NEMT Driver Running Late? Who to Call, When to Reassign, and What to Log in 2027

A late van is not a failure yet. It becomes one when nobody hears about it until the rider calls, or the clinic gives the appointment away. Broker rules ask for the same three things in different words: an early warning, a real arrival time, and a record of what happened.

This is the dispatcher’s playbook in the order it happens: the first calls, the minute marks where brokers step in, when to move the trip, and how to log it so your scorecard reflects what really happened.

The first five minutes: who to call, in order

1. The driver calls dispatch as soon as the pickup is at risk. Not after the window closes. MediTrans’s Louisiana provider hub (updated June 12, 2026) tells providers running late to call its dispatch immediately and not to wait until they miss the pickup window. TennCare’s contract with its health plans (Amendment 25, July 1, 2026) has the driver notify the dispatcher whenever they will not reach a pickup on time. The driver calls from a safe stop or hands-free. MTM Health’s Virginia handbook allows only a Bluetooth headset while driving, and Texas bars phone use while driving except for directions.
2. Dispatch gets the facts in one call: where the van is, the new arrival time, the reason, and who is aboard.
3. Dispatch checks whether another of your vans can get there sooner. The next section shows when to move the trip.
4. Call the rider or facility with a real arrival time. Virginia, Rhode Island, and Georgia all require you to contact affected riders about the delay, and Rhode Island and Georgia add that you advise them of other pickup arrangements when appropriate. Give a clock time, not “soon.” The NEMT customer service guide has a script for this call.
5. Tell the broker before the scheduled pickup time passes. This call lets the broker line up a backup and tell the clinic. At WellTrans, it also decides whether a late charge applies.
6. Make sure someone tells the clinic. In Rhode Island, your report to MTM is how the health care facility hears about the delay. In Texas, the driver’s report starts the call that confirms the health care provider can still see the member. Ask each broker whether it calls the clinic or wants you to.
7. Write down each call and its time as you go. The log section below lists what to record.

What each program asks for when a van will be late

Program	What you must do
MTM Health, Virginia (August 10, 2026)	Contact affected members or facilities with the delay and a new arrival time, and notify MTM. MTM works with the member or facility on other pickup arrangements.
MTM Health, Rhode Island (July 1, 2026)	Contact affected members at their pickup points and advise them of other arrangements when appropriate. Report late arrivals to MTM so it can notify the health care facility.
Georgia Medicaid (July 1, 2026, section 903)	Contact riders at their pickup points about the delay. Late arrivals are reported so the medical provider can be told.
Texas Medicaid health plans (August 1, 2021)	The driver reports a late arrival immediately, so the health care provider can be contacted to confirm it can still see the member.
TennCare health plans (July 1, 2026)	The driver notifies the dispatcher and the member is contacted. If the member will be late to the appointment, the provider is contacted too.
MAS, New York (October 1, 2023)	Notify MAS of any expected delay in a pickup or drop-off, so everyone involved hears in advance.
CareOregon (February 2024)	Notify the brokerage dispatch team right away about any event that will affect the member’s arrival time.
MTM Health standard agreement (January 1, 2023)	Notify MTM immediately of significant delays that will make the member late, and make alternate plans if the appointment can still be kept.
MediTrans, Louisiana (June 12, 2026)	Call dispatch immediately and record the reason for the delay in the portal notes.

How late is too late: the minute marks

Most programs draw a pickup window around the scheduled time. Past it, the trip counts as late, and at a later point the broker’s backup rules start.

Minutes past the scheduled pickup	What it means
Up to 15	On time in MTM Health’s Virginia count (15 minutes before to 15 after) and at MAS in New York. Georgia and Rhode Island treat more than 15 minutes as untimely. Call anyway if the van will reach the edge of the window.
More than 15	A late pickup. WellTrans charges $25 for each pickup more than 15 minutes late once over 1 percent of your pickups in a month are late.
20 or more	Excessively late in Georgia, where the broker must have a backup in place within 30 minutes (section 912). TennCare’s health plans must have backup plans for vehicles more than 20 minutes late.
More than 30	Excessively late for Texas health plans, which must arrange backup vehicles and staff (section 2400).
Past the appointment time	Late in Virginia, where riders must be dropped off no later than the appointment time. TennCare counts a drop-off less than 15 minutes before the appointment as a late drop-off.

