# Community in Motion Medicaid Transportation in 2027: How Providers Join and Get Paid

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/brokers/community-in-motion/ · Updated 2026-09-30

Community in Motion, called Human Services Council until 2021, is the Health Care Authority's broker for Apple Health (Medicaid) rides in Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Skamania, and Wahkiakum counties. It books the lowest-cost ride that fits each rider and gives door-to-door trips to contracted companies. To join, email its Letter of Interest form, then answer the Request for Qualifications it opens when it needs more providers.

- Community in Motion brokers Apple Health rides for Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Skamania, and Wahkiakum counties from its Vancouver office.
- It keeps Letters of Interest on file and opens a Request for Qualifications only when it needs a vehicle type or county covered.
- Its entry bar is two years of paid passenger work, three business references, and a full set of written policies.
- You price each trip as a pick-up fee plus a per-mile rate, and the per-mile rate cannot go above $3.50.
- Trips go mainly to the provider with the best rate for the level of service a rider needs, and no volume is guaranteed.

Community in Motion is a Vancouver, Washington, nonprofit that traces its roots to 1946. It was called Human Services Council from 1990 until 2021, and it has arranged Medicaid transportation since 1995. Today the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) uses it as the Apple Health nonemergency medical transportation (NEMT) broker for five southwest Washington counties.

Its homepage reports 11,237 clients served and 358,370 trips completed in 2025 across its programs. Community in Motion schedules and pays for rides. Contracted transportation companies, public transit, and volunteer drivers carry the riders.

## Where Community in Motion arranges Medicaid rides

HCA's county directory, current in September 2026, sends Apple Health members in five counties to Community in Motion. The same agency runs other ride programs in some of them, which its pricing form lets you bid on too:

| County | Other Community in Motion programs there |
|---|---|
| Clark | Reserve-A-Ride, Sponsor-A-Ride, Employment Transportation, North County Shuttle |
| Cowlitz | Reserve-A-Ride, Sponsor-A-Ride |
| Wahkiakum | Reserve-A-Ride, Sponsor-A-Ride |
| Skamania | Sponsor-A-Ride |
| Klickitat | Sponsor-A-Ride |

Riders book with the broker for the county they live in. If your vans also serve a neighboring county, those riders belong to another broker, and you need a second subcontract:

| Neighboring counties | Their Apple Health broker |
|---|---|
| Pacific, Lewis | [Paratransit Services](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/paratransit-services/) |
| Yakima, Benton | [People for People](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/people-for-people/) |

Oregon Medicaid members across the river ride through Oregon's own programs, not through Community in Motion. The [Oregon guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/oregon/) explains them.

### Trips into Oregon

Washington treats care in Portland, The Dalles, Hood River, Rainier, and Astoria, Oregon, the same as care inside the state (WAC 182-501-0175). Community in Motion's subcontractor profile, effective January 1, 2026, lets you check which of those areas you will drive to, along with Lewis, Pacific, Benton, and Yakima counties in Washington.

Portland has its own for-hire rules. As of September 2026, the Portland Bureau of Transportation issues an NEMT company permit only after the applicant confirms a valid contract with a broker, while section 16.40.980 of the city code suspends the code's own NEMT requirements until the City Council adopts new ones. Community in Motion's vendor forms also carry a September 13, 2012 letter from Portland's Revenue Bureau saying the city does not stop out-of-area medical transportation providers during round trips. Ask the Bureau of Transportation's private for-hire program how that applies to your vans before you plan regular Portland runs.

## How Community in Motion decides who drives

Washington law makes the broker choose the lowest-cost mode that is accessible and fits the rider's medical condition (WAC 182-546-5200). Community in Motion's provider FAQ lists the options: fixed-route bus, paratransit, cabulance, taxi, volunteer service, gas voucher, or repayment for driving yourself. A private company gets the trips that need a car at the door, a wheelchair van, or a stretcher. See [least costly mode](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/least-costly-mode/).

HCA's broker contracts add a money reason to that order. The sample broker contract HCA still posts in September 2026 (Exhibit B) pays brokers a bonus of up to 5 percent of their administrative payment when the share of trips on low-cost modes rises from the same quarter a year earlier. Those modes are bus, gas cards, mileage, volunteers, commercial bus, and train. Brokers can also raise that bonus by increasing their share of shared rides. HCA's December 2024 report to the Legislature describes the same low-cost mode incentives in its broker contracts. Expect every van trip to be one those options could not cover.

