# Modivcare in Michigan: Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Rides (2027)

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

Modivcare arranges Michigan Medicaid's fee-for-service rides in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties under an MDHHS broker contract, and books rides for McLaren Health Plan members across the Lower Peninsula. To drive for it there, enroll your company and every driver in CHAMPS, hold a LARA limousine or MDOT bus authority, and pass Modivcare's vehicle inspection before your first trip.

- Modivcare is the only Medicaid ride broker Michigan uses for members without a health plan, and only in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb.
- In the three counties, every driver and attendant enrolls in CHAMPS, not just the company.
- Stretcher vans and ambulances are outside the three-county contract, so plan on wheelchair, Medi-Van, and ambulatory work.
- McLaren is the one Medicaid plan in every Lower Peninsula region, so Modivcare's McLaren trips can come from anywhere south of the Upper Peninsula.
- The posted state contract ran through July 31, 2026, so ask Modivcare how long your agreement runs and watch for a new bid.

## Modivcare in Michigan at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Who Modivcare serves | Fee-for-service Medicaid, Healthy Michigan Plan, and MIChild members, and CSHCS members with fee-for-service Medicaid, in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb, plus McLaren Health Plan members |
| State contract | DTMB contract MA190000000912. Its posted copy runs through July 31, 2026, with every option year used. |
| Members in the contract | 187,551 eligible members a month in the state's pricing for August 2025 through July 2026, down from 935,341 before October 1, 2024 |
| What the state pays Modivcare | $6.24 per eligible member per month for August 2025 through July 2026, about $1.17 million a month, covering all trips and costs |
| Before your first trip | CHAMPS enrollment for the company and each driver and attendant, limousine or bus authority, and a Modivcare vehicle inspection |
| Vehicles | Wheelchair lift vans, Medi-Vans, taxis, and public transit. The contract says ambulances and stretcher vans are not NEMT vehicles. |
| Inspections | Before service and every six months. A green sticker means pass. A red sticker takes the vehicle out of service. |
| Driver training | First aid, CPR, and the PASS course or an equivalent for every driver and attendant |
| Ride lines | Michigan Medicaid 866-569-1902, McLaren Medicaid 855-251-7100, facility standing orders 866-569-1908 |
| Pay | A rate Modivcare negotiates with each company. The state's fee-for-service schedule does not set it. |

Modivcare holds two kinds of Michigan work. It is the MDHHS broker for fee-for-service Medicaid rides in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, the only counties where the state hands those rides to a broker instead of its local offices. It also books rides for McLaren Health Plan's Medicaid members. The rest of the state's ride system, from the other health plans' brokers to company registration, is in the [Michigan guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/michigan/), and Modivcare's rules in every state are in the [Modivcare guide](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/modivcare/).

## Who Modivcare books rides for in Michigan

| Program | Who rides | Member line |
|---|---|---|
| MDHHS fee-for-service broker, Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb | Members with no health plan | 866-569-1902 |
| McLaren Health Plan Medicaid | McLaren Medicaid and Healthy Michigan Plan members | 855-251-7100 |

The three-county program covers fee-for-service Medicaid, fee-for-service Healthy Michigan Plan, MIChild, and members with both fee-for-service Medicaid and Children's Special Health Care Services (CSHCS), for rides to any Medicaid service from any Medicaid provider. Nursing facility residents and MI Choice waiver members are outside it. Modivcare's Michigan page also lists ride lines for McLaren's Medicare members (855-251-7101), Wellcare Medicare reservations (866-393-2162), and a plan it labels Centene/Ascension (877-718-4201).

The program is much smaller than it was. Until Change Notice 4, effective July 16, 2024, the contract also covered health plan members' rides to dental, substance use, and community mental health services. The state's pricing schedule counts 935,341 eligible members a month through September 30, 2024, and 187,551 from October 1, 2024. That is the date MDHHS Letter 24-36 put a new ride policy in place for the health plans, and plans such as Blue Cross Complete now cover their members' dental, mental health, and substance use treatment rides through their own brokers. Modivcare's Michigan facility page still says those rides are available to health plan members, but the contract no longer covers them. A plan member who asks you for one books it through the plan's broker, such as [MTM Health](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/mtm-health/michigan/). For scale, the contract's background counted about 6,270 fee-for-service riders and about 60,000 trips a month in the three counties in 2017.

McLaren is the one Medicaid health plan MDHHS placed in all nine Lower Peninsula prosperity regions under the contracts that began October 1, 2024. So Modivcare's McLaren trips are not limited to Detroit: they can start anywhere below the Upper Peninsula. Modivcare's Michigan page asks callers to confirm that their county is covered by their plan.

