How to Become a Hopelink Medicaid Transportation Provider in 2027

Hopelink is a nonprofit community action agency based in Redmond, Washington, founded in 1971. Besides food, housing, and family programs, it is the Washington State Health Care Authority’s (HCA) broker for nonemergency medical transportation (NEMT) in King and Snohomish counties. Its partner application says it has held that role since 1990. Hopelink does not drive the rides. It screens each request, picks the lowest-cost option that fits the rider, and gives the rides that need a vehicle to transportation companies under subcontract. In its 2025 fiscal year (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025), Hopelink brokered 759,579 trips and helped 33,757 Medicaid recipients.

Where Hopelink arranges rides

Washington has used regional NEMT brokers since 1989. HCA contracts with six brokers covering 13 regions and all 39 counties. HCA’s December 2024 report to the Legislature says five are nonprofit community organizations and one is an Area Agency on Aging. HCA’s May 2025 list of contracted brokers:

Broker	Counties, as of May 2025
Hopelink	King and Snohomish
Paratransit Services	Pierce, Kitsap, Clallam, Jefferson, Mason, Pacific, Grays Harbor, Thurston, and Lewis
Northwest Regional Council	Whatcom, Skagit, Island, and San Juan
Community in Motion	Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Skamania, and Wahkiakum
People for People	Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan, Kittitas, Yakima, Benton, Franklin, Columbia, and Walla Walla
Special Mobility Services	Spokane, Stevens, Ferry, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Grant, Adams, Whitman, Garfield, and Asotin

Hopelink handles trips that start in King or Snohomish County. A trip that starts in another county goes through that county’s broker, so serving Tacoma or Bremerton riders takes a separate subcontract with Paratransit Services.

The riders are Apple Health (Medicaid) clients and clients of other state-funded medical programs with a transportation benefit, who have no other way to reach a covered appointment. HCA covers these rides through its contracted brokers, which arrange and pay for the trips. Hopelink takes requests from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, at least two business days ahead, and its rider brochure says urgent rides can be booked 24 hours a day.

Not every ride goes to a company. Washington law requires the broker to choose the lowest-cost mode that is accessible and fits the rider’s medical condition (WAC 182-546-5200). Hopelink says ORCA transit cards and gas card reimbursement are the most common options. It also arranges rideshare trips with the right medical documentation. Door-to-door service is a shared ride service for riders with a documented disability, verified by their primary care physician or mental health provider. Hopelink’s rider brochure lists the vehicles its vendors run: sedans, minibuses, passenger vans, stretcher vehicles, and vehicles with ramps and lifts.

See how states run NEMT for how this regional model compares with statewide brokers and health plans.

How the Washington broker model works for providers

Washington’s model changes how you get work and how you get paid. These rules come from WAC 182-546, HCA’s sample broker contract, and HCA’s December 2024 report:

• Rates are negotiated. HCA does not set NEMT rates, because geography drives the reasonable cost. Each broker negotiates rates with its providers.
• Service costs pass through. Brokers get a separate administrative payment that cannot change without the Legislature. What they pay providers passes through in full, and the broker keeps none of it.
• You need a subcontract. A broker must have a subcontract with a provider for that provider to be paid (WAC 182-546-5200 and 6200).
• Riders cannot choose you. Clients may not select the transportation provider or the mode (WAC 182-546-5000).
• Exclusion screening. Brokers screen subcontracted providers and their employees against federal exclusion lists before contracting and on an ongoing basis.
• A fair marketplace. HCA’s sample contract tells brokers to build their network through a fair and clear contracting process, with a variety of providers for each mode.
• Brokers do not drive. The sample contract bars a broker from providing rides itself or subcontracting with a company it has a financial relationship with.

HCA’s sample broker contract dates its first monthly payment to July 2021, and its amendment extended the term to June 30, 2025. HCA’s May 2025 broker list, HCA’s county broker directory as of September 2026, and Hopelink’s page, updated June 2026, all still show Hopelink as the King and Snohomish broker.

Who can become a Hopelink transportation provider

As of June 2026, Hopelink’s Medicaid Transportation page lists three minimums you must meet before you apply:

• Experience and licensing. At least one year of NEMT experience, plus all required licensing to operate in Washington.
• Fleet size. A fleet of five or more vehicles.
• A Washington office. An established physical office in Washington.

