How NW Rides Works for Oregon Health Plan Members and Transportation Providers in 2027

NW Rides is the non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) brokerage for Columbia Pacific CCO, the coordinated care organization that serves Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members on the north coast. Tillamook County Transportation District (TCTD) runs it from its office in Tillamook. The Tillamook County Board of Commissioners formed TCTD on July 16, 1997, as a transportation district under ORS 267.510, and it also runs the county’s bus lines and dial-a-ride.

The NW Rides page sits on nwconnector.org, the shared site of NW Connector, the Northwest Oregon Transit Alliance. That alliance is five transit agencies, TCTD among them, that coordinate service across northwest Oregon. NW Rides itself is TCTD’s program.

CareOregon manages the NEMT benefit for Columbia Pacific. CareOregon’s 2024 NEMT program evaluation for Columbia Pacific says the contract went to TCTD and that NW Rides began arranging rides in July 2018. CareOregon runs the same benefit for two other CCOs through Ride to Care in the Portland area and TransLink in Jackson County.

Who NW Rides serves, and who it does not

NW Rides carries Columbia Pacific CCO members who live in Clatsop, Columbia, and Tillamook counties. OHA’s CCO list (September 2026) shows Columbia Pacific covering all three counties. Every other OHP member there books with a different brokerage.

Rider	Ride service	Phone
Columbia Pacific CCO member	NW Rides	888-793-0439
Open card member, or any other OHP member in the three counties	NW MedLink	833-585-4221

OHA’s NEMT map (brokerages effective July 1, 2023) and its 2026 open card handbook both show this split. OHA’s form OHP 0729B (September 2023), which agency staff use to order rides to administrative medical exams, lists a Transdev email address for NW MedLink. To carry every OHP rider on the north coast, you need two agreements, so ask NW MedLink at 833-585-4221 how it adds companies too.

The split will shift in 2027. OHA says all Healthier Oregon members move from CCOs to OHP Open Card in January 2027 (notice updated August 7, 2026), so Columbia Pacific members in that group will book with NW MedLink instead. Members of the Veteran Dental Program or the COFA Dental Program get NW Rides trips to dental visits only.

Columbia Pacific’s 2025 NEMT recap counts 3,053 members who used the benefit, 81,229 trips, and 1,468,773 miles. Trips also leave the three counties. Columbia Pacific pays for rides to covered care outside its area when that care is not available locally. Oregon’s CCO rule, OAR 410-141-3930, also covers care in another state next to the service area and within 75 miles of the Oregon border. The Oregon state guide lists the ride service for every plan and county.

How NW Rides chooses the kind of ride

NW Rides calls its intake the screening process. The rider’s guide, updated January 1, 2026, says a member who can use public transit is offered bus fare, and a member who can drive or has someone to drive them is offered reimbursement. A vehicle ride is booked for a member with no access to a vehicle who cannot take transit. NW Rides may send a sedan, wheelchair van, stretcher vehicle, or non-emergent ambulance, based on the member’s medical needs.

The NW Rides web page lists the kinds of rides it arranges: mileage reimbursement, volunteers, public transportation, private nonprofit transportation services, and for-profit transportation services. Vehicles range from cars, SUVs, and vans to wheelchair and stretcher vehicles and ambulances.

TCTD also drives some of these trips itself. Its dial-a-ride page says the district takes Tillamook County residents who are Columbia Pacific members to covered appointments, booked through the NW Rides call center, and its Coordinated Transportation Plan, adopted March 20, 2024, names TCTD as one of the providers that can run NW Rides trips. In Tillamook County, the brokerage that hands out trips also drives some of them.

Members who drive themselves, or ride with a friend, are paid under Oregon’s reimbursement rule, OAR 410-141-3960 (amended effective July 1, 2026). NW Rides pays these member rates under its January 2026 guide. See mileage reimbursement.

