# People for People Medicaid Transportation: How to Become a Provider in 2027

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/brokers/people-for-people/ · Updated 2026-09-30

People for People is the Washington Health Care Authority's broker for Apple Health (Medicaid) rides in nine central and southeast Washington counties, including Yakima, Benton, Franklin, Chelan, and Walla Walla. It offers riders gas vouchers or mileage first, then books subcontracted transit, volunteer, nonprofit, cabulance, and taxi providers. To ask about a subcontract, call its Yakima home office at 509-248-6726.

- People for People brokers Apple Health rides in Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Franklin, Kittitas, Okanogan, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties.
- Its 2025 annual report lists 146,517 NEMT trips and 17,674 nights of lodging for riders who had to travel for care.
- Each trip goes to the lowest-cost mode that fits the rider, and People for People offers gas vouchers or mileage reimbursement first.
- The Health Care Authority sets no NEMT rates. You negotiate yours with People for People, and the trip cost passes through to you in full.
- Under the Health Care Authority's sample broker contract, you are paid within 10 calendar days after the broker receives the state's monthly payment.

People for People is a Yakima, Washington, nonprofit founded in 1965. Its annual report dates its Medicaid transportation brokering to 1989. Today it is the Washington State Health Care Authority's (HCA) broker for nonemergency medical transportation (NEMT) in nine counties of central and southeast Washington. It does not drive Medicaid riders itself. It checks each rider's eligibility, picks the cheapest ride that fits, and gives vehicle trips to companies and agencies under subcontract.

People for People's 2025 annual report lists 69,639 calls handled, 146,517 NEMT trips, and 17,674 nights of lodging. NEMT brought in 35.8 percent of the agency's $35.45 million in revenue in fiscal year 2024-2025.

## Which counties People for People covers

HCA's May 2025 broker list and its county directory, still current in September 2026, assign these counties to People for People:

| Area | Counties |
|---|---|
| North central | Okanogan, Chelan, Douglas |
| Central | Kittitas, Yakima |
| Tri-Cities | Benton, Franklin |
| Southeast | Walla Walla, Columbia |

Riders book with the broker for their county, as HCA's member page and NEMT 101 explain. If your vans also run in a neighboring county, that county's Medicaid rides come from a different broker, so you need a subcontract with each one:

| Nearby counties | Their Medicaid broker |
|---|---|
| Grant, Adams, Lincoln, Ferry, Whitman, Garfield | Special Mobility Services |
| Klickitat, Skamania | [Community in Motion](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/community-in-motion/) |
| King, Snohomish | [Hopelink](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/hopelink/) |
| Pierce, Lewis | [Paratransit Services](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/paratransit-services/) |
| Whatcom, Skagit | [Northwest Regional Council](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/northwest-regional-council/) |

People for People also runs fare-free Community Connector routes and a non-Medicaid door-to-door service, some of it in Grant, Adams, and Lincoln counties. Those are public transit programs, separate from Medicaid brokering. HCA's sample broker contract, the model HCA still posts for providers as of September 2026, bars a broker from providing Medicaid rides directly or subcontracting with a company it has a financial relationship with.

Oregon is close to the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla. Washington treats care in Hermiston and Milton-Freewater, Oregon, as in-state care (WAC 182-501-0175). Other out-of-state trips need HCA's approval at least seven business days ahead (WAC 182-546-5800).

## How People for People decides who drives

Washington law requires the broker to pick the lowest-cost mode that is accessible to the rider and fits the rider's medical condition (WAC 182-546-5200). People for People says a primary goal is gas vouchers or mileage reimbursement for riders who have their own transportation. Only when that is not possible does it book a contracted provider, and trips may be shared with other riders. See [least costly mode](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/least-costly-mode/).

State rules also shape which trips reach a van:

- **Distance.** A trip must be at least three-quarters of a mile, unless the rider cannot walk that far or the area is unsafe or not accessible (WAC 182-546-5500 and 6200).
- **Transit first.** A rider within three-quarters of a mile of a fixed bus route rides the bus, unless the broker documents a need for more specialized transportation, such as a portable ventilator, a walker, or a quad cane (WAC 182-546-6200).
- **One round trip a day.** Coverage is limited to one round trip per day unless several appointments cannot fit into one (WAC 182-546-5500, amended effective April 11, 2026).
- **Local care first.** Riders go to a provider in their own community. The broker can approve longer trips when the care is not available locally or for continuity of care, such as active cancer treatment, a transplant in the last 12 months, or the third trimester of pregnancy (WAC 182-546-5700).

