WA Cares Transportation Providers: The Credential, Background Checks, and Contract You Need

WA Cares Fund is Washington’s long-term care insurance program. Most Washington workers earn its benefit through payroll contributions, which began in July 2023, and on July 1, 2026, benefits became available to those who qualify. Transportation is one of the services a beneficiary can spend the benefit on, and there are no case managers: each beneficiary picks a registered provider and agrees on the price. For a ride company, that is a new payer that needs its own credential, contract, and billing account.

What WA Cares transportation covers

WAC 388-116-1010 defines transportation as help traveling to the grocery store, medical appointments, social services, and therapeutic activities that support mental health, physical health, or wellbeing. The current definition gives trip or mileage reimbursement, bus passes, taxi scrip, bridge tolls, and ferry tickets as examples. An amendment effective October 23, 2026 (WSR 26-19-103) drops that list and defines transportation as non-emergency travel by any means other than air. The sample transportation contract (December 17, 2025) excludes plane tickets, ambulance rides, rides for leisure activities, and parking for appointments that are not medical.

Who your riders are

A beneficiary is at least 18, has earned the benefit through contributions (the Employment Security Department checks this), and needs help with at least three activities of daily living, such as bathing, eating, or moving around, expected to last at least 90 days (WAC 388-116-2020). WA Cares says the full benefit is $36,500 in 2026, a lifetime amount that grows with inflation and pays for every service the person uses. So every rider needs help with daily activities, and their rides draw on the same balance as their in-home care. WA Cares also tells them that in-home personal care often already includes transportation.

The program started with a pilot from January 1 to June 30, 2026, limited to residents of Lewis, Mason, Spokane, and Thurston counties who were not on Apple Health. It opened statewide on July 1, 2026.

How it differs from Apple Health rides

Apple Health (Medicaid) rides to medical care run through regional brokers under contract with the Health Care Authority, and the brokers subcontract the ride companies. WA Cares has no broker: you contract with the area agency on aging for your counties, and the beneficiary chooses you and approves each authorization. The Washington NEMT guide covers the broker side. When someone is enrolled in both programs, the Health Care Authority coordinates benefits so Medicaid does not pay for a service WA Cares also covers, which can affect your payment.

Who can apply: credentials, background checks, and insurance

WAC 388-116-3020 (in the version effective July 18, 2026) requires every transportation provider to hold a Washington business license under chapter 19.02 RCW, a driver license under chapter 46.20 RCW, and one of three ride credentials:

• A for-hire endorsement. This is the Department of Licensing’s for-hire license, which the Department of Revenue’s Business Licensing Service prints on your business license. It is the usual credential for a door-to-door van or sedan company. DOL asks for a For Hire Addendum signed by your local jurisdiction, vehicle registrations in use class F/H or CAB, and liability insurance of at least $325,000 combined single limit (or $300,000, $100,000, and $25,000 split limits), and it mails the license within 14 business days of complete documents. The Washington guide lists the fees.
• An auto transportation company certificate. The Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) issues it under chapter 81.68 RCW and chapter 480-30 WAC to companies that carry passengers over a regular route or between fixed points. The application details also accept a UTC charter and excursion bus certificate.
• A private nonprofit transportation provider certificate. The UTC issues it under chapter 81.66 RCW and chapter 480-31 WAC to nonprofits that carry only people with special transportation needs, or that work under a state agency contract or a transportation department grant.

Background checks

The transportation application details (updated February 3, 2026) set two levels of checks:

• Owners and the signer. Every owner of 5% or more and the person who signs the contract pass a DSHS criminal history check before you apply, and again at each contract renewal. The application asks for each person’s date of birth and background check confirmation number. A non-disqualifying DSHS check from the last 90 days can be reused.
• Drivers and other staff. Every employee, volunteer, and subcontractor who may have unsupervised access to beneficiaries passes a check before that access and every two years. It must include at least Washington State Patrol conviction records, and you keep it in the person’s file.

The WA Cares FAQ (updated July 1, 2026) adds that owners and signers who have not lived in Washington for three straight years may be asked for a fingerprint check. A failed check with a barred offense is a permanent disqualifier. For how driver checks work in general, see NEMT driver background checks.

