMT drivers.

Vehicles

The same rule requires a clean interior and no smoking or vaping in the vehicle at any time. Each vehicle carries:

• Seat belts for every passenger where the law requires them.
• A first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, roadside reflective or warning devices, a flashlight, and disposable gloves.
• Tire traction devices when conditions call for them.
• Everything needed to carry wheelchairs or stretchers under the ADA, Section 504, and ORS 659A.103.
• Working mirrors, horn, turn signals, headlights, taillights, and windshield wipers.

Follow at least the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule and keep inspection and maintenance records ready for audit. CET’s guide adds a few rider needs to plan for. An oversized wheelchair is one wider than 30 inches, longer than 48 inches, or heavier than 600 pounds with the rider in it, and riders must tell CET so the right vehicle is sent. Riders who need a seat belt extender tell CET when they book. A scooter without tie-down points does not have to be carried in the scooter. The vehicle inspection checklist covers the equipment.

Children and attendants

A child 12 or under, or a child or young adult of any age with special physical or developmental needs, travels with an adult attendant the parent or guardian provides, with a few exceptions such as secured transport (OAR 410-136-3100). You may not charge extra for that attendant. The parent, guardian, or caregiver provides and installs the child safety seat, and you may not carry the child if no seat that meets state law is provided. CET’s guide adds that one personal care attendant rides free and that car seats cannot be left in your vehicle during the visit, because the return ride may come from another company.

Insurance, permits, and records

• Workers’ compensation. A subcontractor with employees must carry it unless exempt, and must show proof of coverage to OHA on request (OAR 410-136-3060).
• Liability limits. The rule sets the brokerage’s own coverage, and CET’s subcontract sets yours. Ask for its minimums before you buy. See NEMT insurance requirements.
• ODOT permit. For-hire passenger carriers need ODOT’s Class 1R permit on form 735-9751 (January 2023 version), with a $300 application fee, unless an exemption on the form applies, and most new carriers must complete ODOT’s Motor Carrier Education Program. Carriers running vehicles over 26,000 pounds must have $750,000 of liability insurance on file with ODOT.
• No exclusions. CET may not contract with or pay a company or driver who is excluded from Medicaid, Medicare, or CHIP, or who has a conviction tied to those programs (OAR 410-136-3320). See the OIG exclusion list.
• Separate books. You must account for NEMT costs separately from your other work, under generally accepted accounting principles, and CET may ask for your records to support the costs it reports to OHA (OAR 410-136-3200 and 3220).

How to become a Cascades East Transit provider

1. Pick your ride types and towns. Decide whether you will run sedans, wheelchair vans, stretcher vans, or several, and which of the three counties you will cover.
2. Set up the company. Register with the Oregon Secretary of State, get an EIN, buy workers’ compensation if you have employees, and ask ODOT whether you need a Class 1R permit. The Oregon state guide walks through each step.
3. Call CET. Call 541-385-8680 or 866-385-8680 and ask for the staff who handle NEMT provider contracts. COIC’s main office is 541-548-8163. CET posts no online application.
4. Ask the right questions. Ask for the subcontract, base rates by ride type, insurance minimums, the paperwork it wants for drivers and vehicles, its written NEMT policies, how it sends and confirms trips, and whether it is adding after-hours providers.
5. Train your drivers on time. Schedule defensive driving, first aid and CPR, and PASS so every driver finishes within six months of hire, and keep the certificates.
6. Get portal access. CET’s NEMT page links to a provider web portal, which providers log in to with the username and password they are issued.

Keep each document in one place with the NEMT credentialing checklist, and read how to get NEMT broker contracts before you sign.

How CET trips run and how you get paid

CET’s 2022 rider guide and OHA’s 2026 handbook tell riders what to expect from you. The handbook is newer, so where they differ, ask CET which one your subcontract follows.