Its partner application says Hopelink is looking for established transportation companies with experience carrying people in the Puget Sound region.

Hopelink’s application asks for your Washington business license number and your for-hire license number. The Department of Licensing (DOL) says you need a for-hire license to carry people for a fee in a for-hire vehicle, such as a taxi or cabulance, unless an exemption applies. Nonprofits carrying people with special needs under a Utilities and Transportation Commission license are one exemption.

License or filing	What to know
Washington business license	Filed with the Department of Revenue’s Business Licensing Service, which also processes the DOL for-hire license as an endorsement
For-hire permit	$110, required only if your city or county does not license for-hire businesses (DOL fees as of September 2026)
For-hire vehicle certificate	$55 per vehicle. DOL asks for registration certificates showing a use class of F/H or CAB
For Hire Addendum	Completed and signed by your local jurisdiction authority, attached to the business license application
Proof of insurance	$325,000 combined single limit, or split limits of $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, and $25,000 property damage, with DOL as certificate holder
Local for-hire licensing	Cities, counties, and port districts may license and regulate for-hire vehicles (RCW 46.72.160). King County says all for-hire drivers, vehicles, and the companies they drive for must be approved by King County

Use the same business name and trade name on your application, vehicle registrations, and insurance certificate, or DOL’s processing slows down. After DOL has the correct documents, it sends the license and vehicle certificates within 14 business days. Ask King County’s For-Hire Licensing office, and your city in Snohomish County, whether their rules cover your vehicles.

How to apply to Hopelink, step by step

1. Meet the minimums. Have your year of NEMT experience, five or more vehicles, a Washington office, and your licenses in place.
2. Gather your numbers. The application asks for your Washington business license number, federal tax ID, and for-hire license number, plus any other business licenses with their numbers.
3. Download the Partner Application. It is a three-page form on Hopelink’s Medicaid Transportation page, last updated October 12, 2015.
4. Fill in every section. You list your legal name, office locations, and any ties to other transportation companies, such as shared ownership, facilities, or phones. You also list how long you have operated in the Puget Sound region, staff counts, principal officers with ownership percentages, one line per vehicle type, and the areas and hours you serve and plan to serve.
5. Send it. Hopelink asks that all communication about partnering go to transportationcontracts@hopelink.org. The 2015 form also lists a mailing address: Hopelink Transportation, Attn: Contracts, 14812 Main Street, Bellevue, WA 98007.
6. Wait up to 30 days. Hopelink acknowledges receipt and asks you not to contact it during the 30-day review unless you are canceling. It then tells you the outcome and whether you qualify to move toward a contract.
7. Sign the subcontract. It must be in writing and cover the terms HCA requires, listed below.
8. Pass the first inspection and driver check. The broker inspects every vehicle and verifies every driver before their first trip under the contract.

The form says Hopelink can accept or reject the screening application for any reason, and that it creates no contract. The NEMT credentialing checklist helps you keep the pieces together, and how to get NEMT broker contracts covers reading the agreement.

What your Hopelink subcontract must include

HCA’s sample broker contract (Exhibit I) lists what every subcontract with a transportation provider must contain:

Term	What it requires
Services	A clear statement of the services you perform
Nondiscrimination	Compliance with state and federal nondiscrimination policies
Confidentiality	Ask riders for only the minimum information needed, and protect what you learn from unauthorized disclosure
Parties	Full contact details for both sides. Your drivers are your employees, not the broker’s or the state’s
Doing business in Washington	Written documentation that you may do business in the state
Fraud and abuse	Procedures to prevent, detect, and report suspected fraud and abuse
Payment	The payment method and the applicable rates
Remittance	Payment due no later than 10 calendar days after the broker receives HCA’s monthly payment for transportation services
Quality assurance	A quality control clause requiring a quality assurance plan
Insurance	Minimums by the type of provider you are (next section)
Records	The broker can access your trip, billing, and accounting records for six years after the subcontract ends
No other billing	You may not bill HCA, riders, or any other provider for trips under the subcontract
Ethical conduct	No kickbacks, gifts, or other payments to the broker to win referrals
Missed appointments	A fair negotiated rate for an authorized trip you gave when the appointment did not happen at no fault of yours
Rate adjustments	Rates can be adjusted at least quarterly
Appeals	An appeals process for providers
Unauthorized drivers	You return any pay for trips given by an unauthorized driver or vehicle within 30 days of finding out
Licenses	Every license, certification, and permit the law requires for the work
Employer duties	Employer liability insurance, workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, social security, and state and local taxes

Insurance, drivers, and vehicles

Insurance

HCA’s sample contract sets the floor by provider type. Hopelink’s subcontract states the limits you must carry, so get it before you buy coverage.