## Where the three-county contract stands

MDHHS began the Detroit-area broker as a pilot on January 1, 2011 and turned it into a full-risk contract on December 1, 2013. The current contract, MA190000000912, has pricing years that start August 1, 2019. Change Notice 6, effective January 23, 2025, used the last option year and set the end date at July 31, 2026. Change Notice 7, approved by the State Administrative Board on February 25, 2025, raised the contract's value by $25 million to $128,817,850.91.

That posted end date has passed, yet MDHHS's Medicaid Provider Manual dated October 1, 2026 still names Modivcare as the three-county broker at 866-569-1902. The Office of the Auditor General is auditing Michigan's NEMT program, names Modivcare as the state's contracted broker, and gives an estimated release of October 2026. The audit's summary puts statewide Medicaid NEMT spending, across the broker, the health plans, and the local offices, at $160.5 million from October 1, 2024 through March 31, 2026.

For a company in the three counties, that means three things:

1. **Ask Modivcare's Michigan team how long your agreement runs** and what happens to your standing orders if the state changes brokers.
2. **Watch SIGMA VSS,** the state's bid system, for a new NEMT broker solicitation from MDHHS.
3. **Read the audit when it comes out.** Its findings can change the rules the next contract sets for providers. The [broker transition guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-broker-transition/) covers what to do if the work moves.

## What the contract requires of Modivcare's network

The rules below come from the contract's statement of work, so they bind the three-county network. McLaren trips follow the agreement you sign with Modivcare.

### CHAMPS for the company and every driver

The contract says providers and drivers must be enrolled in CHAMPS before Modivcare can authorize or pay a trip, and it counts each driver and each attendant as a provider. Every one of them gives a name, home address, date of birth, and Social Security number, consents to criminal history screening, and has disclosures verified every month. Enrollment is revalidated at least once every three years, and a change must reach MDHHS within 10 business days or the enrollment ends.

Modivcare can start an enrollment for you with your written approval. MDHHS enrolls NEMT companies as atypical providers, organizations that do not provide health care and may enroll without an NPI. Provider Enrollment is at 800-292-2550.

### Authority and vehicles

The contract calls a van taking patients to doctor appointments a limousine whose carrier needs a limousine certificate of authority. In practice that means LARA registration for 8 or fewer seats, driver included, or MDOT authority for 9 or more, both covered in the [Michigan guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/michigan/). The network's vehicle types are wheelchair lift vans, Medi-Vans, taxis, and public transit. Ambulances and stretcher vans are not NEMT vehicles under the contract, and Modivcare may not fill trips with vehicles or drivers from any transportation company it owns.

A Modivcare field monitor inspects each vehicle before it starts and every six months after:

| Result | Sticker | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Pass | Dated green sticker, inside the lower corner of the windshield | Good for six months while the vehicle stays in working order |
| Serious infraction | Red sticker | Out of service until the vehicle passes a full reinspection |

Run through a [vehicle inspection checklist](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-vehicle-inspection-checklist/) before each visit.

### Drivers and training

Every driver and attendant needs first aid and CPR certification and the PASS course or an equivalent. The contract lists what that course must cover, including wheelchair securement and lift operation, bloodborne pathogens, recognizing sexually inappropriate conduct, service animals, state child safety laws, and pre-trip inspections. Modivcare adds an orientation on claims, appeals, no-shows, and accident procedures, and a defensive driving course. See [PASS certification](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/pass-certification/).

The key staff list in Change Notice 4 shows what gets checked. Modivcare's compliance manager for the contract reviews each driver's background check, sex offender check, 10-panel drug screen results, motor vehicle record, medical screening, and training certificates. The same list gave its regional manager the daily management of 80 transportation companies across the three counties as of July 2024.

### Insurance

The contract sets Modivcare's own coverage: at least $1 million per occurrence in general liability with no exclusion for sexual abuse and molestation, $1 million per occurrence in auto liability with hired and non-owned coverage, and a $5 million umbrella. It tells Modivcare to require its subcontractors to keep the same insurance. Get the limits for your company in writing before you buy a policy, and compare them with the state minimums in the Michigan guide and with [NEMT insurance requirements](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-insurance-requirements/).

## How Modivcare checks your work in the three counties

The contract spells out how Modivcare watches its network:

- **Report cards.** Each company gets a monthly report on timeliness, safety, rider survey results, and credentialing.
- **Spot checks.** At least 10 observed pickups and drop-offs a month, including three ride-alongs.
- **Mystery riders.** Modivcare employees book and take trips with network companies and rate them in real time.
- **Quarterly blitz.** MDHHS and Modivcare staff make on-street checks at facilities in each region once a quarter, and a concern can lead to an audit of your company's site.
- **Tracking.** Real-time vehicle tracking in at least 90 percent of contracted vehicles, with electronic signatures as riders get in and out.
- **Masked phone numbers.** Calls and texts between driver and rider go through masked numbers and are logged, so Modivcare can audit every trip.

