# How to Provide NEMT Rides for Kern Family Health Care in 2027

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/brokers/kern-family-health-care/ · Updated 2026-10-02

Kern Family Health Care transportation starts at the plan's Transportation Department, and American Logistics schedules its wheelchair van, gurney van, and non-medical rides, sending trips to contracted companies through its app. To drive these Kern County Medi-Cal members you need Medi-Cal enrollment, a year operating in Kern County, and a Kern Health Systems contract, but as of October 2026 KHS lists its transportation network as temporarily closed.

- As of October 2026, Kern Health Systems lists its transportation network as temporarily closed to new providers until further notice.
- American Logistics schedules KFHC's NEMT and non-medical rides, and companies and their drivers take trips in its American Logistics TP app.
- KHS contracts only with companies enrolled in Medi-Cal fee-for-service that have operated in Kern County for at least one year.
- A signed PCS form approves wheelchair and gurney van rides for 12 months. Ambulance and air rides need prior authorization.
- Bill KHS electronically within 180 days of the ride, and put all of a shared ride's miles on one member's claim.

Kern Family Health Care is the Medi-Cal plan for Kern County. The Kern County Board of Supervisors created it in April 1993 as the county's local initiative, and Kern Health Systems, the County Health Authority, governs it as a public agency whose board the supervisors appoint. Kern runs Medi-Cal under the two-plan model, so Anthem Blue Cross and Kaiser Permanente serve Medi-Cal members in the county too.

KFHC is by far the largest of the three. In August 2026 the state's managed care enrollment report counted 374,794 Kern Health Systems members in Kern County, against 46,293 for Anthem Blue Cross and 23,870 for Kaiser. Each plan arranges its own members' rides, so a KFHC contract covers only KFHC members.

Statewide, every Medi-Cal plan must cover NEMT and non-medical rides under DHCS All Plan Letter 22-008 (May 18, 2022), and every ride company in a plan network must enroll in Medi-Cal fee-for-service. The [California guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/california/) covers that enrollment, vehicle rules, and the fee-for-service rates.

## Who arranges Kern Family Health Care rides

Members ask for rides through the KFHC Transportation Department at 661-632-1590 or 1-800-391-2000, option 3. It takes reservations Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for urgent and after-hours rides.

Behind that line, American Logistics does the scheduling. The 2026 provider manual calls it a national passenger transportation management company that manages the scheduling of NEMT and non-medical rides, and the KFHC Medicare plan (HMO D-SNP), which started January 1, 2026, uses it for all of its rides too. The [American Logistics guide](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/american-logistics/) covers its own provider rules. Under policy 5.15-P, revised February 2024, KHS keeps three jobs for itself:

- **The PCS review.** KHS reviews and files every PCS form and sends the prescribed mode to the broker in daily and monthly member files. It does not hand the review to the broker.
- **The ride type.** Neither KHS nor the broker may change the mode the member's provider prescribes. When the provider checks more than one, KHS picks the lowest cost.
- **The network.** KHS contracts with and credentials the transportation companies, keeps grievances and appeals, and monitors the broker and the companies at least every quarter.

Members who can ride in a car or bus get non-medical rides instead. The KFHC transportation brochure lists bus passes, including curb-to-curb service such as GET On-Demand and Dial-A-Ride where available, intercity bus for long-distance visits, rideshare, and mileage reimbursement. Policy 5.15-P adds taxis, and the KHS Provider Contract Request form has a separate NMT box for companies that want those trips.

## Which rides need a PCS form or prior authorization

NEMT at KFHC means a wheelchair van, litter (gurney) van, ambulance, or air ride for a member whose condition rules out ordinary public or private transport. Every NEMT ride needs a Physician Certification Statement from the member's provider, and the rules split by mode:

- **Wheelchair and gurney vans.** A completed, signed PCS form approves them without prior authorization. For a ride to an out-of-county or tertiary facility, the broker first confirms with KHS that the member has a valid authorization for that destination. A wheelchair van fits a member who cannot sit in a car or bus for the trip, must ride in a wheelchair, or needs help from the residence to the vehicle to the place of treatment. Policy 5.15-P adds that members with severe mental confusion, paraplegia, dialysis, or a chronic condition that needs oxygen without monitoring may qualify.
- **Ambulance and air.** These need prior authorization through KHS Utilization Management.
- **Hospital discharges.** A move from an acute hospital after an inpatient stay to a skilled nursing facility, intermediate care facility, or inpatient psychiatric facility needs no prior authorization. The ride must happen within 3 hours of the request, or the hospital may arrange an out-of-network ride that KHS must cover. See [hospital discharge transportation](https://nemtguide.com/guides/hospital-discharge-transportation/).