Provider type	Minimum in HCA’s sample contract
Publicly regulated (for-hire under RCW 46.72, or regulated by the Utilities and Transportation Commission)	No less than the minimum set by law. For DOL for-hire operators, a $325,000 combined single limit or $100,000/$300,000/$25,000 split limits
Not regulated by DOL, the Utilities and Transportation Commission, or another agency	The same types and limits the broker must carry, including auto liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, combined single limit
Volunteer and client-associated vehicles	The minimum insurance and licensing state law requires

See NEMT insurance requirements for the coverage types.

Drivers

HCA’s sample contract (Exhibit F) sets these driver rules for every broker:

Area	Standard
Before the first ride	A valid driver’s license, an abstract of driving record, and insurance
Criminal history	A fingerprint-based Washington State Patrol check for every new driver and every three years after, with a WATCH report in the years between. A new driver can start on a WATCH report while fingerprint results are pending. The check must qualify the driver for unsupervised access to children and vulnerable adults under RCW 43.43.830, reviewed against the DSHS Secretary’s List of Crimes and Negative Actions
Required training	Commercial drivers are trained to install and use child safety seats
Recommended training	CPR and first aid, passenger assistance training, fire suppression, and defensive driving
On every trip	Visible company ID, out of the vehicle to open and close doors, help to or from the main door, help with seat belts, and a check of every belt and wheelchair securement before moving
Levels of help	Curb-to-curb, door-to-door, door-through-door, and hand-to-hand. Door-through-door and hand-to-hand help ends at a home’s exterior door or a facility’s street-level main reception desk
Not allowed	Headphones, holding a phone while driving, smoking with clients aboard (and ideally for 15 minutes before a pickup), eating while driving, accepting money or gifts, soliciting business, or discouraging complaints

The broker verifies each driver before their first trip. After that, it checks at least 10 percent of each provider’s drivers every year, on-site in odd years and by desk audit in even years. If more than 5 percent fail, it checks all of them, and several complaints about a driver within 60 days trigger a desk audit. A driver who may pose an imminent risk is pulled from trips while the broker investigates. See NEMT driver background checks.

Vehicles

HCA’s sample contract (Exhibit E) requires vehicles to meet DOL and Utilities and Transportation Commission rules, state and federal safety standards including seat belt law, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The broker inspects every vehicle before first use. After that, it inspects 10 percent of each provider’s fleet on-site in odd years, half of them unannounced, and audits 10 percent by desk review in even years. A failed vehicle comes out of service until it is fixed and inspected again.

Every vehicle needs a two-way radio or cell phone linked to your dispatcher, working heat and ventilation, and a clean, working seat belt for every seat, stored off the floor. It also needs working door handles, an accurate speedometer and odometer, interior lights, two side mirrors and an interior mirror, and your company name and vehicle number displayed. Wheelchair vehicles need securement devices, and every vehicle must be able to secure child safety seats. A vehicle with a broken radio or climate system is out of service until repaired.

Trip rules and on-time standards

Every nonambulance trip must be authorized by the broker in advance (WAC 182-546-6000). If Hopelink is closed and a rider needs an urgent care trip or a ride after a hospital discharge, you may either give the ride under Hopelink’s after-hours instructions and request retroactive authorization within two business days, or decline it (WAC 182-546-5200).

