Penquis Transportation in 2027: MaineCare Rides, Provider Rules, and the Switch to Modivcare

Penquis Transportation is the ride brokerage of Penquis C.A.P., Inc., a community action agency at 262 Harlow Street in Bangor. It books MaineCare non-emergency transportation (NET) in two of Maine’s eight transit regions and pays the companies, volunteers, and families who give the rides. Maine awarded both regions to Modivcare in 2023, and the state’s highest court upheld that award on August 4, 2026. Until the state names a switch date, Penquis is still the broker, and its rules below still govern every trip.

Where Penquis books MaineCare rides

Penquis is the NEMT broker for Regions 3 and 4 on the state’s broker list updated July 1, 2026. The town of Patten in Penobscot County is the one exception: its members ride through Modivcare at 1-855-608-5174.

Region	Counties	Member ride line	Complaint line
3	Penobscot (except Patten) and Piscataquis	207-974-2420 or 1-855-437-5883	1-855-437-5884
4	Kennebec and Somerset	207-973-3605 or 1-844-736-7847	1-844-736-7227

Penquis fills these rides with its own Lynx Mobility Services vehicles, volunteer drivers, taxis, the Community Connector bus in the Bangor area, and mileage paid to friends and family. Its parental consent form for minors names the same groups, lists KVVAN beside Lynx as an agency vehicle, and adds third party companies such as ambulance and chair car services. Those third party companies are where a private NEMT business fits.

From April through June 2026, Penquis arranged 170,034 trips, 31.78% of all MaineCare NET trips in the state, the state’s quarterly report shows. That is up from 155,003 trips from January through March.

How Penquis is paid

Maine pays each broker under its agreement, at rates an independent actuary sets under federal rules (Deloitte, as of September 2025), and runs the program under a federal 1915(b) waiver. The agreements for July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 came to $13,239,361 for Region 3 and $13,798,405 for Region 4, and the six-month extensions to $6,619,680.50 and $6,899,202.50. Section 113.13 of the MaineCare rule says brokers pay transporters under their service agreements, so no state fee schedule sets what a Penquis trip pays you.

How Penquis performed in 2026

Penquis met every state standard in both quarters except abandoned calls from April to June, when 6.10% of calls were abandoned against a 5% limit. Monthly averages from the state’s report:

Monthly average	January to March 2026	April to June 2026	State standard
Trips	51,669	56,678	None
Calls answered within 60 seconds	99.26%	98.45%	At least 90%
Calls abandoned	4.68%	6.10%	No more than 5%
Missed trips	179 (0.34%)	250 (0.44%)	No more than 1%
Complaint rate	0.01%	0.01%	No more than 1%
On time	90.84%	90.26%	At least 85%

In its complaint counts, the report defines a missed trip as a ride that was scheduled but did not happen because no driver was available. The same report counts 15 complaints in Region 3 and 13 in Region 4 from April to June 2026, down from 18 and up from 9 in the first quarter.

When Modivcare takes over the Penquis counties

In Penquis C.A.P., Inc. v. Department of Administrative and Financial Services, 2026 ME 79, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the awards to ModivCare Solutions, LLC for Regions 2, 3, 4, and 8 and lifted the stay that had held them during the appeal. Penquis was the incumbent broker in Regions 3 and 4. Our news report on the ruling covers the arguments and the full timeline.

The state’s filings say it extended both Penquis agreements from July 1 through December 31, 2026 while it waited for the court. As of October 2, 2026, the state’s broker list still names Penquis for all four counties, and no MaineCare provider bulletin about Regions 3 and 4 had come out by October 1. On August 5, 2026, Modivcare said it will now serve as the broker for MaineCare members statewide and looks forward to partnering with local providers who meet its standards.

The last switch shows how much notice to expect. For the midcoast, the state’s provider bulletin came out on June 24, 2026, and Modivcare took over rides for appointments on or after July 1. See the midcoast change. The state’s filings also say it plans to bid these services again with a contract start date of July 1, 2036.

What Penquis keeps

Two Penquis programs sit outside the MaineCare broker agreements:

• Lynx rides for the public. Penquis Lynx carries anyone in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties, except Patten, Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Depending on funding, many trips are free or cost $0.50 to $7.00 one way, and riders book three business days ahead. Call (207) 973-3695.
• State rides for child welfare and low-income clients. In May 2026 the state extended this DHHS agreement with eight agencies, Penquis among them, through September 30, 2027.

How to become a Penquis transportation provider

Penquis asks transportation businesses in Penobscot or Piscataquis County to reach out, and says it most needs companies that can carry people who use wheelchairs and companies that can carry children. A new Penquis agreement covers trips only until the state switches brokers, so apply to Modivcare at the same time.

1. Call or email Penquis. Reach Penquis Transportation Services at (207) 974-2404 or jbutler@penquis.org and ask for the provider agreement.
2. Get the Provider Credentials List from Penquis’s provider page. It lists every document the state requires Penquis to keep for each driver.
3. Run the background checks for each driver before that driver’s first ride. Penquis wants them when you sign the contract, or when you tell it about a new hire.
4. Send everything electronically. Any updated document Penquis asks for is due within 5 business days.
5. Finish training within 30 days of signing, or of a new driver’s hire, and send proof of a refresher every year.

The driver file Penquis keeps

The list, dated March 2021, names these sources. If you want to use a different source, ask Penquis first.