A PCS form lasts 12 months and covers every ride to covered care while the member stays eligible. Offices submit it on the KHS provider portal or fax it to 661-473-7631, and a bulletin of August 20, 2026 warns that the portal may reject a new form when a valid one is already on file. For an urgent ride with no PCS yet, KHS gives authorization by phone and accepts the form afterward, and the broker must honor that phone approval. The [Medi-Cal PCS form guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/medi-cal-pcs-form/) explains what the form must contain.

## How to join the KHS transportation network

As of October 2026, the Become a KHS Provider page lists Transportation among the networks temporarily closed until further notice, along with Community Support Services and Enhanced Care Management. The transportation checklist is marked the same way. When it reopens, KHS policy 23.08-P (approved September 28, 2026) and the 2026 provider manual set this order:

1. **Enroll in Medi-Cal fee-for-service.** Apply through PAVE as an NEMT or NMT provider, enrolled as a company. Check that your record, NPI, and place of business match your KHS application in the state's Profile of Enrolled Medi-Cal Fee-for-Service Providers. KHS may let a company with a pending application into the network for up to 120 days, and it ends the contract if DHCS denies the application.
2. **Build a year in Kern County.** KHS contracts only with facility and ancillary providers that have been physically located in Kern County and providing services there for at least one year before they apply.
3. **Send the contract request.** Email the Provider Contract Request form, with the NEMT, NMT, gurney, or wheelchair boxes checked, your current W-9, and your Medi-Cal approval letter to PRcontracting@khs-net.com. A Provider Contract Specialist replies within 5 to 10 business days, and the form does not guarantee a contract.
4. **Complete credentialing.** Send the organizational application and the transportation checklist items to Credentialing@khs-net.com: a city business license, professional liability, general liability including auto, proof of Medi-Cal fee-for-service enrollment, and the 274 group and site form with a W-9. Allow 60 to 120 days for verification and approval by the Physician Advisory Committee, and serve no KFHC members until the approval letter arrives. The [credentialing checklist](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-credentialing-checklist/) keeps these documents in one place.
5. **Carry the insurance.** Policy 23.08-P asks for professional liability of $1 million per occurrence and $3 million aggregate and general liability of $1 million. The provider manual lists $1 million and $3 million for both.
6. **Bill and get paid electronically.** KHS requires electronic claims and enrollment in its electronic funds transfer program.

Once you are in, KHS checks the SAM, LEIE, and restricted provider databases every month and recredentials you within 36 months. Report an ownership change within 35 days. KHS contracts cannot be transferred, so a new tax ID, business name, or owner may need a new Provider Agreement and 60 days' notice. For how a plan contract differs from broker work, see [contracting with Medicaid health plans](https://nemtguide.com/guides/contract-with-medicaid-health-plans/).

## How trips reach your company

Every transportation company and its drivers must use the American Logistics TP app, also called RideCafe, under the 2026 provider manual. American Logistics assigns trips by your location and availability, sends them through the app, and trains each company to use it. Drivers must give door-to-door assistance on every NEMT trip.

Standing orders follow the bulletin of June 4, 2025:

- **They expire after 90 days.** American Logistics calls the member a week before, extends the order 90 more days if it is still needed, and calls your company to pass the message on if it cannot reach the member.
- **Only six kinds of care qualify.** Dialysis, wound care, physical therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and behavioral health services.
- **Methadone trips get none.** Members book them up to 7 days ahead, and all other trips up to 30 days ahead. See [methadone clinic rides](https://nemtguide.com/guides/methadone-clinic-rides/).

KHS checks the work at least quarterly under policy 5.15-P: that each company stays enrolled in Medi-Cal, that drivers give door-to-door help, that rides arrive within 15 minutes of the scheduled time, and that no-show rates show no trend. It can put a company or the broker on a corrective action plan. Unaccompanied minors need a parent's consent form on file with KHS, and the policy leaves it to each NEMT company whether it carries a minor alone. The [standing orders guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-standing-orders/) covers running recurring trips.

## How KHS pays transportation claims

Your KHS agreement sets your rate. KHS pays non-contracted claims mostly by Medi-Cal guidelines and fee schedules, under the 2026 provider manual, so the fee-for-service maximums in the [California guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/california/) are the baseline to compare an offer against.

The claim rules that matter most:

- **Electronic only.** Bill through one of the three clearinghouses the manual names. The payer ID is 77039 at two of them and KERNH for professional claims at the third. Paper is accepted for only four exceptions, at P.O. Box 85000, Bakersfield, CA 93380.
- **180 days.** Claims are due within 180 days of the date of service, corrected claims within 45 days of the original payment or denial, and disputes within 365 days of the KHS action.
- **Payment speed.** KHS pays each complete claim within 45 working days of receipt and adds interest to a clean claim it has not paid within 30 calendar days.
- **Shared rides.** Under the bulletin dated March 20, 2026, bill all loaded and unloaded miles for a shared trip on one member's claim and zero on the others. See [multiloading](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-multiloading/).