Insurance

The WA Cares insurance requirements (updated August 17, 2026) and the sample contract ask for:

• General liability of $2 million each occurrence and $4 million aggregate. A small business under RCW 39.26.010 can carry $1 million and $2 million instead by filing form DSHS 27-234.
• Business auto liability of $1 million per accident, combined single limit, on every vehicle used to carry beneficiaries, including hired vehicles and vehicles owned by employees or volunteers.
• Additional insured status for DSHS, and for every area agency on aging where you serve, on the general liability and auto policies.
• An admitted Washington insurer rated B++, Class VII, or better by A.M. Best, or A-, Class VII, or better for a surplus lines insurer.

The sample transportation contract also lists professional liability or errors and omissions coverage of $1 million each occurrence and $2 million aggregate, and workers’ compensation under Title 51 RCW. Employees and volunteers who drive must carry personal auto insurance and current licenses. Ask your area agency which policies it will check, and see NEMT insurance requirements for how these coverages work.

How to apply, step by step

1. Read the toolkit first. The application details, the sample contract, and the service code sheet for transportation are in the WA Cares provider toolkit. The contract says you must serve the full county or counties you contract for, so pick them before you apply.
2. Run the owner and signer background checks through DSHS and save each confirmation number.
3. Gather your documents: your business license or proof of exemption, a W-9, a list of partners, members, officers, or board members unless you are a sole proprietor, each owner’s and signer’s name, date of birth, and confirmation number, your certificate of insurance, your ride credential, and your current rates.
4. Apply online. Transportation applications go to the area agency on aging for your area. If you serve all 39 counties, DSHS processes the application and signs one statewide contract instead.
5. Answer every request within 30 calendar days. WAC 388-116-3050 asks you to finish registration within 90 days of applying or show a good faith effort, and WA Cares says the whole process can take up to 90 days.
6. Sign the contract. Transportation contracts last at most two years. You need a separate contract with each area agency you work with, and a WA Cares contract is separate from any other DSHS contract you hold.
7. Get registered. DSHS issues your registration and lists your name, services, contact details, and languages in the WA Cares Provider Network Directory, hosted by Community Living Connections. Beneficiaries use it to find you.
8. Set up ProviderOne. Once the contract is signed, the Health Care Authority mails a welcome letter with the ProviderOne access request form. If you already have a ProviderOne account, WA Cares is added to it.

If an application is denied, the notice explains your hearing rights, and you may reapply once the problem is fixed, unless the reason is a permanent disqualifier such as a barred offense or a contract terminated for cause.

Area agencies that sign transportation contracts

WA Cares asks providers to contact each area agency they want to contract with. These are the contacts on the list it posted for providers in September 2026.

Area agency on aging	Counties served	Phone
Aging and Adult Care of Central Washington	Adams, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan	800-572-4459
Aging and Adult Services of Coastal Washington	Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Pacific	360-209-8338
Aging and Disability Services	Seattle and King County	206-684-7803
Aging and Long-Term Care of Eastern Washington	Spokane, Whitman, Ferry, Pend Oreille, Stevens	509-458-2509
Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities of Southwest Washington	Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Skamania, Wahkiakum	360-735-5713
Kitsap Aging and Long-Term Care	Kitsap	360-337-5700
Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging	Lewis, Mason, Thurston	360-664-2168
Northwest Regional Council	Island, San Juan, Skagit, Whatcom	360-676-6749
Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources	Pierce	253-348-1982
Snohomish County Aging and Disability Services	Snohomish	425-388-7393
Southeast Washington Aging and Long-Term Care	Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Garfield, Kittitas, Walla Walla, Yakima	509-965-0105
Colville Indian Area Agency on Aging	Colville Tribe	509-634-2759
Yakama Nation Area Agency on Aging	Yakama Nation	509-865-7164

Some of these agencies also run Medicaid ride programs. Northwest Regional Council, for example, is also an Apple Health broker. The area agency on aging transportation guide explains the senior ride contracts these agencies buy under other programs.

What WA Cares pays for a ride

You set your price. WA Cares pays within your usual, customary, and reasonable rate, up to the published maximum, and the beneficiary must agree to the rate before you write the authorization. Your usual rate is what you charge the public, and you cannot charge a WA Cares rider more than a member of the public for the same ride in the same circumstances. You accept the WA Cares payment as payment in full.