Within the van trips, price decides a lot. Community in Motion's May 2025 FAQ says it cannot guarantee any volume, and trips go mainly by the rate at which you offer the level of service that best fits the rider.

### What riders are told

These rules shape your schedule, as of September 2026:

- **Notice.** Riders call at least two business days ahead and can book up to 30 days out. Urgent trips are booked as providers are available.
- **Pickup window.** A ride may arrive up to 15 minutes before or after the scheduled pickup, and shared-ride riders may be asked to be ready earlier.
- **After hours.** On evenings and weekends, contracted vendors can take riders to non-life-threatening urgent care and home from a hospital stay. Riders call the office for the after-hours contacts.
- **Out of the area.** A trip outside the local community needs the local doctor's approval, and riders are asked to call at least seven working days ahead.
- **Cancellations.** The no-show door hanger drivers leave tells riders to cancel by phone at least two hours before pickup, or online at least 24 hours ahead.

## What Community in Motion requires from a transportation company

### The business

The May 2025 FAQ sets the minimum qualifications:

- A current Washington State master business license, plus a business license from each city where you work.
- Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and all other local, state, and federal rules for your service.
- Insurance that meets state and federal law and Community in Motion's contract standards.
- At least two years of demonstrated experience carrying people for pay. Medical or social service transportation is preferred.
- Dedicated, reliable phone and fax lines and internet for trip and billing messages.
- Staff on duty during your service hours to report road emergencies and answer trip requests and complaints.
- Books and records kept under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

Successful applicants get a contract with Special Terms and Conditions that are not negotiable. Read them before you set your prices. Washington's licensing basics, including the Department of Licensing for-hire license, are in the [Washington state guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/washington/).

### The drivers

Community in Motion requires four certifications for every driver under its contract: child safety seat training, CPR and first aid, defensive driving, and passenger assistance. It also reviews each driver's driving abstract, criminal background check, and drug and alcohol testing.

Its vendor forms add paperwork for each driver:

- **Self-disclosure statement.** Signed under penalty of perjury to Community in Motion and HCA. It asks about convictions, findings of abuse or exploitation, protection order violations, and license sanctions, and it authorizes your company to run name and fingerprint checks.
- **Statement of physical ability.** The driver certifies being able and licensed to drive and free of any substance that impairs judgment. Prescribed medication is allowed only with a prescriber's written note that it will not affect driving.
- **Residency statement.** The driver certifies how long they have lived in Washington.
- **Code of professional conduct.** Drivers wear visible company ID, open and close doors, secure every seat belt and wheelchair before moving, and help riders to the main door. They may not accept money or gifts, solicit business, discourage complaints, eat while driving or assisting, or hold a phone while the vehicle moves.

HCA's sample contract (Exhibit F) asks drivers to keep the vehicle smoke-free, as far as possible, for at least 15 minutes before a pickup. It also requires a Washington State Patrol fingerprint check for every new driver, repeated every three years, with a WATCH name check in the years between. Because this region borders Oregon, a broker may use a similar report from an appropriate government agency while a new driver's fingerprint check is pending. Brokers verify 10 percent of each provider's drivers on site in odd years and another 10 percent by desk audit in even years. See [NEMT driver background checks](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-driver-background-check/).

### The policies you send

A Request for Qualifications packet must include:

1. Three letters of reference from businesses that can confirm your transportation work.
2. Certificates of insurance.
3. Your Washington State business license and city business licenses.
4. A nondiscrimination policy.
5. A driver training and orientation program.
6. A vehicle maintenance schedule.
7. A disaster preparedness policy.
8. A customer complaint policy.
9. ADA and Title VI policies.
10. Your last financial audit.

The subcontractor profile asks for more. It wants policies on confidentiality, rider grievances, trip records, billing, mandatory reporting, accident investigation, wheelchair securement, and drug and alcohol use, plus job descriptions for your manager, dispatcher, bookkeeper, and drivers. It also asks for current insurance certificates that name TSB, the brokerage the form says sends your checks, as additional insured. The [NEMT credentialing checklist](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-credentialing-checklist/) keeps these in one folder.