Member payment	NW Rides rule in 2026
Mileage	$0.49 a mile, for the shortest suitable route from the starting address and back, rounded to the nearest mile
Meals	Breakfast $9, lunch $10, dinner $15, or $34 for a full day, when round-trip travel runs 4 hours or more across the meal times
Lodging	Up to $110 a night, when travel must start before 5 a.m. or end after 9 p.m., or a provider documents a medical need
Staying with family	Mileage up to 20 miles each way from their home to the appointment, and no lodging
Paperwork	A signed appointment verification form and receipts within 45 days of the visit
Payment	Within 14 days of the completed form, and NW Rides may wait until $10 is owed

When a friend or relative drives, NW Rides loads the money onto the member’s prepaid card, and the member pays the driver. The guide adds that NW Rides may pay other individuals or entities who give the ride, which OAR 410-141-3960 allows when the driver is not the member or a minor member’s parent or guardian. None of this is a transportation company rate: company trips are paid under your agreement with TCTD.

How to become an NW Rides transportation provider

NW Rides adds companies through a contract with TCTD. As of September 2026, it has no online application for transportation companies.

1. Pick your area and service levels. Decide which of the three counties you will cover, whether you will take long runs to Portland-area care, and which levels you run: ambulatory, wheelchair, or stretcher.
2. Set up the company. Register the business and check whether you need an ODOT for-hire permit or a city permit. The Oregon state guide explains both.
3. Get an NPI and plan for OHA enrollment. Oregon’s CCO billing rule, OAR 410-141-3565 (effective January 1, 2025), requires providers to be enrolled with OHA as fee-for-service or encounter-only providers before their encounter claims are accepted. CCOs enroll companies on form OHP 3108 (January 2025), where Transportation Provider is provider type 1. See how to get an NPI number for NEMT.
4. Call NW Rides. Use 503-861-0657, or TCTD’s office at 503-815-8283, and ask how it adds transportation companies. Ask for the agreement, the rate for each mode, your service area and hours, and how you will receive trips.
5. Send your credentials. CareOregon’s Transportation Provider Manual (version 1.3, February 2024) has companies send copies of every license and certification before service starts and again at each renewal, and proof of insurance before the first trip, at renewal, and after any change. You also document an anti-drug policy, and drivers may sign an attestation to it. The brokerage warns you before a credential goes out of date and holds payment only if the document is still missing after the date it sets.
6. Meet the technology floor. The same manual asks for internet and a computer that can receive ride assignments and attachments, a current browser, an operating system that still gets security updates, a password or locked access to member data, software that can bill electronically, and a phone or tablet for each driver.
7. Ask which background check to run. Oregon’s CCO rule, OAR 410-141-3925, calls for a check under ORS 181A.195 and 181A.200, and adds an ORS 267.237 check for drivers employed by a mass transit district. TCTD is a transportation district. Under ORS 267.237, a district asks the Oregon State Police for fingerprint checks on the people its resolution names, which can include drivers for companies it contracts with to carry passengers in its public transportation system. Confirm which check NW Rides uses before you order one.

Insurance limits come from the agreement, not the manual. A lapse lets the brokerage stop sending trips and pull trips already assigned for the uncovered period. See NEMT insurance requirements and the NEMT credentialing checklist.

Where TCTD and CareOregon plan to add capacity

Two official documents show where the program plans to grow. TCTD’s Coordinated Transportation Plan, adopted March 20, 2024, lists these strategies:

• Expand NW Rides to stretcher service and to private pay riders.
• Build a more formal training program for NEMT drivers who give stretcher rides.
• Contract with NEMT providers for subsidized rides for seniors and people with disabilities.
• Find out whether other providers, such as taxi companies, can carry medical trips that leave Tillamook County.

CareOregon’s 2024 program evaluation lists what its brokerages may spend awarded funds on: extra driver training, studying ambulance and accessible ride capacity, faster member reimbursements, a larger fleet and provider network, and volunteer driver programs. If you run stretcher or wheelchair vans, say so first when you call. See how to start a stretcher transportation business.

Driver and vehicle standards on NW Rides trips

Oregon’s CCO rule, OAR 410-141-3925 (last amended effective January 1, 2022), sets the floor. CareOregon’s manual adds items it requires its brokerages to pass on to transportation companies. Licensed ambulances follow their own rules instead.