Return trips run on their own clock. A will-call van must arrive within 45 minutes of the call with MTM Health in Virginia and Rhode Island, and within one hour in Georgia, New York, and Tennessee. Texas counts a return ride as excessively late more than 30 minutes after the rider’s call, and WellTrans charges $25 for each will-call over 60 minutes.

You cannot win the time back at the next stop by boarding the next rider early. In Virginia, Rhode Island, and Georgia, a rider never has to board before the scheduled pickup time, and MAS allows it only when the rider and driver both agree.

When to reassign the trip, and to whom

The situation	What to do
The van will still arrive inside the window	Keep the trip. Call the rider if the van will reach the end of the window.
Another of your vans can get there sooner	Move the trip to that driver, if the driver and vehicle are credentialed with the broker and the vehicle fits the rider. Update the assignment in the broker portal.
None of your vans can make it in time	Call the broker now and ask it to reassign the trip. Rhode Island does not allow same-day turnbacks, so report the delay to MTM instead of returning the trip in the portal.
The rider will miss the appointment	Call the broker and make sure the clinic is asked. Run the trip only if the clinic can still see the rider and the broker still wants it run.
A dialysis, chemotherapy, or surgery trip is at risk	Handle it first. MediTrans says these trips must not be late and asks you to call dispatch immediately to arrange coverage.

Three rules decide who can take the trip:

• Only your credentialed people and vehicles. MTM Health may refuse to pay for trips run by uncredentialed drivers or vehicles (standard agreement, section 2.N). MTM’s portal lets you reassign a trip to another of your drivers from the Trips screen (Rhode Island handbook, July 1, 2026).
• Only a vehicle that fits the rider. CareOregon’s manual says a different vehicle type needs brokerage approval unless it still meets the member’s needs.
• Never another company on your own. New York’s manual bars subcontracting transports and tells providers to alert the broker so it can find another provider. MTM Health’s agreement bars subcontracting any services without its written consent, and lets MTM reassign trips at its sole discretion (sections 12.A and 2.Q).

Dialysis gets the fastest response for a reason. Dialysis centers give each patient a fixed time slot, usually three times a week, and each session lasts about 4 hours (NIDDK). Ask each center how it wants to hear about a late van, and see dialysis transportation for planning those runs.

What not to do to make up time

• Do not speed. MTM Health’s Virginia handbook says safety must never be compromised to meet scheduling requirements.
• Do not call or text while driving. Stop somewhere safe first, or use a headset only where the program allows it.
• Do not change times, addresses, or routes on your own. CareOregon’s manual says changes to pickup times, appointment times, and addresses need brokerage approval. MediTrans says never to reroute without dispatch approval.
• Do not cut the next rider’s wait short. Wait the full time the payer sets. MAS can suspend providers found waiting less than 15 minutes when it hurts rider satisfaction.
• Do not leave a rider alone in the van to hurry the next pickup. MTM Health’s agreement says no driver may leave a member unattended in the vehicle (section 2.JJ).
• Do not run a trip the broker has taken back or moved. MTM Health’s Virginia handbook says never to transport a member without the unique trip ID MTM assigned to your company.

How to log a late trip so your scorecard is fair

Brokers score you from their own data. MTM Health’s Virginia handbook requires vehicle location tracking active for the whole ride, to capture arrivals, pickups, and drop-offs, and holds GPS compliance above 90.01 percent. Its trip log carries the scheduled pickup time, actual pickup time, departure time, and arrival time. Your notes are what show why a trip ran late.

What brokers can excuse

Program	What can excuse a late or missed trip
CareOregon (February 2024)	Unusual weather or traffic that affects all vehicles and keeps you from the scheduled pickup time is not noncompliance. A same-day trip the brokerage hands you already late keeps its pickup time, but is recorded as assigned late and not penalized. A provider no-show may be excused for an accident or unforeseen vehicle problem.
WellTrans, Indiana (October 16, 2025)	Late pickup, will-call, provider no-show, late appointment, and late dialysis charges do not apply when the cause was outside your control and you told WellTrans before the scheduled pickup or drop-off time.