## How to become a Community in Motion provider

1. **Send a Letter of Interest.** Fill in the form on the Our Vendors page: legal name, UBI number, years in business as a transportation provider, contact person, the counties you want, and whether you offer ambulatory or non-ambulatory service. Email it to Jessica Michael at jessicam@communityinmotion.org.
2. **Wait for a Request for Qualifications.** Community in Motion opens one when it needs a certain type of transportation or county covered, and it notifies every company with a letter on file. See [how NEMT broker RFPs work](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-broker-rfp/).
3. **Build your packet.** Gather the ten documents above and complete the Section V Subcontractor Profile.
4. **Define your service area.** In the profile, a primary area is a county where trips start and end, and a secondary area is a trip that starts there and ends in another county. List any long-distance destinations, such as Seattle or Spokane, and any trips you will not take.
5. **Say which children you can carry.** The profile asks whether you carry children under 10 with a parent, children 10 to 12 alone, and riders 12 to 18 with or without an escort, and whether you have car and booster seats.
6. **Submit your pricing proposal.** Use the Section VI.A form described below.
7. **Wait for the committee.** Plan on about four months after the deadline for a decision on whether you are offered an agreement.

Community in Motion encourages disadvantaged business enterprises to apply. Washington's Office of Minority and Women's Business Enterprises runs that certification.

## How pricing and payment work

HCA sets no NEMT rates. Its December 2024 report to the Legislature says geography drives the fair cost, so each broker negotiates with its providers. HCA passes the full trip cost through to providers, and the broker keeps none of it.

Community in Motion's Section VI.A pricing proposal, revised January 28, 2026, is where you name your price. It builds each trip from parts:

| Part of the price | Rule on the form |
|---|---|
| Pick-up fee | One for each mode: ambulatory, wheelchair, stretcher, and volunteer driver |
| Per-mile rate | Set per mode, with a separate rate for trips over 50 miles. It cannot go above $3.50 a mile |
| Group or shared pick-up fee | Each rider gets a separate authorization. The fee cannot exceed your regular pick-up fee for that mode |
| Authorized attendant | One rate, whether or not the rider walks. The attendant is listed on the daily dispatch log |
| Equipment fee | One flat fee per trip, the same amount for any equipment, such as a lift, an extra technician, or a stair device |
| Bariatric wheelchair fee | A flat fee for a wheelchair over 32 inches wide or a weight over 600 pounds |
| After-hours fee | A flat fee only for pickups between 8:30 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. |

On the form, a shared ride has the same pick-up and drop-off for every rider. A group ride has different pick-up or drop-off addresses. A lift fee applies only when a non-ambulatory attendant rides with an ambulatory rider, and it needs Community in Motion's approval first.

The second page asks for the rates you charge other contracts and the public, with your posted or published rates as proof. The form says those rates cannot be lower than what Community in Motion pays, so it expects your best price. Price your stretcher, [bariatric](https://nemtguide.com/guides/bariatric-transportation/), and late-night work with care. HCA's December 2024 report says after-hours discharge resources are very limited statewide. HCA started a stretcher pilot with private companies in May 2021, and the same report says insurance costs and too few steady trips hold it back. The [NEMT rate sheet](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-rate-sheet/) and [how to negotiate broker rates](https://nemtguide.com/guides/negotiate-nemt-broker-rates/) help you build the numbers.

### Getting paid

Community in Motion pays only companies it subcontracts with (WAC 182-546-6200), and HCA's sample contract (Exhibit I) bars you from seeking payment from HCA or the rider. The same exhibit requires the broker to pay you within 10 calendar days after it receives HCA's monthly payment. It also requires your subcontract to allow rate adjustments at least quarterly and to give you an appeals process. For direct deposit, the subcontractor profile names the bookkeeper at finance@communityinmotion.org or 360-735-5707.

## Running trips for Community in Motion

Current vendors log in to the provider portal at brokerage.hsc-wa.org. The Our Vendors page also has an after-hours eligibility check: enter a rider's ProviderOne number to confirm Apple Health coverage when the office is closed.

That check matters for night and weekend work. When the broker is closed, you may give an urgent care or hospital discharge ride under its after-hours instructions and ask for retroactive authorization within two business days, or you may decline the ride (WAC 182-546-5200). See [after-hours NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/after-hours-nemt/).

HCA's sample contract (Exhibit G) holds you to an average wait of 15 minutes or less for appointment pickups, never over 30, and a 30-minute average for return pickups. A late arrival that costs the rider the appointment is not paid, though the broker may make an exception for a delay you could not foresee, like a crash that blocks all traffic. Road construction is not an excuse. Report any crash or incident on Community in Motion's Accident and Incident Report, which asks whether 911 was called, whether the driver was sent for drug and alcohol testing, and later what happened to the driver and the vehicle. Keep a [trip log](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-trip-log-template/) for every leg.

