# Workers' Comp Transportation in 2027: Networks, Approvals, and Pay for NEMT Companies

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/guides/workers-comp-transportation/ · Updated 2026-09-29

Workers comp transportation means rides that take people hurt on the job to approved medical care, paid through the workers' compensation claim instead of Medicaid. Many rides come through care coordination networks such as One Call, ProCare, and MTI America, which book the trip and pay you a contracted rate. Federal claims and Washington's state fund let you enroll and bill the payer directly.

- Every workers' comp ride belongs to an open claim, and the adjuster, network, or state fund must approve it before you drive.
- Networks that contract with insurers book many of these rides. You sign their agreement, drive to their rules, and invoice them.
- ProCare and Washington's state fund pay loaded miles only, and ProCare pays waits and no-shows only when it approved them.
- For federal workers' claims, you enroll with the Department of Labor for free and bill it directly, and transportation bills need no billing NPI.
- Invoice fast. One network gives you 45 days from the date of service, and Washington gives you one year.

A worker who gets hurt on the job still has to reach the doctor, the physical therapist, and the exams the claim requires. When the worker cannot drive or take the bus, the workers' comp claim can pay for a ride. That money comes from the employer's coverage, not from Medicaid, and it comes with its own approvals, networks, and billing rules.

This guide covers the rides your company gives to injured workers. Insurance for your own drivers is a different topic: see [workers' comp for NEMT drivers](https://nemtguide.com/guides/workers-comp-for-nemt/).

## Who pays for workers' comp rides

For people who work for private companies or state and local governments, workers' compensation is run by each state. The U.S. Department of Labor sends those workers to their state workers' compensation board, and it runs separate programs for federal employees, energy employees, coal miners, and longshore workers. Who pays for a ride depends on the claim.

| Who pays | Whose claims | How the ride reaches you |
|---|---|---|
| A workers' comp insurer or a third party administrator | Employees of an employer with a policy, or of a self-insured employer that hires an administrator | The adjuster or case manager books it, often through a transportation network |
| A self-insured employer | Its own employees | The same way. In Ohio and Washington, a self-insured employer pays most eligible travel itself. |
| Washington's state fund (L&I) | Most Washington employers. The state does not allow private workers' comp coverage, so employers buy from L&I or self-insure. | You open an L&I provider account and bill after the insurer preauthorizes the trip |
| U.S. Department of Labor (OWCP) | Federal employees (FECA), energy employees (DEEOIC), and coal miners (black lung) | You enroll with OWCP and bill it. Some trips need prior authorization. |
| The employer or its insurer, under the Longshore Act | Longshore and harbor workers | The employer must furnish medical care, and medical care includes the reasonable and necessary cost of travel (20 CFR 702.401 and 702.402) |

Whoever pays, every ride belongs to an open claim and goes to approved treatment or a required exam. Before the wheels turn, have three things in writing: the claim or referral number, the authorization for your trip, and the pickup and drop-off addresses. A ride without an authorization can go unpaid, even when the worker really needed it.

## When a claim covers the ride

Each program sets its own travel rules. They decide whether the claim pays for travel at all, and they explain why an adjuster asks where the worker lives before booking you.

| Program | What the rule covers | Approval and timing |
|---|---|---|
| Federal employees (FECA) | Transportation needed to reach authorized care. A round trip of up to 100 miles is generally reasonable, and OWCP may authorize a taxi or special conveyance when medical evidence shows the worker cannot use public transit (20 CFR 10.315). | Non-emergency round trips over 100 miles, air travel, and overnight stays need a written request. Cab fare or special conveyance over $75 needs prior authorization (FECA procedure manual, September 10, 2026). |
| Washington (L&I and self-insurers) | Taxi, wheelchair van, and other rides to medical appointments or insurer exams, when the insurer gives you a trip ticket (fee schedule effective July 1, 2026) | The insurer must preauthorize every taxi and wheelchair van ride. A worker's own travel for treatment is paid only for trips over 15 miles one way, with prior authorization, and the first and last 15 miles are not paid (WAC 296-20-1103). |
| Ohio (BWC and self-insuring employers) | A worker's car travel over 45 miles round trip, at 58 cents a mile since August 1, 2022. Taxi, bus, train, plane, and other special transportation, with proof of medical necessity from the allowed conditions in the claim (form C-60A, revised November 14, 2025). | BWC must authorize special transportation in advance, and car travel over 400 miles round trip. |
| Texas | A worker's mileage when treatment is not reasonably available within 30 miles of home and the trip is over 30 miles one way, paid at the state employee travel rate (28 TAC 134.110) | The carrier must pay or deny a request within 45 days (form DWC048). |

The Ohio and Texas rules pay the worker back for travel the worker arranged. When an adjuster or network books you instead, your pay comes from your agreement with whoever booked the trip.

## The networks that book these rides

Insurers, self-insured employers, and administrators often hand their rides to care coordination companies, sometimes called ancillary networks. The network takes the referral, books a transportation company, pays it, and bills the payer. As of September 2026, these three recruit transportation companies on their own sites:

| Network | What it arranges | How to apply |
|---|---|---|
| One Call (Jacksonville, Florida) | Sedan, wheelchair van, stretcher, and ambulance rides, air ambulance, and overnight travel for workers' comp claims | The Become a Provider form on its site. See the [One Call guide](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/one-call/). |
| ProCare (Tampa, Florida) | Transportation and language services for workers' comp claimants | Email the application, agreement, rate sheet, and documents to ProviderRelations@theprocare.com, or fax them to 813-769-3883 |
| MTI America | Ambulatory rides, assisted door-to-door rides, wheelchair lift vans, and stretcher rides, for insurance carriers, third party administrators, employers, and self-insured funds | The Become a Network Provider inquiry form on its site, then a written credentialing application |

Each network pays you, not the insurer. One Call says its providers invoice it, and it pays them and bills the payer. MTI America calls itself the designated payor for its referrals. Joining two or more networks spreads your risk the same way a second broker does. See [NEMT payer mix](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-payer-mix/).

