# Modivcare in California: How to Get Medi-Cal Plan Rides (2027)

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

Modivcare is not a statewide broker in California. As of September 2026 it arranges Medi-Cal rides for seven health plans in 21 counties: Health Net, Anthem Blue Cross, CalViva Health, CalOptima Health, Alameda Alliance, San Francisco Health Plan, and Community Health Plan of Imperial Valley. To drive those trips, enroll in Medi-Cal through PAVE, then apply on Modivcare's provider form.

- Modivcare arranges Medi-Cal rides for seven California plans, not the whole state, and they reach 21 of 58 counties.
- In 13 counties, including Fresno, Orange, San Francisco, and Alameda, every Medi-Cal plan other than Kaiser uses Modivcare.
- Enroll in Medi-Cal through PAVE first. A plan can let you drive for only 120 days while your enrollment is pending.
- Health Net and Imperial Valley members need to give only 48 hours of notice for wheelchair and gurney rides, and discharges come the same day.
- The PCS form sets the level you drive, and Modivcare cannot lower it unless the prescriber checked more than one level.

## Modivcare in California at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Role in California | Ride broker for seven Medi-Cal health plans, each on its own contract. California has no statewide ride broker. |
| Plans | Health Net, Anthem Blue Cross, CalViva Health, CalOptima Health, Alameda Alliance for Health, San Francisco Health Plan, and Community Health Plan of Imperial Valley |
| Counties | 21 of California's 58 counties. In 13 of them, every Medi-Cal plan other than Kaiser Permanente uses Modivcare. |
| Before you apply | Enroll in Medi-Cal through the DHCS PAVE portal. A plan may let you drive for up to 120 days while your enrollment is pending (APL 22-008). |
| Service levels | Ambulatory, wheelchair, gurney (stretcher van with no medical monitoring), BLS ambulance, and SCT or ALS ambulance |
| Booking notice | Health Net and Imperial Valley: 48 hours for wheelchair and gurney rides. Anthem and San Francisco Health Plan: 5 business days. Alameda Alliance: 3 business days. |
| Standing orders | For care at least 2 days a week for 3 months or more, such as dialysis. Valid 3 months, then recertified by Modivcare. |
| California Operations Office | 877-917-8166, for facility questions and in-services |
| Facility line | 866-529-2128, fax 877-601-0535, for facility ride requests, standing orders, and online booking sign-up |

Modivcare has no statewide contract in California. Each Medi-Cal health plan picks who arranges its members' rides, and seven plans pick Modivcare. It takes their ride requests and sends each trip to a transportation company in its California network. For how Medi-Cal rides work across the state, see the [California guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/california/). For Modivcare's programs in other states, see the [Modivcare guide](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/modivcare/).

## Which plans and counties Modivcare covers in California

As of September 2026, Modivcare's California facility site and the plans' own pages name these seven Medi-Cal plans. The counties come from the plan pages of the Medi-Cal provider manual (updated December 2023 and December 2024).

| Plan | Counties | Member ride line |
|---|---|---|
| Health Net | Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mono, Tuolumne | 855-253-6863 |
| Anthem Blue Cross | Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mono, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Tulare, Tuolumne | 877-931-4755 |
| CalViva Health | Fresno, Kings, Madera | 855-253-6864 |
| CalOptima Health | Orange | 833-648-7528 |
| Alameda Alliance for Health | Alameda | 866-791-4158 |
| San Francisco Health Plan | San Francisco | 855-251-7098 |
| Community Health Plan of Imperial Valley | Imperial | 855-251-7097 |

Together they reach 21 of California's 58 counties. In 13 of them, every Medi-Cal plan on the manual's list other than Kaiser Permanente uses Modivcare: Alameda, Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kings, Madera, Mono, Orange, San Francisco, Tulare, and Tuolumne. If you drive in one of those counties, Modivcare is the main door to Medi-Cal plan trips.