Area	What applies
Before hire	A valid license of the right class and endorsements, a clear OIG exclusion list check, a criminal background check, and disclosure of drug law violations and driving history
First aid	Red Cross-approved first aid, CPR, and blood spill training before driving any member
Defensive driving and PASS	Within 3 months of hire, then every 3 years. Sedan-only drivers may take the ambulatory PASS course, and wheelchair van drivers take the securement part.
CareOregon additions	A road test and orientation in the type of vehicle the driver will use, update briefings, and cultural responsiveness training
Driver files	A plan for regular performance reviews and a signed code of conduct for every driver
Drugs and alcohol	No driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, illegal drugs, or medicine not prescribed to the driver. A driver suspected of it is sent for testing at the company’s cost, and a refusal or positive result disqualifies them.
State vehicle list	Seat belts, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, reflective warning devices, flashlight, traction devices when needed, disposable gloves, and full wheelchair and stretcher securement
CareOregon vehicle additions	Seat belt extender, bloodborne pathogens spill kit, spare tire or repair kit, jack, seat belt cutter, non-latex gloves, and seasonal gear
Vehicle papers	Registration, a safety inspection by an ASE-certified mechanic in the last year, an ADA check in the last year for wheelchair vehicles, an insurance card or ACORD certificate, and incident forms
After a crash	An ASE-certified mechanic checks the vehicle before it carries members again

Every vehicle follows at least the maker’s maintenance schedule, stays smoke-free and clean, and has working mirrors, horn, heat, air conditioning, lights, and wipers. CareOregon strongly recommends inward and outward dash cameras and says brokerages check fire extinguishers during site visits. See NEMT driver drug testing and NEMT vehicle requirements.

How NW Rides assigns trips

CareOregon’s manual calls itself a template for its brokerages, a set of guidelines rather than a rule book, so your agreement with TCTD has the final word. Under the manual, trips go out by each company’s stated service area and hours, vehicle types, level of service, rates, and performance, and no company is promised a set volume.

You accept or return each trip quickly, with a shorter window for same-day and next-day work. Returning trips is judged by the reason:

Accepted reasons to hand a trip back	Reasons that lead to corrective action
Outside your service area or hours	Discriminatory or biased reasons
You do not run the vehicle type needed	A pattern of taking only the best-paying trips
A vehicle is down or drivers are out	A pattern of returning many trips at the last minute
Bad weather, a disaster, or a safety risk	Dropping urgent same-day trips you already agreed to take
A lawsuit between the member and your company, or a cultural or religious holiday

A few more rules protect your pay:

• Changes need approval. Pickup times, appointment times, addresses, and vehicle type change only with the brokerage’s approval. Trips not run as authorized are not paid.
• Late assignments. If the brokerage hands you a same-day trip that is already late, you are not penalized for the late pickup.
• Your no-shows. A verified report that your driver never arrived needs a full incident report, and a pattern can lead to a corrective action plan. Member no-shows are handled separately and never count against you.
• Rates and routes. A negotiated rate is paid only if the brokerage approved it before the trip, and you bill the most cost-effective, reasonably direct route. Overpayments found in an audit may come out of a future invoice, but payment is not held during an audit.

Trip rules NW Rides drivers follow

These come from the January 2026 rider’s guide, which tells members what to expect, and from CareOregon’s manual.