Item	Where to get it	How often
Maine child abuse and neglect records check	DHHS Child Protective Intake, Augusta	Every 2 years
Motor vehicle report	InforME subscriber account	Every 2 years
State Bureau of Investigation criminal check	InforME subscriber account	Every 2 years
National sex offender check	NSOPW.gov	Every 2 years
Federal excluded parties check	SAM.gov	Every year
Driver’s license, both sides	The driver	Before the first ride and at each renewal
PASS certificate or equivalent	Community Transportation Association of America	Within 30 days, then a yearly refresher
CPR and first aid certificate	American Red Cross or similar	Within 30 days, then a yearly refresher
Defensive driving certificate	Maine Driving Dynamics, the National Safety Council, or AAA	Within 30 days, then a yearly refresher
Disability sensitivity, cultural sensitivity, and customer service training	Covered by the first PASS certificate until the first refresher	Every year

Penquis also asks for each driver’s Social Security number, any other legal names, the hire date, and the end date when a driver leaves. Keep the files together with the credentialing checklist, and see NEMT driver background checks for how each check works.

Every Maine broker also enforces Chapter II, Section 113 of the MaineCare Benefits Manual, effective April 5, 2015: driving record limits, criminal history bars, and first aid and CPR within 60 days, though Penquis asks for it within 30. The Maine state guide lists those rules. The state also told bidders on June 26, 2023 that cameras were already required under the existing MaineCare ride contracts, except for volunteer drivers.

How Penquis trips work

The rules Penquis gives its members shape your day:

• Two full business days’ notice. Members book at least two business days ahead. The call center is staffed Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and urgent same-day calls after hours are answered.
• Least costly ride first. Members in Bangor, Brewer, Hampden, Old Town, Orono, and Veazie who live within three quarters of a mile of a Community Connector stop, and can board the bus, must take it when the doctor is also near a stop.
• Nearest provider. MaineCare pays for the trip to the nearest provider. A farther trip needs a letter of medical necessity from the referring doctor, good for one year from the day Penquis receives it.
• No extra riders. Penquis will not carry unauthorized passengers. An escort must be arranged when the ride is booked.
• Minors. A child rides without an adult only with Penquis’s parental consent form on file, good for one year, and the parent chooses which ride types are allowed.
• Taxis. When Penquis sends a taxi, the member signs a voucher, and Penquis will not pay for a taxi it did not authorize.
• Rider conduct. Members may not unbuckle while the vehicle moves, eat or drink on board, or curse, yell, or push anyone in agency and volunteer vehicles.

No-shows and complaints

Under the no-show policy in the MaineCare member packet, revised January 13, 2022, a trip is a no-show when your driver arrives at the set place and time and nobody is ready within 10 minutes. Report it to Penquis dispatch from the pickup, because a dispatcher then tries to reach the member. A third no-show within 90 days of the first costs the member rides for 90 days, with mileage reimbursement instead. Penquis’s page for Lynx and other rides outside MaineCare posts a different policy, updated August 2025: three no-shows in 30 days stop rides for 30 days.

Complaints can come from members, providers, caseworkers, or the state, and can name a provider, a taxi, a volunteer, or a dispatcher. Penquis answers a verbal complaint within one business day, sends a written response within five, and reports its complaint log to DHHS every month.

How Penquis pays transportation providers

Your rate is whatever your Penquis agreement sets. For comparison, Penquis pays volunteer drivers $0.65 a mile and pays members, friends, and family $0.45 a mile on the most direct route.

Penquis’s claim payment standards, revised May 18, 2023:

• Timing. Penquis pays providers 90% of claims within 30 days of receipt and 99% within 90 days. Volunteers, members, and families get 100% of clean claims within 15 days.
• Clock. The received date is the day the claim reaches the Penquis Transportation office. The paid date is the day the check or electronic transfer is issued.
• Denials. The Assistant Project Director makes the final call and tells you in writing why the claim was denied and how to appeal.
• Direct deposit. Penquis’s direct deposit form needs a voided check for a checking account, or verification from your bank for a savings account.

Before the switch, bill every ride as soon as you finish it and keep a complete trip log for each one. If payments slow down near the end, see what to do when a broker pays late.

Getting ready for Modivcare’s network

The 2023 bid Modivcare won, RFP 202303047, sets rules the broker must put on its transportation companies. The biggest for a small fleet are at least $400,000 in combined single limit auto coverage per vehicle, cameras with audio and video, and the broker’s own yearly vehicle inspection. The bid also sets minimum rates of $0.48 a mile for agency transporters and $1.54 a mile for wheelchair vans. Our Modivcare in Maine guide covers the full list, its regions, and its contacts.

To apply, fill out Modivcare’s Become a Transportation Provider form. Its driver list (PASS, first aid and CPR, defensive driving, a drug screen, a motor vehicle report, and a background check) overlaps most of your Penquis file, so a current file moves you through faster. See changing brokers for how to keep rides and cash flowing during the switch.

Who to call

For	Contact
Becoming a Penquis provider or volunteer driver	(207) 974-2404, jbutler@penquis.org
Rides in Penobscot and Piscataquis	207-974-2420 or 1-855-437-5883
Rides in Kennebec and Somerset	207-973-3605 or 1-844-736-7847
Formal complaints	1-855-437-5884 (Penobscot and Piscataquis), 1-844-736-7227 (Kennebec and Somerset)
Lynx and other Penquis rides	(207) 973-3695 or 1-866-853-5969
Mail and fax	Penquis Transportation Brokerage, P.O. Box 1162, Bangor, ME 04402-1162, fax 207-941-2823
A complaint the broker did not resolve	MaineCare Member Services, 1-800-977-6740

For the rest of what a Maine company needs, including for-hire registration, insurance minimums, and inspections, see the Maine state guide and the Modivcare broker guide.