Transportation is billed with two codes:

• S0215 with modifier U2 for miles, at the IRS standard mileage rate, up to 260 miles a month. The IRS business rate is 76 cents a mile from July 1 to December 31, 2026, so 260 miles pays $197.60.
• T2003 for each trip or expense. The beneficiary snapshot (June 2026) says this “each” unit can cover a combination of costs, such as mileage, wait time, or fees.

The two codes share one monthly cap per beneficiary. WAC 388-116-4020, effective October 26, 2025, sets it at $412 a month. The WA Cares service code sheet dated September 3, 2026, and its maximum rates workbook dated September 4, 2026, list $424, and the workbook says the rule takes precedence where they differ. DSHS’s proposed rule (WSR 26-19-128, open for comment since September 23, 2026) would raise the cap to $437 a month for 2027, with a public hearing on October 27, 2026 and adoption no earlier than October 28.

So budget each rider in monthly blocks. As an example, if your usual fare is $50 for a round trip, eight round trips a month come to $400, inside the $412 cap. The contract also says WA Cares does not pay for miles to, from, or between beneficiaries, so build your empty miles into the fare. If a rider truly needs more than the cap, you can ask DSHS in writing for an exception to the maximum rate.

Pre-authorizations and claims

1. Check the rider’s available balance in ProviderOne. A pre-authorization above the balance is denied.
2. Create the pre-authorization for up to three calendar months (93 days), with the agreed rate. If you will bill several rides under the same code, itemize them in the comments.
3. Wait for the beneficiary’s approval in their WA Cares account. They have up to 30 calendar days, or until midnight two calendar days before the start date, whichever comes first. If they do nothing, it times out and you start over.
4. Drive only after approval. You cannot provide or bill a ride before the pre-authorization is approved.
5. Submit clean claims within 60 calendar days of the pre-authorization’s end date. Late claims are denied, and the money returns to the rider’s balance. ProviderOne pays weekly.

Beneficiaries can also pay for a taxi, rideshare, or bus out of pocket and ask WA Cares to reimburse them through its financial management services vendor, with receipts sent within 60 days (WAC 388-116-4030). Starting October 23, 2026, WAC 388-116-4040 also lets a rider pay a family member or friend for miles driven in a personal car, up to the preauthorized miles at the maximum mileage rate, through the same vendor. Your registered service competes with both options, so make booking and billing easy for the rider. If you also take private pay rides, the private pay guide covers pricing.

What the contract asks of you

The sample transportation contract (December 17, 2025) sets the duties you sign up for:

• Trip records. Record the date, time, destination, and distance of every beneficiary’s ride, and show them to DSHS on request.
• Vehicle upkeep. Keep a preventive maintenance schedule and records for every vehicle, and use only properly maintained vehicles.
• Service standards. Give physical assistance, and schedule rides around each rider’s physical and psychosocial needs, with timeliness, courtesy, patience, tolerance, and inclusivity.
• Reporting abuse. Keep written policies for mandatory reporting under chapter 74.34 RCW. Report suspected abuse, abandonment, neglect, or financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult at once to 1-866-363-4276 (END-HARM), and to law enforcement when the law requires.
• Reporting a death. Tell WA Cares within 24 hours of learning that a beneficiary you serve has died, at 833-717-2273 or 844-227-3492.
• Reporting fraud. Report suspected fraud, waste, or abuse to WA Cares Program Integrity within 10 business days, and keep written policies to prevent it.
• Language access. Provide or arrange language services for beneficiaries with limited English and for those who are deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing, at no cost to them.
• Ownership and address changes. Give DSHS and each beneficiary written notice at least 60 days before a sale, merger, or move. The new entity applies at least 15 days before the change.
• Audits. Give DSHS access to your place of business and records. These rights last six years after the contract ends, and payments for rides not delivered, or not delivered to standard, are recovered as overpayments.

The contract also points to the UTC passenger company rules in chapters 480-30 and 480-31 WAC, so ask your area agency how it checks those standards for a company that holds a for-hire endorsement. Before your contract ends, DSHS or your area agency reaches out about renewal. You confirm that you still meet every qualification, repeat the owner and signer background checks, and sign a new contract.