That last rule is why long trips matter here. The broker may pay for meals and lodging when a rider must travel for care, for up to one calendar month at a time (WAC 182-546-5900). A company that can run reliable long-distance wheelchair or ambulatory trips fills a need that transit and gas vouchers cannot. See [rural NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/rural-nemt/) for how to price those miles.

### Booking notice and hours

People for People's call center is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except major holidays. It requires two business days' notice for local trips and asks for five business days for long-distance, out-of-area trips, and its rider flyer says it takes requests up to 30 days ahead. HCA tells riders that a request made less than two business days out may not get scheduled.

## Who People for People contracts with

The subcontractor pool is mixed. As of September 2026, People for People's NEMT page names local transit and paratransit providers, volunteer drivers, train, Greyhound, nonprofit providers, cabulance companies, and taxi companies. A private company competes for the trips that need a car or a wheelchair van.

For urgent weekend, after-hours, and holiday requests, the page names two companies as of September 2026:

| Counties | After-hours provider listed |
|---|---|
| Benton, Franklin, Columbia, Kittitas, Okanogan, Walla Walla, Yakima | Medstar Transportation |
| Chelan, Douglas | Wenatchee Mobility |

HCA's December 2024 report says brokers have after-hours providers for hospital discharges but those resources are very limited. It also calls same-day, urgent, and no-notice trips some of the hardest to arrange. If you can cover nights, weekends, or short-notice trips, say so when you call.

Two other paths into the system exist. When a federally recognized tribe whose contract health service area falls in the broker's region asks, the broker must negotiate a contract with it in good faith, so tribes can carry their own members with payment through the broker (WAC 182-546-5200). HCA also encourages billing agreements with behavioral health facilities that own vehicles, and in December 2024 four of the five such agreements statewide were in central Washington.

## What you need before you call

### Licenses

Washington's Department of Licensing (DOL) says anyone carrying passengers for a fee in a for-hire vehicle, such as a taxi or cabulance, needs a for-hire license unless an exemption applies. You apply through the Department of Revenue's Business Licensing Service, which prints the license on your business license.

| Item | What to know (DOL, September 2026) |
|---|---|
| For-hire permit | $110, required only if your city or county does not license for-hire businesses |
| For-hire vehicle certificate | $55 per vehicle, with a registration showing use class F/H or CAB |
| For Hire Addendum | Completed and signed by your local jurisdiction authority |
| Insurance certificate | At least $325,000 combined single limit, or split limits of $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, and $25,000 property damage (RCW 46.72.040), with DOL as certificate holder |
| Names | Your business name and trade name must match on the application, registrations, and insurance certificate |

Private nonprofits that carry people with special transportation needs can hold a Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) permit instead, under RCW 81.66. The UTC says complete applications usually take about eight days. Ask Yakima, Wenatchee, the Tri-Cities, or whichever city you base your vans in whether it licenses for-hire vehicles itself. The [Washington state guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/washington/) covers company formation and workers' compensation.

### Insurance

HCA's sample broker contract (Exhibit I) sets the minimum by the kind of provider you are. People for People's subcontract states the limits it wants, so ask for it before you buy a policy.

| Provider type | Minimum in HCA's sample contract |
|---|---|
| Regulated by DOL under RCW 46.72, or by the UTC | The minimum set by law, such as DOL's $325,000 combined single limit |
| Not regulated by DOL, the UTC, or another agency | The same types and limits the broker carries, including $1,000,000 auto liability per occurrence and general liability of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate |
| Volunteer and client vehicles | The minimum insurance and licensing state law requires |

See [NEMT insurance requirements](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-insurance-requirements/) for what each coverage does.

### Drivers and vehicles

Under the sample contract's Exhibit F, every driver needs a valid license, an abstract of driving record, and insurance before the first ride. Every new driver and volunteer needs a fingerprint-based Washington State Patrol background check, repeated every three years, with a WATCH report in the years between. The check must qualify the driver for unsupervised access to children and vulnerable adults. While a new driver's fingerprint check is pending, the broker may use a WATCH report instead, and in regions that border Idaho or Oregon, a similar report from an appropriate government agency.

Federal law adds a floor. Under section 1902(a)(87) of the Social Security Act, as CMS explained on September 28, 2023, no NEMT provider or driver may be excluded from federal health programs, and each driver needs a valid license. Your company also needs a process for state drug law violations and for disclosing each driver's driving history to the state. People for People must screen you and your staff against the exclusion lists before contracting and on an ongoing basis (WAC 182-546-5200). See [NEMT driver background checks](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-driver-background-check/).