Situation	Rule
Arriving	Let the member know you are there, and arrive no more than 15 minutes after the pickup time or window
Waiting	At least 15 minutes after the pickup time. Tell the NW Rides dispatcher before you leave.
Early arrival	Members never have to leave before the scheduled pickup time
Running late	Members call NW Rides at 10 minutes late, and the trip may go to another company
Pickup time	Never changed without NW Rides’ documented approval
Drop-off	At least 15 minutes before the appointment, no more than an hour early, and no more than 15 minutes before the office opens unless the member asks
Last visit of the day	Pickup no more than 15 minutes after closing, unless the visit is expected to run later or the member asks
Will-call returns	Within 60 minutes of the member’s call
Stops	None that were not booked, including for food or drink, on trips in the local service area. A pharmacy stop added to the trip gets a 15-minute wait or a call for pickup.
Help	Curb to curb, door to door, or hand to hand. For a hospital discharge, the driver goes to the nurses’ station on the unit and gives a full escort.
Never	Dressing or feeding a member, going into the exam room, or physically carrying a member up or down stairs
Only if licensed, trained, and authorized by the brokerage	Moving a member into or out of a wheelchair or bed, full-weight support while walking, and entering a private home or a room in a care facility
Mobility devices and oxygen	Stow and secure every device and oxygen tank. Scooter riders may move to a seat but do not have to.
Children	A child 12 or under rides with an adult attendant, who installs any car seat. Drivers do not help with seats or keep them.
Service animals	Allowed. Ask only what the animal is, whether a disability requires it, and what task it does. Pets ride only in closed carriers.
Tips	Members agree not to give drivers tips or gifts

A member who cancels less than two hours before pickup, is not ready within 15 minutes, or turns the driver away is a no-show, and repeat no-shows can limit the member to one company, transit, or trips confirmed in advance.

The NW Rides web page still describes a 30-minute pickup window and a 5-minute maximum wait. The January 2026 guide and CareOregon’s manual both use 15 minutes, so confirm the standard in your agreement.

Incidents, audits, and records

CareOregon’s manual sets the reporting clock:

• Accidents and incidents. Report every one to the brokerage within 24 hours, with the date, time, place, vehicle, driver, what happened, any injuries, and whether anyone went to a hospital. An injury, a death, or an abuse allegation against a driver needs written notice right away. Use a form like the NEMT incident report form.
• Emergencies. Call 911 when a member needs an ambulance, tell dispatch at once, and send a written report within 24 hours.
• Grievances. Tell the member how to file one, report it to the brokerage, and send your response and documents within 3 business days. For a serious grievance, the brokerage may require them within 1 business day.
• Privacy breaches. Report any breach of member information within 24 hours. See HIPAA for NEMT.
• Abusive riders. Drivers finish every scheduled trip unless a crash leaves the vehicle unable to run or they have a credible fear for anyone’s safety. Verbal, non-threatening behavior alone is not a reason to stop. If a member is verbally abusive, you can ask the brokerage not to send you that member again, and it honors reasonable requests.

Expect checks. CareOregon requires pre-trip and post-trip verification on 5 percent of all NEMT trips, with a sample of every company’s trips in regular audits, plus an annual site visit to review your records, facilities, and equipment. Keep, for each trip, the member, pickup place and scheduled and actual pickup times, destination, appointment and drop-off times, mode, driver, date, trip number, cost, mileage, and vehicle plate. The manual asks for at least 6 years, and Oregon’s CCO records rule, OAR 410-141-3520, keeps clinical records across the network at least 10 years. The NEMT trip log template covers every field.

Two last limits: you never bill a member for a ride to covered care (OAR 410-141-3920), and CareOregon’s yearly NW Rides satisfaction survey asks transportation companies and drivers about the program.

Who to call about NW Rides

For	Contact
NW Rides call center	503-861-0657 or 888-793-0439, TTY 711. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
NW Rides fax	503-815-2834
TCTD office	503-815-8283, 3600 Third Street, Suite A, Tillamook, OR 97141
Columbia Pacific CCO customer service	503-488-2822 or 855-722-8206
Columbia Pacific provider customer service, on OHA’s CCO list	800-224-4840
Fraud, waste, and abuse reports, under CareOregon’s February 2024 manual	Columbia Pacific compliance, 503-416-4760 or 855-722-8206. CareOregon’s anonymous line, 888-331-6524.
Open card rides in the same counties	NW MedLink, 833-585-4221

Columbia Pacific’s transportation page lists the call center opening at 9 a.m. every other Wednesday. The call center closes on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, while rides run 24 hours a day, every day. After hours, only medically urgent trips can be booked. For the rest of 2026, that means Thanksgiving on November 26 and Christmas on December 25.