From January 1, 2027, KFHC members with unsatisfactory immigration status move to fee-for-service Medi-Cal, a KHS bulletin of August 18, 2026 says. That is more than 40,000 members, the plan's CEO wrote on September 2, 2026, so expect fewer KFHC trips. Their rides will be paid by Medi-Cal fee-for-service, and a company needs its PAVE enrollment approved before then to be paid for them. For the claim itself, see [how to bill Medicaid for NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/how-to-bill-medicaid-for-nemt/).

## Who to call at Kern Family Health Care

- **Transportation Department:** 661-632-1590 or 1-800-391-2000, option 3, for member rides.
- **Provider Relations and Provider Network Management:** 1-800-391-2000, then 5, the silent prompt for providers.
- **Contracting:** PRcontracting@khs-net.com.
- **Credentialing:** Credentialing@khs-net.com.
- **PCS forms:** fax 661-473-7631.
- **Claims:** 1-800-391-2000, then 5 and 3. Paper exceptions and disputes go to P.O. Box 85000, Bakersfield, CA 93380.
- **Main office:** 2900 Buck Owens Blvd., Bakersfield, CA 93308, 661-664-5000.

Other Medi-Cal plans set their own transportation rules, including [IEHP](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/iehp/) in the Inland Empire and [Partnership HealthPlan](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/partnership-healthplan/) in Northern California, and each is a separate contract.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does Kern Family Health Care use a transportation broker?

Yes, for scheduling. The 2026 provider manual says American Logistics manages the scheduling of NEMT and non-medical rides, and a KHS bulletin of June 4, 2025 says KHS partners with American Logistics to coordinate them. KHS keeps the PCS review, its own contracts with ride companies, and the quarterly checks on the broker and those companies, and its policy bars the broker from changing the ride type a provider prescribes.

### Is Kern Health Systems accepting new transportation providers?

Not as of October 2, 2026. The Become a KHS Provider page lists Transportation, with Community Support Services and Enhanced Care Management, among networks temporarily closed until further notice, and the transportation checklist carries the same note. Getting your Medi-Cal enrollment and a year of Kern County operations in place now lets you send a contract request when it reopens.

### How far ahead do Kern Family Health Care members book rides?

KHS policy 5.15-P tells members to request rides at least 5 days before the appointment, and the 2026 provider manual says the same. The member transportation page asks for at least 48 business hours, and the KFHC transportation brochure gives 48 hours for wheelchair and gurney van rides and 5 business days for non-medical rides. The Transportation Department takes reservations weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and answers around the clock for urgent and after-hours rides.

### Who can sign the Kern Family Health Care PCS form?

Physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, residents in a graduate medical education program, physical, speech, and occupational therapists, optometrists, and mental health or substance use disorder providers, under a KHS bulletin of August 20, 2026. The office submits it on the provider portal or faxes it to 661-473-7631, and it lasts 12 months.

### How long do I have to bill Kern Health Systems?

180 days from the date of service, under the 2026 provider manual. Corrected claims are due within 45 days of the original payment or denial, and disputes within 365 days of the KHS action, by mail on its dispute form. KHS pays each complete claim within 45 working days of receipt and adds interest to a clean claim it has not paid within 30 calendar days.

### How do I bill mileage when several KHS members ride together?

Put all the loaded and unloaded miles for the shared trip on one member's claim and bill zero miles on the others, under a KHS bulletin dated March 20, 2026. If four members ride 10 miles after 5 empty miles, one claim shows 15 miles and the other three show none. Keep the trip logs, manifests, and routing records that back it up.

## Official resources

- [Kern Health Systems: Become a KHS Provider](https://www.kernfamilyhealthcare.com/providers/become-a-khs-provider/)
- [Kern Family Health Care: Provider manual and forms, including the PCS form](https://www.kernfamilyhealthcare.com/providers/provider-resources-medi-cal/manual-and-forms/)
- [Kern Health Systems: Policies and procedures](https://www.kernfamilyhealthcare.com/providers/policies-and-procedures/)
- [Kern Family Health Care: Provider bulletins](https://www.kernfamilyhealthcare.com/providers/bulletins/)
- [California Health and Human Services Open Data: Profile of enrolled Medi-Cal fee-for-service providers](https://data.chhs.ca.gov/dataset/profile-of-enrolled-medi-cal-fee-for-service-ffs-providers)
- [DHCS: Provider Application and Validation for Enrollment (PAVE)](https://pave.dhcs.ca.gov/sso/login.do)