# How to Become a Superior Medical Transportation Provider in New Mexico in 2027

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/brokers/superior-medical-transportation/ · Updated 2026-10-02

Superior Medical Transportation is the ride service of Superior Ambulance Service in Albuquerque, and it books the non-emergency Medicaid rides of Molina Healthcare's Turquoise Care members in New Mexico. Members call (833) 707-7100 at least three business days ahead. To carry those trips, get an NMDOT certificate and tariff, enroll with the Health Care Authority, then call Superior's office at (505) 247-8840.

- Superior Medical Transportation books rides for Molina Healthcare's Turquoise Care members, one of four Medicaid health plans in New Mexico.
- The SMT application on Superior's website is a job application. A company that wants trips calls Superior's Albuquerque office at (505) 247-8840.
- Molina's state contract requires pickup within 15 minutes of the scheduled time and arrival no more than one hour before the appointment.
- Members book routine rides at least three business days ahead. Same-day rides are only for urgent care or when a doctor asks.
- Molina's Turquoise Care contract runs through December 31, 2026, and the state may renew it one year at a time.

Superior Medical Transportation (SMT) arranges non-emergency rides for the Turquoise Care Medicaid members of Molina Healthcare of New Mexico. It belongs to Superior Ambulance Service, Inc., a New Mexico company in business since 1974, at 7600 La Morada Place NW in Albuquerque. Superior says it set up SMT in April 1999 as a separate division to work as a transportation management company, apart from its ambulances.

SMT takes ride requests by phone and online. Its member guides tell riders that a transportation provider may call them on the day of the trip, and that they can ask the provider for a direct number for the ride home. The parent company runs vehicles of its own as well: its job list includes wheelchair transit drivers, its billing office bills medi-van trips, and its federal NPI record (1750448841) lists a non-emergency van type next to its ambulance types.

## Which members Superior books rides for

The New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) runs Medicaid managed care as Turquoise Care. Since July 1, 2024, members choose among four health plans, and Molina started as a new plan that day. Each plan picks its own ride service, so work from Superior reaches Molina members only. The [New Mexico state guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/new-mexico/) lists the ride service for every plan, and a plan can switch: [Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico moves to MTM Health](https://nemtguide.com/news/bcbsnm-mtm-transition/) on November 1, 2026.

Molina names Superior on its own pages. Its Medicaid benefits page, updated June 18, 2025, tells members to call Superior Medical Transport at (833) 707-7100, TTY 711. Its provider contact page, updated October 29, 2025, gives doctors and clinics the same number. As of October 2026, Superior's own MyRide booking page is still for Molina Turquoise Care members. Molina's 2024 to 2025 member handbook says the benefit covers rides to any provider, including doctors, clinics, hospitals, therapy, and behavioral health care.

Molina's agreement with HCA is contract PSC 24-630-8000-0032. Amendment 5, signed in late December 2025, says it ends December 31, 2026, and that HCA may renew it for one-year periods, up to eight years in total. The contract also requires Molina to ask HCA in writing for approval at least 60 calendar days before it changes its transportation subcontractor.

SMT's ride line and MyRide portal are set up for Molina members, and both ask for the member's Molina ID number. HCA says Native American members can always choose a plan or fee-for-service, and fee-for-service trips are billed to HCA directly by the enrolled transportation company.

## How Molina members book rides with Superior

Members book by phone at (833) 707-7100 or 505-341-0042, or online through Superior's MyRide portal, which needs an email address and the member's Molina ID. Molina's provider contact page lists the phone line as open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mountain time, Monday to Friday, or 24 hours a day for urgent trips to urgent care, a doctor's office, or a hospital discharge, except on seven major holidays.

A routine ride needs at least three business days' notice either way. The phone line books up to 30 days out and takes urgent same-day rides, while MyRide books up to 45 days out. As of October 2026, these are the limits:

| Request | By phone | Online through MyRide |
|---|---|---|
| Routine ride | At least 3 business days ahead, up to 30 days out | At least 3 business days ahead, up to 45 days out |
| Same-day ride | Urgent care or a doctor's request, with no other ride, after SMT confirms the visit | Not available |
| Cancel a ride | Any later cancel, including the same day | Until 24 hours before; the booking guide says 5 p.m. the day before |

Business days are Monday to Friday, not counting holidays, and Superior's booking guide says a Monday ride must be booked online by 5 p.m. the Friday before. A member with a weekly appointment, such as [dialysis](https://nemtguide.com/guides/dialysis-transportation/), can set a repeating ride in MyRide with a start date and an optional end date. Members pick a vehicle type and any mobility aids when they book, and they mark a service animal both under mobility aids and in the trip comments.