HCA’s sample contract (Exhibit G) sets these standards:

Situation	Standard
Waiting for a pickup to an appointment	15 minutes or less on average, and never more than 30 minutes
Arriving at the appointment	On time, and never more than 30 minutes early unless the rider asks
Waiting for a return trip	30 minutes or less on average
Will-call returns	Exempt from the wait standards. Riders are told to expect longer waits
Shared rides	No more than 45 minutes longer than the average single-rider trip. Tell the broker about any longer delay
Late arrival	No payment when the rider arrives too late to be seen. The broker may still pay when the delay was not your fault, such as an accident that stopped traffic. Construction zones do not count

Hopelink’s door-to-door rider brochure (November 2022) tells riders what to expect from your drivers:

• A 30-minute pickup window. Riders are told to be ready five minutes before it starts and to wait until it ends before calling. See pickup window.
• A five-minute wait. The driver waits five minutes after arriving, and no more than five minutes past the start of the window when early. If the rider is not in the car by then, the driver may leave, and the rider calls Hopelink.
• No going inside. Drivers do not enter homes or go past a building’s lobby. Riders who need more help bring an escort.
• The shortest route. Drivers take the shortest, most efficient route, not one the rider asks for, and make no restroom stops.
• Changes go through Hopelink. Riders call Hopelink, not the provider, to cancel or change a ride.

How Hopelink pays you

You bill Hopelink, not the state. HCA’s sample contract gives this chain:

1. You invoice Hopelink under the terms of your subcontract.
2. Hopelink invoices HCA by the 20th of the month after the service. If Hopelink returns your bill for clarification or backup, HCA allows 60 more calendar days to resubmit it.
3. HCA’s payment is timely within 30 calendar days of a proper invoice.
4. Your payment is due no later than 10 calendar days after Hopelink receives HCA’s payment.

HCA denies claims when the rider was not eligible, the service was not covered by the rider’s program, the program has no NEMT benefit, or the medical provider was not an eligible provider. The sample contract defines a no-show as a client or provider not keeping an appointment and not canceling it. It also requires a fair rate for a trip you gave when the appointment did not happen at no fault of yours. Settle how no-shows and cancellations at the door are paid in your subcontract.

The broker reviews at least 10 randomly selected trips during each provider’s desk audit every other year, checking documentation, timeliness, coding, and medical justification. It visits your office every other year to confirm your client files and manifests are secure. Keep a complete record for every leg. The NEMT trip log template has the fields.

Where the work is in King and Snohomish counties

HCA’s December 2024 report points to gaps across the state, some of them in the Seattle area:

• After-hours discharges. Brokers have after-hours providers for hospital discharges, but HCA calls those resources very limited.
• Stretcher trips. A stretcher pilot using private companies began in May 2021. HCA says the high cost of insurance and inconsistent trip volume hold it back, and frequent standing trips such as dialysis remain a gap.
• Short-notice trips. Same-day, urgent, and no-notice requests are among the hardest to coordinate. Since August 2024, a broker has piloted a rideshare company for overflow, recovery, and last-minute trips in King County.
• Hospital desks. Broker transportation desks at three major hospitals in the Seattle area, jointly funded by the broker and the hospital, let patients request a ride in person.

HCA also pays brokers incentives for lowering costs and for raising the share of trips by transit, mileage reimbursement, gas vouchers, and volunteer drivers. See the Washington state guide for licensing and the rest of the state.

Who to call

For	Contact
Provider applications and contracts	transportationcontracts@hopelink.org
Hopelink administrative office	Redmond Center, 8990 154th Avenue NE, Redmond, WA 98052. 425-869-6000
Rider reservations	King County 800-923-7433, Snohomish County 855-766-7433, fax 425-644-9447, TTY 800-246-1646
Ride status and cancellations	King County 800-595-2172, Snohomish County 888-913-2172
HCA NEMT program	hcanemttrans@hca.wa.gov
DOL for-hire licensing	360-664-1836 for license questions, 360-664-6645 or forhire@dol.wa.gov for regulatory questions
Business Licensing Service	360-705-6741, BLS@dor.wa.gov
King County For-Hire Licensing	201 S. Jackson Street, Suite 206, Seattle, WA 98104. 206-263-1982, ForHireDriver@kingcounty.gov

Before you send the application, have your business license, federal tax ID, for-hire license, insurance certificates, and a list of every vehicle ready. Decide which counties, vehicle types, and hours you will offer, because Hopelink matches each ride to the lowest-cost option that fits the rider.