A few limits on that table:

- **Health Net medical groups.** Modivcare handles rides for Health Net members assigned to a direct network provider or to a shared-risk medical group. Medical groups and hospitals that carry the risk for transportation arrange their own rides, so you can offer your service to them directly.
- **Los Angeles County.** Modivcare serves Health Net's Medi-Cal members there. L.A. Care, the county's local initiative plan, works with [Call the Car](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/call-the-car/). See the [Los Angeles County page](https://nemtguide.com/states/california/los-angeles-county/).
- **Orange County.** CalOptima Health moved all Medi-Cal and OneCare rides to Modivcare on April 1, 2024. Modivcare takes members of Community-Based Adult Services (CBAS) centers to medical appointments, but not between home and the center. See [CalOptima Health](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/caloptima-health/).
- **San Francisco.** On December 1, 2024, San Francisco Health Plan put Modivcare in charge of its network of transportation vendors. With that change, a ride from a hospital or nursing home to home needs a PCS form.

Modivcare's California pages also list ride lines for Medicare, dual, and commercial plans: CalOptima's OneCare Medicare and Medi-Cal plan (866-612-1256), San Francisco Health Plan's dual plan (855-251-7099), Health Net's commercial HMO (866-842-0675), UnitedHealthcare Medicare plans (866-418-9812), and an HCSC group retiree plan (866-824-1566).

## What you need before Modivcare can send you trips

Medi-Cal enrollment comes first. Under DHCS All Plan Letter 22-008 (May 18, 2022), every company that drives plan rides must enroll in Medi-Cal through the DHCS PAVE portal, and a plan may use you for up to 120 days while your application is pending. Modivcare itself does not have to enroll, because it only schedules rides and does not drive them. The [California guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/california/) covers the PAVE forms, fees, van rules, and the Bureau of Automotive Repair VSSI certificate that van applications have needed since March 27, 2025.

### How to apply to Modivcare in California

1. **Pick your counties** from the table and note which plans run there.
2. **Start your PAVE application**, and include fee-for-service enrollment.
3. **Send Modivcare's Become a Transportation Provider form.** Choose CA as your primary service state and give your base county. The [Modivcare guide](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/modivcare/) lists every field and the driver, vehicle, and insurance checks that follow.
4. **Follow up** through the Transportation Provider Support Form, which handles application status questions.
5. **Ask the facilities you serve to name you.** When long-term care members moved from fee-for-service Medi-Cal into Alameda Alliance in 2023, the Alliance told nursing homes that Modivcare can contract with the transportation companies they already use. It also warned that after a 90-day continuity-of-care period, claims from companies outside Modivcare's network would be denied. See [how to get facility contracts](https://nemtguide.com/guides/how-to-get-nemt-facility-contracts/).

## How much notice you get on California trips

Modivcare books rides by phone, through its TripCare portal for facilities, and through the member app. Each plan sets how far ahead its members must call:

| Plan | Notice members give | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Health Net Medi-Cal | Wheelchair, gurney, and non-emergency ambulance: 48 hours. Sedan or taxi: 24 hours. Rideshare: within 1 hour | September 9, 2025 |
| Community Health Plan of Imperial Valley | Wheelchair and gurney: 48 hours. Car, taxi, or rideshare: 24 hours. Bus passes: 5 days | October 16, 2023 |
| Anthem Blue Cross | 5 business days, or 7 for a new rider | September 2026 |
| San Francisco Health Plan | 5 business days for any ride | September 2026 |
| Alameda Alliance | 3 business days | September 2026 |

In Health Net and Imperial Valley counties, a wheelchair trip can land on your schedule two days out. Hospital discharges come faster. Modivcare takes discharge requests on the member's plan line 24 hours a day and asks hospitals to call at least 2 hours ahead when they can, and Health Net warns that a discharge pickup can take 1 to 4 hours depending on which provider is free. A move from an acute hospital to a nursing or psychiatric facility must happen within 3 hours under APL 22-008, or the hospital may call a company outside the network. See [hospital discharge transportation](https://nemtguide.com/guides/hospital-discharge-transportation/).

Imperial Valley's October 2023 booklet tells members that drivers wait 15 minutes past the pickup time, and rideshare drivers 5, and that members bring their own wheelchair or car seat. Modivcare's site asks any member without a wheelchair to say so when booking. Modivcare asks facilities to call its ride line once a ride is 15 minutes late, so run on time or call ahead.

### Standing orders

Modivcare's California standing order covers a member who goes to a program at least 2 days a week for at least 3 months, such as dialysis, mental health care, or adult day care. It stays valid for three months, Modivcare's staff recertify it, and it is cancelled if the member goes into the hospital. An NEMT standing order needs a PCS form on file. Modivcare's facility department confirms setup within 5 business days and answers status questions at 866-529-2128. If you drive dialysis riders, give the clinic Modivcare's California standing order form, which it can fax to 877-601-0535, so the rides are set up once instead of trip by trip. See [NEMT standing orders](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-standing-orders/).