Situation	What riders are told
Before the ride	Riders get the driver’s name and phone number before the appointment. For rides booked more than 48 hours ahead, the ride service contacts the rider at least two days before (OHA, 2026)
Pickup window	The provider arrives within 15 minutes before or after the scheduled pickup time (CET, 2022)
Rider not ready	The provider waits 5 minutes, then may leave, and the ride is rescheduled (CET, 2022). The driver waits up to 15 minutes after the scheduled time (OHA, 2026)
Return ride by phone	The provider arrives within 90 minutes of the call (CET, 2022). A driver arrives as soon as possible (OHA, 2026). See will-call trips
Drop-off	At least 15 minutes before the appointment (OHA), and never more than 15 minutes before the office opens unless the rider asks (OAR 410-136-3020)
Last pickup of the day	No more than 15 minutes after the office closes, unless the visit runs late (OAR 410-136-3020)
Changes	Riders call CET, not the provider, to reschedule (CET, 2022), and cancel at least two hours before pickup (OHA, 2026)
No-shows	Providers are not paid for no-show rides (CET, 2022)

CET’s guide also sets what drivers do. Providers come to the door of the home or the main entrance of the facility, and may help a rider into the main lobby but not into exam rooms. They enter a room only for a hospital discharge or a stretcher ride. They do not help riders get ready, transfer them between bed, wheelchair, and vehicle, install car seats, or accept fares or tips.

After hours

CET’s 2022 guide says its ride line is closed on weekends and on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Its NEMT page says brokered services do not run on holidays when CET is closed. When it is closed, riders call the same number to reach an after-hours line that tells them whether a provider in their area can take an urgent ride. CET’s guide says after-hours rides are limited in most areas and not available in others.

The after-hours sheet CET still links is a Cascades East Ride Center sheet, last revised August 5, 2019. It lists companies that agreed to take urgent and hospital discharge rides directly, asks them to answer within 15 minutes, and says after-hours stretcher or wheelchair rides over $1,500 will not be paid. After the ride, the brokerage must approve and pay it retroactively when the request arrives within 30 days and the medical provider confirms it was for urgent care, secured transport, or a hospital discharge or transfer (OAR 410-136-3020). If you can staff nights and weekends, ask CET how to join its after-hours list. See after-hours NEMT and hospital discharge transportation.

How pay is set

OHA pays CET a fixed rate per ride, based on its projected costs and rides, reviews that rate quarterly, and settles it against actual costs every year (OAR 410-136-3200). CET then pays you under OAR 410-136-3220:

Situation	How CET pays
Any ride type except ambulance	A base rate you and CET agree on for that type
Shared ride, same ride type	Full base rate for the first rider, half the base rate for each added rider
Shared ride, mixed ride types	Full base rate for the highest level of ride, half the base rate of each other rider’s type
Miles	Actual miles only, from the first pickup to the last drop-off, however many riders
Waiting	Not paid for waiting while a rider gets to the vehicle or for helping them in or out. May be paid when a rider on your gurney cannot transfer, is sick after dialysis or chemotherapy, or needs a stop for medicine or supplies
Ambulatory rider in a wheelchair van	The ambulatory base rate
Non-ambulatory rider in an ambulatory vehicle, when CET authorizes it and local law allows	The non-ambulatory base rate
Reclining wheelchair	The wheelchair base rate, not the stretcher rate
Ambulance used as a stretcher van	The stretcher base rate. The ambulance rate applies when the ride runs over two hours and needs a health care professional to care for the rider
Rider dies before you arrive	No payment
Rider dies during the ride	The base rate and mileage only

See NEMT multiloading for how the half-rate rule changes the math on a shared van.

Records and audits

Never bill a rider for a covered ride or send an unpaid ride to collections (OAR 410-136-3020). CET’s ride records must show the date, the type of ride, and the driver’s first and last name for every ride (OAR 410-136-3300). OHA, the Secretary of State’s Audits Division, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and federal agencies may audit CET’s and its subcontractors’ records at least once a year, and every subcontractor must report suspected fraud, abuse, or waste (OAR 410-136-3320). Keep a complete trip log for every leg, and see NEMT trip documentation.

Who to call

For	Contact
NEMT provider contracts and ride questions	CET, 541-385-8680 or 866-385-8680. TTY 711 or 800-735-2900
Redmond Operations Center	343 E Antler Ave, Redmond, OR 97756. Phones weekdays 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., ride reservations 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
CET fax	541-548-9548 (2022 guide)
Agency requests for exam rides (OHP 729B)	nemtcerc@coicsecure.org
COIC administration	1250 NE Bear Creek Rd, Bend, OR 97701. 541-548-8163
OHP Client Services	800-273-0557, ask.ohp@odhsoha.oregon.gov
ODOT for-hire passenger permits	503-378-6699

CET matches each ride to the least costly option that fits, and its guide says it has a limited number of providers under contract and few after-hours options. An offer that covers wheelchair, stretcher, after-hours, or long trips gives it the clearest reason to add you.