That second rule is why the broker call belongs before the scheduled pickup time, not after the window closes. A call made after the pickup time can lose the waiver even when the cause was a crash on the highway.

What to record for every late trip

Keep one line per late trip, with these fields. The sample entries are made up.

Field	Sample entry
Trip ID	From the manifest
Scheduled pickup time	8:30 a.m.
Time the driver reported the delay	8:12 a.m.
Arrival time given	8:52 a.m.
Rider or facility called	8:15 a.m., spoke with the rider
Broker told	8:17 a.m. by phone, name of the person you spoke with
Clinic told	By the broker, 8:20 a.m.
Actual arrival	8:49 a.m.
Reason	Crash closed two lanes on the route; tracking saved
Appointment kept	Yes, the clinic held the slot
Trip moved	No

Write the reason as facts. CareOregon asks for objective documentation: what was seen, heard, or can be measured, not what someone felt. Texas requires the provider to document every cancellation, member or provider no-show, and rescheduled trip. MediTrans asks you to give the trip number and member name and a clear description when you report a problem.

Report patterns too. MTM Health’s Rhode Island handbook lists habitual driver lateness among Tier 2 issues, which must be reported in writing within 24 hours. Missing a reporting deadline there costs $500.

What a late trip can cost

Program	What lateness can cost
MTM Health standard agreement (January 1, 2023)	If the member cannot be seen, a provider no-show penalty or no payment for the trip (section 2.CC)
WellTrans, Indiana (October 16, 2025)	$25 per pickup more than 15 minutes late and $25 per late appointment arrival, each once more than 1 percent of the month’s pickups, or drop-offs, are late. $25 per will-call over 60 minutes, $100 per provider no-show, and $150 per late dialysis arrival plus $50 for each hour, or part of an hour, past the first.
MTM Health, Virginia (August 10, 2026)	On time must stay above 95 percent, or you can face a performance improvement plan, liquidated damages, or removal. Providers at 95 percent or better share a quarterly bonus pool.
MTM Health, Rhode Island (July 1, 2026)	A late rate under 4.99 percent is green, and 7 percent or more is red. Missed incident reporting deadlines cost $500.
CareOregon (February 2024)	Chronic, unexcused lateness can bring suspension or termination, including complaints of arrivals more than 30 minutes after a return request

For every metric and charge side by side, see NEMT broker scorecards and broker penalties.

After the day: review and dispute

1. Close out every late trip the same day, with the times and the reason.
2. Sort the week’s late trips by driver, hour, and reason. One driver, one clinic, or one hour of the day usually stands out. The on-time performance guide lists the fixes in order.
3. Check the broker’s numbers against yours. In Virginia a field monitor, and in Rhode Island a vendor account manager, reviews each metric with you regularly. Bring your log.
4. Dispute in writing, with trip IDs and times. MTM Health’s Virginia handbook takes complaints through your field monitor, its contact page, or its Quality Management team at 16 Hawk Ridge Circle, Lake Saint Louis, MO 63367. CareOregon’s manual sets 3 business days for grievance responses, or as little as 1 business day for serious ones, and asks you to tell the brokerage why if documents will be late.

If a finding still looks wrong, see how to escalate a broker problem. When a rider has already complained, handling broker complaints covers the response.

What to say on each call

Short calls with the same facts every time save minutes.

Driver to dispatch:

“Van 3, trip [trip ID]. I’m stopped at [place]. I’ll reach [rider] about 20 minutes late, at 9:05, because [reason]. No one is aboard.”

Dispatch to the broker:

“This is [your name] at [company]. Trip [trip ID] for [member name], pickup at 8:45. Our van will arrive about 9:05 because [reason]. The rider knows. Can the clinic still see her at 9:30, or should we hand the trip back?”

Write down who you spoke with and the time. If the broker reassigns the trip, tell your driver at once and record the change on the daily manifest. For the rest of the dispatcher’s day, see NEMT dispatch.