## Service levels and the PCS form

Modivcare's California site sorts every ride into one level:

| Level | Who rides |
|---|---|
| Ambulatory | Walks to and from the vehicle alone but cannot use the bus |
| Wheelchair | Uses a wheelchair and needs a lift or ramp vehicle and driver help |
| Gurney | Moves to a stretcher with little help, cannot sit in a wheelchair, and needs no medical monitoring. Oxygen only if the member manages it or medical staff set it up at both ends |
| BLS ambulance | Confined to bed or needs monitoring, such as oxygen the member cannot manage |
| SCT or ALS ambulance | Needs advanced monitoring, such as an IV, a heart monitor, or a tracheotomy |

The gurney level is what Medi-Cal bills as a litter van trip (T2005). See [stretcher van](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/stretcher-van/). Health Net also counts a rider who needs a hand or uses a walker, cane, or crutches as NEMT, which it calls ambulatory door-to-door, and gives it the same 48-hour notice as a wheelchair ride.

For NEMT rides, the member's doctor or another listed prescriber signs a Physician Certification Statement (PCS) on the plan's own form. The level on it is the level you drive. APL 22-008 bars plans and brokers from changing it or downgrading NEMT to NMT unless the prescriber checked more than one type. Health Net's February 2025 form says no one can change it once it is sent, so a rider who now needs a gurney needs a new form. See [NEMT medical necessity forms](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/medical-necessity-form/).

| Plan | Where the PCS goes | Longest it lasts |
|---|---|---|
| Health Net, CalViva, Imperial Valley | Health Net Care Ride Unit, fax 833-701-0051 | One year, for a chronic condition |
| Anthem Blue Cross | Modivcare Utilization Review, fax 877-457-3352 | 12 months |
| CalOptima Health | CalOptima Utilization Management, fax 714-338-3153 (urgent 714-571-2424) | 12 months |
| Alameda Alliance | The Alliance, fax 510-747-4130 | 12 months |
| San Francisco Health Plan | SFHP transportation coordinator, fax 415-357-1292 | 12 months |

Modivcare's California Utilization Department answers PCS questions at 866-666-8645.

## What Modivcare pays in California

Your rate comes from your contract with Modivcare. For comparison, Medi-Cal's fee-for-service maximum is $20.30 for a wheelchair van trip (A0130), $26.29 for a litter van trip (T2005), and $1.50 a mile (A0380), on the codes page updated September 2023. Those are the most DHCS pays enrolled companies for fee-for-service members, so they make a useful benchmark when you [negotiate broker rates](https://nemtguide.com/guides/negotiate-nemt-broker-rates/).

Payment depends on the trip going through Modivcare. For the Health Net members Modivcare serves, Health Net requires every medical group, hospital, and nursing facility to book rides with Modivcare, and a claim for a ride booked around it may be denied. Alameda Alliance's 2023 alert said the same for companies outside Modivcare's network. If a facility calls you directly for a plan member, ask it to book the trip with Modivcare first.

On January 1, 2027, Medi-Cal members with unsatisfactory immigration status leave the plans for fee-for-service Medi-Cal, under a DHCS notice of September 11, 2026. Their rides move out of Modivcare's plans, and only companies enrolled in fee-for-service Medi-Cal can bill for them.

## Who to call at Modivcare in California

| For | Contact |
|---|---|
| Joining the network | Become a Transportation Provider form, on modivcare.com |
| Application status and provider questions | Transportation Provider Support Form, on modivcare.com |
| California Operations Office | 877-917-8166 |
| Facility ride requests, standing orders, and TripCare sign-up | Facility line 866-529-2128, fax 877-601-0535 |
| PCS questions | California Utilization Department, 866-666-8645 |
| Health Net NEMT approvals | Care Ride Unit, fax 833-701-0051 |
| CalOptima Health providers | Provider Relations, 714-246-8600 |
| Member mileage claims | Modivcare Claims, 800-930-9060 |

## What to do first

1. Find your county in the plan table and write down each plan that runs there.
2. Start or update your PAVE enrollment, fee-for-service included, before the January 2027 change.
3. Send Modivcare's provider form with CA as your primary state and your base county.
4. Visit the dialysis clinics and nursing homes near you with Modivcare's standing order form and the facility line.
5. Where other plans in your county use other arrangers, such as L.A. Care in Los Angeles County, apply there too. See [working with more than one broker](https://nemtguide.com/guides/multiple-nemt-brokers/) and [contracting with Medicaid health plans](https://nemtguide.com/guides/contract-with-medicaid-health-plans/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Modivcare the Medi-Cal transportation broker for all of California?