## Other Community in Motion programs on the same contract

The pricing proposal lets you bid on four programs besides Medicaid, in the counties the form lists for each. They pay for rides Medicaid does not cover:

| Program | Counties | Who rides | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reserve-A-Ride | Clark, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum | Older adults and people with disabilities, first for life-sustaining medical visits | WSDOT consolidated grants, C-TRAN, and community funders |
| Sponsor-A-Ride | All five counties | People who qualify for no other ride program | Community donations, including rider accounts that friends and family fund |
| Employment Transportation | Clark only | Low-income workers and job seekers referred by a partner agency | WSDOT consolidated grants |
| North County Shuttle | Clark only | Seniors, people with disabilities, and isolated residents of north Clark County riding into Battle Ground | National Center for Mobility Management and WSDOT consolidated grants |

## Who to call

| For | Contact (September 2026) |
|---|---|
| Joining the network | Jessica Michael, jessicam@communityinmotion.org |
| Administrative office | 5101 NE 82nd Ave., Suite 210, Vancouver, WA 98662. 360-694-6577, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Medicaid trip line | 360-694-9997 or 800-752-9422, option 1. Fax 360-694-1446. Weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Direct deposit and payments | Bookkeeper, 312 SE Stonemill Dr., Suite 115, Vancouver, WA 98684. 360-735-5707, finance@communityinmotion.org |
| HCA NEMT program | hcanemttrans@hca.wa.gov |

When you write your Letter of Interest, be specific. Name the counties, vehicle types, hours, and long-distance runs you can cover, especially wheelchair, stretcher, and late-night trips, because those are the rides the bus, gas vouchers, and volunteers cannot give.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which counties does Community in Motion cover for Medicaid rides?

Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Skamania, and Wahkiakum counties in southwest Washington, on the Health Care Authority's broker directory as of September 2026. Its May 2025 provider FAQ adds contiguous areas, and its subcontractor profile lets you offer trips into nearby Washington counties and the Portland area, Astoria, Rainier, Hood River, and The Dalles in Oregon.

### How do I become a Community in Motion transportation provider?

Email the Letter of Interest form from its Our Vendors page to Jessica Michael at jessicam@communityinmotion.org. Community in Motion keeps every letter on file and contacts those companies when it opens a Request for Qualifications for a county or type of transportation it needs. After the deadline, a committee reviews the packets, which its May 2025 FAQ says takes about four months.

### What does Community in Motion pay per mile?

You propose your own rates, because the Health Care Authority does not set NEMT rates. Community in Motion's pricing proposal, revised January 28, 2026, asks for a pick-up fee and a per-mile rate for each mode, plus a separate rate for trips over 50 miles, and it caps the per-mile rate at $3.50. Optional add-on fees cover attendants, equipment, bariatric wheelchairs, and late-night pickups.

### How much experience do I need to contract with Community in Motion?

At least two years of demonstrated experience carrying people for pay, according to its May 2025 provider FAQ, with a preference for medical or social service transportation. You also need a current Washington business license, business licenses from each city you work in, required insurance, and dedicated phone, fax, and internet lines.

### Can Community in Motion riders go to doctors in Portland?

Yes. Washington treats care in Portland, The Dalles, Hood River, Rainier, and Astoria, Oregon, the same as care in the state (WAC 182-501-0175). Other out-of-state trips need the Health Care Authority's approval, requested at least seven business days before travel (WAC 182-546-5800). Community in Motion asks riders to call at least seven working days ahead for any trip outside their local community.

### Is Community in Motion the same as Human Services Council?

Yes. The agency took the name Human Services Council in 1990 and renamed itself Community in Motion in 2021. It has run Medicaid transportation since 1995. Some vendor forms still say HSC, and its provider portal still sits at brokerage.hsc-wa.org as of September 2026.

## Official resources

- [Community in Motion: Our Vendors (Letter of Interest, FAQ, and vendor forms)](https://communityinmotion.org/our-vendors)
- [Community in Motion: Provider portal](https://brokerage.hsc-wa.org/)
- [Washington HCA: Transportation broker directory by county](https://www.hca.wa.gov/free-or-low-cost-health-care/i-need-medical-dental-or-vision-care/transportation-services-nonemergency)
- [Washington HCA: Sample NEMT broker contract](https://www.hca.wa.gov/assets/billers-and-providers/SampleContract.pdf)
- [WAC 182-546, Transportation services (sections 5000 to 6200)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=182-546)
- [Washington OMWBE: Certification for small, minority, and women-owned businesses](https://omwbe.wa.gov/certification)
- [HHS OIG: List of Excluded Individuals and Entities](https://oig.hhs.gov/exclusions/)