The contract also sets the timing Modivcare answers for: pickups within 15 minutes of the scheduled time on at least 85 percent of trips, arrival by the appointment time on at least 90 percent, and no rider kept in the vehicle more than 30 minutes longer than the average direct drive. Modivcare also holds a quarterly advisory committee meeting with transportation companies, facility staff, at least one rider, and MDHHS, and sends providers a newsletter at least quarterly. Ask your Modivcare contact for an invitation to the committee meetings, and see [broker scorecards](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-broker-scorecards/) for how to read a report card.

## How three-county trips reach you

Modivcare's Michigan facility page and forms set the trip rules clinics and members work under:

| Trip | Rule |
|---|---|
| Routine | At least two business days' notice. The contract requires that members can book at least 14 days ahead. |
| Hospital discharge | The hospital calls 866-569-1902 and picks the discharge prompt. The transportation provider then has three hours to pick up. |
| Will-call return | The rider or the office calls Where's My Ride, and the provider has 60 minutes to pick up |
| Standing order | For three or more trips a week to the same place, such as dialysis, mental health, or substance use treatment. The form asks for at least 60 days, and Modivcare recertifies each order every three months. |
| Urgent same day | Booked 24 hours a day and checked with the doctor's office for medical need |

Modivcare books three levels of service in Michigan: ambulatory (curb to curb), wheelchair, and Medi-Van (door to door). Since February 1, 2020, a member who needs a Medi-Van or wheelchair ride must have the MDHHS Medical Necessity Form on file, signed by a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner, or by another licensed provider who treats the member. Ambulatory members need none. Clinics fax it with standing orders to 866-569-1910. The Physician Transportation Restriction form, faxed to 866-569-1906, records limits such as a member who cannot walk a quarter mile or can ride the bus only with an aide.

Standing orders come from the facility, such as a dialysis social worker or a treatment program case manager, so the clinics in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb shape much of the steady work. See [dialysis transportation](https://nemtguide.com/guides/dialysis-transportation/) and [standing orders](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-standing-orders/). Modivcare's FAQ says trips to VA hospitals are covered for Medicaid members with no other way to get a ride.

## McLaren Health Plan trips

McLaren Health Plan, based in Flint, sends its Medicaid and Healthy Michigan Plan members' rides to Modivcare. The MDHHS health plan ride sheet revised for October 1, 2026 lists 855-251-7100 for McLaren and gives a routine notice of one business day, called in by 3 p.m. for next-day service, with urgent trips and hospital discharges handled the same day. McLaren's own September 2024 transportation sheet asks members to call Customer Service at 888-327-0671 two to three business days ahead, so expect both short-notice and planned McLaren trips.

McLaren's sheet lists rides to dialysis, chemotherapy, substance use disorder services, physical, speech, and occupational therapy, dental visits, and pregnancy-related visits for members in the Maternal Infant Health Program, plus a mother's visits to her hospitalized infant. The sheet says Modivcare asks about special needs at booking and weighs car seats, extra riders, housing at the pickup address, and visits that must stay confidential, and it tells members who use a wheelchair or oxygen to book as early as possible. On the MDHHS sheet, McLaren members provide their own car seats, extra riders are allowed when the member asks at booking, and the covered trips include stops at the pharmacy, prenatal and postpartum visits, and food pantries, along with bus passes, mileage payments, and taxis. McLaren takes ride complaints at mhpappeals@mclaren.org.

McLaren members who drive themselves get a trip number from Modivcare at 855-251-7100 and, on the MDHHS sheet, need mileage approved five days ahead through the member portal. Their trip logs go to ModivCare Billing, 798 Park Avenue NW, Norton, VA 24273, or by fax to 866-528-0462.

## What Modivcare pays in Michigan

The contract tells Modivcare to negotiate a rate with each qualified transportation company and to pay each one for the authorized trips it runs. The state pays Modivcare a flat $6.24 per eligible member per month for August 2025 through July 2026, which the pricing schedule puts at about $1.17 million a month for 187,551 members, and that amount covers every trip and every cost of running the program. Your rate comes from your Modivcare agreement, not from a state schedule.