For vehicles, Exhibit E requires a two-way radio or cell phone linked to your dispatcher, working heat and ventilation, an accurate speedometer and odometer, and your company name and vehicle number displayed. Every vehicle must be able to secure child safety seats. The broker inspects each vehicle before its first trip. After that it checks 10 percent of each provider's fleet every other year on site, half of them unannounced, and another 10 percent by desk audit in the years between. A vehicle that fails comes out of service at once.

## How to become a People for People provider

1. **Choose your counties and service types.** Decide which of the nine counties you will serve, and whether you run ambulatory cars, wheelchair vans, or both.
2. **Get licensed and insured.** Line up your business license, DOL for-hire license and vehicle certificates or UTC permit, and a policy that meets the limits above.
3. **Call People for People.** Ask the home office at 509-248-6726 for the staff who handle NEMT provider contracts, or write to broker@pfp.org. Ask for the subcontract, its insurance limits, and its driver and vehicle checklist.
4. **Propose your rates.** HCA sets no NEMT rates, so you negotiate yours. Price long trips, wheelchair trips, waiting, and after-hours work separately.
5. **Sign a written subcontract.** HCA requires it to state your services, payment method, rates, and the other terms in the next section.
6. **Pass the first checks.** The broker verifies every driver and inspects every vehicle before their first trip.

The [NEMT credentialing checklist](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-credentialing-checklist/) keeps the documents in one place. [How to get NEMT broker contracts](https://nemtguide.com/guides/how-to-get-nemt-broker-contracts/) covers what to look for in the agreement.

## How trips run and how you get paid

### Before and during the ride

Every trip other than an ambulance trip must be authorized by the broker in advance (WAC 182-546-6000). When the broker is closed and a rider needs an urgent care visit or a ride home from a hospital, you may give the ride under the broker's after-hours instructions and request retroactive authorization within two business days, or you may decline it (WAC 182-546-5200).

People for People's passenger rules, dated July 2026, tell riders what to expect from you:

- **A short wait.** Drivers wait no more than 5 minutes at pickup.
- **Cancellations.** Riders give 2 hours' notice to cancel through People for People. Outside office hours, they are told to contact the provider directly, so keep your line answered.
- **No side trips.** Drivers do not stop for food or errands, and riders who get out somewhere other than the appointment may lose the return ride.
- **No-shows.** A rider who leaves the facility during the appointment is recorded as a no-show and arranges their own ride home.
- **Passengers and animals.** Extra passengers need People for People's approval, and service animals must be approved in advance.
- **Recording.** Riders are told trips may be video and audio recorded.

### On-time standards

HCA's sample contract (Exhibit G) sets these standards for every broker and its providers:

| Situation | Standard |
|---|---|
| Pickup for an appointment | Average wait of 15 minutes or less, and never more than 30 |
| Early arrival | Never more than 30 minutes before the appointment, unless the rider asks |
| Return pickup | Average wait of 30 minutes or less |
| [Will-call](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/will-call-trip/) returns | Exempt from the wait standards |
| Shared rides | No more than 45 minutes longer than a single-rider trip |
| Long rural trips | Exceptions allowed for exceptional distances in rural areas and trips outside the local region, documented in the rider's file |
| Late arrival | No payment when the rider arrives too late to be seen. The broker may still pay when the delay was not your fault, such as a traffic accident that stopped all traffic. Construction zones do not count |

### Getting paid

You bill People for People under your subcontract, never HCA or the rider. HCA pays each broker a fixed administrative rate that only the Legislature can change, and passes the full service cost through to providers. The broker keeps none of it. HCA's sample contract sets the payment chain:

1. You invoice People for People under the terms of your subcontract.
2. People for People invoices HCA, and HCA's payment is timely within 30 calendar days of a proper invoice.
3. People for People pays you no later than 10 calendar days after it receives HCA's monthly payment.

The same contract requires your subcontract to allow rate adjustments at least quarterly and to give you an appeals process. You must return pay for any trip given by an unauthorized driver or vehicle within 30 days of finding out. Brokers pre-verify at least 10 percent of trips and confirm at least 10 percent afterward with the rider's medical provider, as HCA explained in May 2025. They also review at least 10 random trips in each provider's desk audit every other year, so keep a complete [trip log](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-trip-log-template/) for every leg.