## What Superior tells riders about pickups and returns

These rules come from Superior's MyRide questions page and its MyRide instructions, created in November 2024. They shape what your drivers meet at the door.

- **Pickup window.** Members are told to be ready for a 30-minute [pickup window](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/pickup-window/), such as 2:00 to 2:30 p.m., because the driver may arrive at any point in it. SMT sets the pickup time from the drop-off time, using drive time plus a traffic allowance.
- **Wait time.** The driver waits up to 10 minutes after arriving.
- **Proof of the ride.** The member signs a form at pickup saying they boarded the vehicle.
- **Return rides.** A member with no set return time books "I will call you when I am ready." After the visit, the member calls SMT, which tells the driver or provider, or calls the provider directly if the driver gave a number. See [will-call trips](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/will-call-trip/).
- **Tracking.** Members cannot track the driver. They call SMT, or the provider if they have its number, to ask when the ride will arrive.
- **Children.** Riders 17 and under travel with a parent or legal guardian both ways. A parent may sign a waiver for a child 12 to 17 to ride alone, and SMT can have the driver bring the form. Children 11 and under never ride alone.
- **Attendants.** An adult member may bring an attendant Molina has approved. The attendant must be over 18, able to walk without help, and able to help the member.

Some Molina trips are paid to the rider instead of a ride company. SMT repays mileage when the member, or a relative or friend, drives to the visit: 29 cents a mile on its form dated July 1, 2024, when each visit date carries a clinician's signature and the form arrives within 30 days. For care more than four hours away one way, Molina's handbook says the benefit may pay for lodging and food, and SMT's expense form caps each meal at $7.54 and lodging at $51.93 a weeknight in New Mexico or $81 on weekends and out of state.

## What Molina's state contract requires on every trip

Section 4.8.8.6.14 of Molina's Turquoise Care contract sets trip standards for Molina and every major subcontractor, which the contract defines as a company that delivers or arranges covered services for it. Amendment 5 sets these:

- **Arrival.** The member arrives on time but no sooner than one hour before the appointment, and never before the office opens.
- **Pickup.** Scheduled pickup happens within 15 minutes before or after the scheduled time.
- **Critical care trips.** For chemotherapy, radiation, dialysis, surgery and the visits before and after it, high-risk pregnancy visits, urgent care, and a child's checkup due within 30 days of entering state custody, 95% of one-way trips requested each month are scheduled. Driver-related no-shows or cancellations stay under 5%.
- **Wheelchair riders.** Members who need a wheelchair vehicle get no less access than members overall, measured by the share of trips that can be scheduled and the share lost to driver no-shows or cancellations.

The contract backs these up with money. HCA can set a penalty of up to 5% of Molina's monthly capitation payment for each month it misses the general NEMT standards. Molina's performance targets also ask it to complete 90% of eligible general trips, counting a round trip as two. Molina reports to HCA within 15 calendar days after each month ends, with the reasons trips were missed, including [no-shows](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/no-show/) and cancellations by the transportation provider. For how brokers grade companies on numbers like these, see [NEMT broker scorecards](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-broker-scorecards/).

Some trips follow special rules. Rides to a pharmacy are not a Turquoise Care benefit, but Molina's 2024 to 2025 handbook lists them as an extra Molina benefit, and the contract covers a pharmacy ride within seven days after a member's release from prison or jail, for a prescription not yet filled.

Long trips need paperwork. Under 8.324.7.15 NMAC, as amended September 1, 2026, when a member travels more than 120 miles from home for care, the transportation provider gets written verification from the referring or treating provider and keeps it in its billing records. It names the service, the out-of-town provider, and why the care is not available at home, and it is renewed every 12 months. HCA told the Turquoise Care plans to use the 120-mile limit in Letter of Direction 40 on November 16, 2024. See [rural NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/rural-nemt/) for planning long days. HCA's [September 2026 training for NEMT staff](https://nemtguide.com/news/new-mexico-nemt-provider-training/) followed a federal payment audit that found NEMT claims with incomplete trip logs, so keep each verification with its trip log.