Outside the three counties, local MDHHS offices pay fee-for-service trips from the state schedule. Since July 1, 2026 it pays commercial providers up to $0.76 a mile, and $35 a round trip plus $0.76 a mile in a wheelchair lift or Medi-Van vehicle. Use it as a yardstick when Modivcare offers you a rate, and see [how to negotiate broker rates](https://nemtguide.com/guides/negotiate-nemt-broker-rates/).

## Who to call

| For | Contact |
|---|---|
| Three-county rides and Where's My Ride | 866-569-1902 |
| McLaren Medicaid rides | 855-251-7100 |
| McLaren Customer Service | 888-327-0671 |
| Standing orders and facility trips | 866-569-1908, fax 866-569-1910, MIExceptions@modivcare.com |
| Physician Transportation Restriction forms | Fax 866-569-1906 |
| McLaren mileage trip logs | ModivCare Billing, 798 Park Avenue NW, Norton, VA 24273, fax 866-528-0462 |
| Modivcare Michigan operations | 26877 Northwestern Highway, Suite 211, Southfield, MI 48033, on the Michigan standing order form |
| Joining the network | The form on Modivcare's Become a Transportation Provider page |
| CHAMPS enrollment | MDHHS Provider Enrollment, 800-292-2550 |

## What to do first

1. **Enroll your company in CHAMPS,** and have each driver and attendant ready to enroll too.
2. **Register with LARA** for vehicles with 8 or fewer seats, or get MDOT authority for 9 or more.
3. **Train every driver and attendant** in first aid, CPR, and PASS before the first trip.
4. **Apply through Modivcare's provider form** and ask for both three-county and McLaren work.
5. **Book each vehicle's inspection** and keep the green sticker current every six months.
6. **Meet the dialysis centers and treatment programs** in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb that send standing orders.
7. **Ask how long your agreement runs,** and check SIGMA VSS for a new broker bid.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Modivcare's phone number in Michigan?

Fee-for-service members in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb and hospitals booking discharges call 866-569-1902, the number MDHHS lists for the broker. McLaren Health Plan Medicaid members call 855-251-7100, and McLaren Medicare members 855-251-7101. Clinics set up standing orders with Modivcare's facility department at 866-569-1908, fax 866-569-1910, or MIExceptions@modivcare.com.

### What counties does Modivcare cover in Michigan?

For members without a health plan, only Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, under the MDHHS broker contract. Everywhere else, local MDHHS offices arrange those rides. Modivcare also books rides for McLaren Health Plan, which MDHHS placed in all nine Lower Peninsula regions for contracts that began October 1, 2024. Modivcare's Michigan page asks callers to confirm that their county is covered by their plan.

### How do I become a Modivcare provider in Michigan?

Enroll your company in CHAMPS as an atypical provider, and plan for each driver and attendant to enroll too, because the three-county contract requires it before any trip is paid. Register vehicles with LARA or MDOT, train drivers in first aid, CPR, and PASS, then send the form on Modivcare's Become a Transportation Provider page. Each vehicle is inspected before its first trip.

### Does Modivcare do stretcher trips in Michigan?

Not under the state's three-county contract, which says ambulances and stretcher vans are not covered as NEMT vehicles. The network uses wheelchair lift vans, Medi-Vans, taxis, and public transit. Michigan's Public Health Code treats a person carried on a stretcher as a patient under its ambulance licensing rules, so talk with MDHHS before you buy a stretcher vehicle for this work.

### What forms does Modivcare use in Michigan?

Its Michigan facility page posts the Level of Service form (the MDHHS Medical Necessity Form for Medi-Van and wheelchair riders), the Standing Order form for three or more trips a week, the Physician Transportation Restriction form, an EDI form for clinic portal logins, a Meals and Lodging form, and mileage reimbursement trip logs in English and Spanish.

### Is Modivcare's Michigan contract ending?

The posted contract used its last option year and ran through July 31, 2026. MDHHS's Medicaid Provider Manual dated October 1, 2026 still names Modivcare as the broker for the three counties at 866-569-1902. Ask Modivcare how long your agreement runs, and watch SIGMA VSS for a new broker bid.

## Official resources

- [Modivcare: Michigan facility resources and forms](https://www.modivcare.com/facilities/mi/)
- [Modivcare: Become a transportation provider](https://www.modivcare.com/transportation-providers-contact-us/)
- [DTMB: Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb NEMT broker contract (PDF)](https://www.michigan.gov/dtmb/-/media/Project/Websites/dtmb/Procurement/Contracts/011/190000000912.pdf)
- [State of Michigan: SIGMA Vendor Self Service (open bids)](https://sigma.michigan.gov/PRDVSS1X1/Advantage4)
- [MDHHS: Non-Emergency Medical Transportation provider page and rates](https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/doing-business/providers/providers/billingreimbursement/non-emergency-medical-transportation)