No. California has no statewide ride broker. Each Medi-Cal health plan chooses who arranges its rides, and as of September 2026 seven plans use Modivcare: Health Net, Anthem Blue Cross, CalViva Health, CalOptima Health, Alameda Alliance for Health, San Francisco Health Plan, and Community Health Plan of Imperial Valley. Other plans use other brokers or run rides themselves, and the California guide lists who arranges rides for each one.

### Does Modivcare cover Southern California?

In part. Modivcare arranges rides for Health Net members in Los Angeles County, CalOptima Health members in Orange County, and Community Health Plan of Imperial Valley members in Imperial County. Anthem Blue Cross members in Kern, Inyo, and Mono counties ride with Modivcare too, as do Health Net members in Inyo and Mono. None of the Medi-Cal plans on Modivcare's California list serve San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, or San Luis Obispo counties.

### What is the Modivcare California phone number?

Modivcare's California Operations Office is 877-917-8166, for facility questions and in-services. Members book on their plan's own line, such as 855-253-6863 for Health Net Medi-Cal or 877-931-4755 for Anthem Blue Cross. Facilities book rides and set up standing orders at 866-529-2128. Transportation companies ask about an application through Modivcare's online Transportation Provider Support Form.

### Do I need Medi-Cal enrollment to drive Modivcare trips in California?

Yes. DHCS All Plan Letter 22-008 (May 18, 2022) requires every company in a Medi-Cal plan's ride network to enroll in Medi-Cal. A plan may let you drive for up to 120 days while your application is pending, and it must end your contract if DHCS denies you or the 120 days run out. Enroll through PAVE, and include fee-for-service so you can keep serving members who leave the plans on January 1, 2027.

### How does Modivcare mileage reimbursement work in California?

For plans that offer it, a member can get gas mileage paid for rides a friend or relative gives. The member gets a trip number when booking, has the doctor sign Modivcare's trip log, and sends it by mail, email, or fax to 866-528-0462 within 30 days of the earliest trip. Modivcare mails payment within 30 business days. Its 2024 form says members who drive themselves do not qualify, citing APL 17-010. APL 22-008, which replaced that letter, counts the member's own car, so ask the plan.

### Can a nursing home get my company into Modivcare's network?

It can ask. When long-term care members moved from fee-for-service Medi-Cal into Alameda Alliance in 2023, the Alliance told skilled nursing facilities that Modivcare can contract with the transportation companies they already use, and asked them to name those companies. It also warned that after the 90-day continuity-of-care period, claims from companies outside Modivcare's network would be denied.

### What changes for Modivcare trips on January 1, 2027?

Medi-Cal members with unsatisfactory immigration status leave managed care for fee-for-service Medi-Cal that day, under a DHCS notice of September 11, 2026. They will no longer be in the plans Modivcare serves. They can ride with any company enrolled in fee-for-service Medi-Cal, which bills DHCS and needs an approved Treatment Authorization Request for wheelchair and litter van trips.

## Official resources

- [Modivcare: Become a Transportation Provider](https://www.modivcare.com/transportation-providers-contact-us/)
- [Modivcare: Transportation Provider Support Form](https://www.modivcare.com/transportation-provider-support-form/)
- [Modivcare: California facility resources and PCS forms](https://www.modivcare.com/facilities/ca/)
- [Modivcare: California Standing Order Form](https://www.modivcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/CA-Standing-Order-Request-Form_03.04.2024.pdf)
- [DHCS PAVE: Medi-Cal provider enrollment portal](https://pave.dhcs.ca.gov/sso/login.do)
- [DHCS: All Plan Letter 22-008 on NEMT and NMT](https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/formsandpubs/Documents/MMCDAPLsandPolicyLetters/APL2022/APL22-008.pdf)
- [Health Net Provider Library: Modivcare contacts](https://providerlibrary.healthnetcalifornia.com/contacts/modivcare.html)