## Who to call

| For | Contact |
|---|---|
| Provider contracts | People for People home office, 304 W. Lincoln Ave., Yakima, WA 98902. 509-248-6726, fax 509-249-4287 |
| NEMT brokerage | broker@pfp.org. Trip line 509-248-6793 or 800-233-1624, TTY 800-606-1302, fax 509-574-5085 |
| Moses Lake transportation office | 843 Kittleson Rd., Moses Lake, WA 98837. 509-765-9249 |
| HCA NEMT program | hcanemttrans@hca.wa.gov |
| DOL for-hire licensing | 360-664-1836 for applications, 360-664-6645 or forhire@dol.wa.gov for regulatory questions |
| Business Licensing Service | 360-705-6741, BLS@dor.wa.gov |
| UTC licensing | 360-664-1222, transportation@utc.wa.gov |

Before you call, know which counties, vehicle types, and hours you will cover and what you need per trip and per mile. People for People matches each ride to the cheapest option that fits the rider, so a clear offer for the trips transit and gas vouchers cannot handle gets the most attention.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which counties does People for People cover for Medicaid rides?

Nine: Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Franklin, Kittitas, Okanogan, Walla Walla, and Yakima, on the Health Care Authority's May 2025 broker list and its county directory as of September 2026. Grant, Adams, and Lincoln counties are Special Mobility Services territory for Medicaid rides, even though People for People runs public routes there.

### How do I become a People for People transportation provider?

Call the home office in Yakima at 509-248-6726 and ask for the staff who handle NEMT provider contracts, or email the brokerage at broker@pfp.org. Have your Washington business license, for-hire license or Utilities and Transportation Commission permit, insurance certificate, and vehicle list ready. The Health Care Authority's NEMT 101 guide tells new providers to contact the broker for the counties where they want to work.

### What does People for People pay per trip?

There is no state rate. The Health Care Authority's December 2024 report to the Legislature says it does not set NEMT rates, because geography drives the reasonable cost, so each broker negotiates with its providers. Its sample broker contract requires the subcontract to state your rates, allow adjustments at least quarterly, and set a fair rate for a trip you gave when the appointment fell through at no fault of yours.

### Can I bill Apple Health directly for People for People trips?

No. WAC 182-546-6200 says a nonambulance provider must be subcontracted with the broker to be paid for nonemergency trips. You bill People for People, and it bills the Health Care Authority. The sample broker contract also bars you from seeking payment from the state, the rider, or any other provider for trips under the subcontract.

### What happens with urgent rides on nights and weekends?

The call center is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. As of September 2026, its page tells riders with urgent weekend, after-hours, and holiday needs to call Medstar Transportation in seven counties and Wenatchee Mobility in Chelan and Douglas. Under WAC 182-546-5200, a subcontracted provider may give an urgent care or hospital discharge ride under the broker's after-hours instructions and request retroactive authorization within two business days.

### Can People for People send riders to Oregon?

Sometimes. Washington treats care in Hermiston and Milton-Freewater, Oregon, as in-state care, along with five other Oregon cities and five in Idaho (WAC 182-501-0175). Other out-of-state trips need the Health Care Authority's approval, requested at least seven business days before travel (WAC 182-546-5800).

## Official resources

- [People for People: Non-Emergency Medical Transportation](https://www.mypfp.org/services/transportation/nemt/)
- [People for People: Passenger Rules (July 2026)](https://www.mypfp.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/PFP-NEMT-Bus-Rules-_English.pdf)
- [Washington HCA: Transportation broker directory by county](https://www.hca.wa.gov/free-or-low-cost-health-care/i-need-medical-dental-or-vision-care/transportation-services-nonemergency)
- [Washington HCA: Sample NEMT broker contract](https://www.hca.wa.gov/assets/billers-and-providers/SampleContract.pdf)
- [WAC 182-546, Transportation services (sections 5000 to 6200)](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=182-546)
- [Washington DOL: How to get a for-hire license](https://dol.wa.gov/professional-licenses/taxis-and-hire-vehicles/get-your-license-taxis-and-hire-vehicles)
- [Washington UTC: Permits for nonprofits serving riders with special needs](https://www.utc.wa.gov/regulated-industries/transportation/regulated-transportation-industries/passenger-transportation/non-profit-buses)
- [HHS OIG: List of Excluded Individuals and Entities](https://oig.hhs.gov/exclusions/)