## How to become a Superior Medical Transportation provider

1. **Get NMDOT operating authority.** Everyone paid to carry passengers in New Mexico needs operating authority from the NMDOT Transportation Regulation Bureau, which took over from the Public Regulation Commission on July 1, 2024. A NEMT company needs a certificate and an approved tariff. The bureau's line is 505-827-4519, and the [state guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/new-mexico/) covers the fee, the insurance filing, and vehicle inspections.
2. **Enroll with HCA** through YES.NM.GOV, its provider enrollment system. Federal rule 42 CFR 438.602(b) requires the state to screen and enroll every network provider of a Medicaid health plan, even one that never serves fee-for-service members. A plan may sign you while enrollment is pending, for up to 120 days.
3. **Call Superior.** The office line is (505) 247-8840, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the email is info@superior-nm.com. Mail goes to P.O. Box 6482, Albuquerque, NM 87197. Ask who handles transportation provider agreements for SMT.
4. **Ask the questions that set your pay.** Ask for the rate per trip and per mile for each vehicle type, the areas and hours SMT needs covered, how trips and changes reach you, how will-call returns are sent, what proof of pickup it wants, and how and when it pays, including for a member who does not show. [How to get NEMT broker contracts](https://nemtguide.com/guides/how-to-get-nemt-broker-contracts/) and [negotiating broker rates](https://nemtguide.com/guides/negotiate-nemt-broker-rates/) cover what to check before you sign.

## Who to call

- **Superior Ambulance Service office.** (505) 247-8840, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., info@superior-nm.com, 7600 La Morada Place NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120.
- **SMT ride line.** (833) 707-7100 or 505-341-0042, TTY 711, for booking and questions about a trip.
- **SMT reimbursement forms.** Mail to Superior Medical Transportation, P.O. Box 6913, Albuquerque, NM 87197-6913.
- **Molina Healthcare of New Mexico.** Provider Services at (855) 322-4078 and Member Services at (844) 862-4543, both TTY 711.
- **NMDOT Transportation Regulation Bureau.** 505-827-4519, for your certificate, tariff, and insurance filings.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which health plan uses Superior Medical Transportation in New Mexico?

Molina Healthcare of New Mexico. Molina's member and provider pages name Superior Medical Transport, at (833) 707-7100, as the ride line for its Turquoise Care Medicaid members. The other Turquoise Care plans use other ride services, and fee-for-service members ride with companies that bill the Health Care Authority directly.

### How do I become a Superior Medical Transportation provider?

Get your NMDOT non-emergency medical transport certificate and an approved tariff, and enroll with the Health Care Authority through YES.NM.GOV. Then call Superior's Albuquerque office at (505) 247-8840, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or email info@superior-nm.com, and ask who handles transportation provider agreements for SMT.

### How far ahead do Molina members book rides with Superior?

At least three business days for a routine ride, as of October 2026. By phone, members can book up to 30 days ahead. Online through MyRide, they can book up to 45 days ahead, and a Monday ride must be in by 5 p.m. the Friday before. Same-day rides are only for urgent care or when a doctor asks, and Superior calls the doctor's office to confirm the visit first.

### How long does a driver wait for a Molina member?

Superior tells members the driver waits up to 10 minutes after arriving and may arrive at any point in a 30-minute pickup window. The member signs a form when boarding. Molina's state contract also requires pickup within 15 minutes before or after the scheduled time.

### What paperwork does a Molina trip over 120 miles need?

Under 8.324.7.15 NMAC, as amended September 1, 2026, when a member travels more than 120 miles from home for care, the transportation provider gets written verification from the referring or treating provider and keeps it with its billing records. It names the service, the provider, and why the care is not available locally, and it is renewed every 12 months.

### Is the SMT application on Superior's website for ride companies?

No. The Superior Medical Transportation application on Superior's Documents page is an application for employment, last revised December 4, 2009. It asks about your education, past employers, and the job you want. A company that wants to carry trips calls Superior's office instead.

## Official resources

- [Superior: MyRide questions and answers for Molina members](https://www.superior-nm.com/myride)
- [Superior: MyRide booking instructions (PDF)](https://www.superior-nm.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/MyRide_HowTo-Document_11-24.pdf)
- [Superior Ambulance Service: Contact and office address](https://www.superior-nm.com/contact/)
- [New Mexico HCA: Molina Turquoise Care contract, Amendment 5 (PDF)](https://www.hca.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/TCMHC_24-630-8000-0032_CA5_Signed.pdf)
- [New Mexico HCA: 8.324.7 NMAC, Medicaid transportation rule (PDF)](https://www.hca.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/8.324.7-NMAC-Transportation-Svcs-and-Lodging.pdf)
- [New Mexico HCA: Turquoise Care health plans and member lines](https://www.hca.nm.gov/turquoise-care-health-plans/)
- [NMDOT Transportation Regulation Bureau: Operating authority](https://www.dot.nm.gov/trb/)