Expect competition for sedan trips. As of September 2026, One Call fills its sedan rides from a rideshare program plus a directly contracted network of agency and independent providers, and MTI America describes a blend of its own network and rideshare. Wheelchair, stretcher, and assisted door-to-door rides are where a NEMT company with trained drivers stands out.

## What the networks require

Network rules come from their agreements, not from state Medicaid rules, so read each one before you sign. ProCare publishes its full transportation packet, which shows the kind of file a network wants.

### The documents to send

ProCare's checklist for commercial providers, the kind it prefers, asks for:

1. The transportation application and agreement, initialed at the bottom of every page.
2. Its transportation provider rate sheet, filled in.
3. IRS Form W-9.
4. A current business or occupational license.
5. A certificate of auto insurance on the ACORD 25 form, with ProCare named as certificate holder.
6. A list of insured vehicles.
7. A short description of how you hire drivers, such as background checks and drug testing.

The agreement requires at least your state's minimum auto liability coverage, and you must tell ProCare within one business day if your coverage ends or changes. MTI America requires a written credentialing application before you serve its referrals. It verifies work history, current professional liability insurance, history of loss, and sanctions, visits your location, and reviews vendor sanctions every quarter. See [NEMT insurance requirements](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-insurance-requirements/).

### Driver standards

ProCare's agreement (version 4-2024) sets these rules for every driver:

| Rule | ProCare's standard |
|---|---|
| Age and experience | At least 21, with at least 5 years of driving |
| Driving record | A motor vehicle record covering the past 3 years. No more than 2 violations in 3 years or 1 in the last 12 months, no more than 1 accident in 3 years, and no DWI or DUI conviction within 5 years. |
| Background check | Clear of elder or child abuse, sexual offenses, murder, manslaughter, vehicular homicide, and any felony conviction within 5 years |
| Drugs and alcohol | A zero tolerance policy. A driver who violates it is removed from ProCare work permanently. |
| Language | Able to understand and speak English |
| Securement | Knows and follows proper restraint and securement procedures |

Keep one file per driver so you can answer any network's audit. See [NEMT driver background checks](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-driver-background-check/).

### Rules on the road

- **Your own drivers only.** ProCare bars rideshare apps and bars passing its trips to another company.
- **One injured worker per vehicle.** Family members or other passengers ride only if ProCare approves them before the trip.
- **Confirm the day before.** ProCare emails each assignment the morning before. If you do not confirm coverage, the trip may go to another provider.
- **Call before you leave a no-show.** ProCare pays its no-show amount only when its dispatch releases the driver from the pickup.
- **Never ask the worker for money.** No fares and no tips. Drivers also stay out of money and legal matters and never steer the worker to a lawyer or doctor.

## How rates and payment work

A network rate sheet sets your price for each level of service. ProCare's sheet has five columns for each level: a load or base fee, a per-mile rate, a minimum trip, a wait time rate per hour, and a no-show fee. Levels run from ambulatory or taxi through wheelchair, stretcher, and ambulance. Build each number from your costs, not from a Medicaid fee schedule. See [how much to charge for NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/how-much-to-charge-for-nemt/) and [NEMT cost per trip](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-cost-per-trip/).

Read how the columns combine before you fill them in. ProCare pays your minimum trip or your per-mile rate times loaded miles, whichever is greater, never both. Its invoice form states the minimum trip in miles and counts it once per loaded leg, so a round trip gets the minimum twice. As of September 2026, MTI America tells payers its ground rides carry no wait time fees, no minimum mileage charges, no same-day rush fees, and no cancellation fees, so ask how its rate sheet pays you for those before you sign.

Four rules decide what actually gets paid:

- **Loaded miles only.** ProCare pays only miles driven with the worker on board. It sets the loaded miles with an online map, puts them on the referral, and wants any disagreement raised before the trip is done. Washington also pays loaded miles only. Price your [deadhead miles](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/deadhead-miles/) into the base fee or minimum trip.
- **Waits only when authorized.** ProCare pays wait time only when the authorization lists it. The driver waits on site, in view, from arrival until the worker returns to the vehicle. Its agreement says to report the wait within 48 hours and its rate sheet says 24, so report it the same day.
- **No-shows only when released.** ProCare pays its agreed no-show amount only after its dispatch releases the driver. Washington pays a taxi no-show fee (code 1269M, $57.63, effective July 1, 2026) only for exams and consultations the insurer arranged.
- **The rate is payment in full.** Under ProCare's agreement, billing or collecting from the worker, the employer, or anyone else costs you a 30 percent cut from your contracted rates.

Deadlines are short on network trips and long on public programs:

| Payer | When to bill | How you are paid |
|---|---|---|
| ProCare | Within 45 days of the date of service. Report wait time and extra fees within 48 hours, or the wait is cut to 1 hour. | Within 30 days of a clean invoice. Appeal a payment decision within 30 days. Ask about a missing payment within 120 days of service. |
| Washington L&I and self-insurers | Within one year of the date of service | Your usual and customary charges, which the insurer may adjust |
| OWCP (federal claims) | By the end of the calendar year after the year of service, or after the year the claim was accepted, if later (20 CFR 10.803) | By electronic funds transfer, required since September 30, 2025 |

Drivers who wait at a clinic and cannot use the time freely are usually working, and those hours count toward overtime (29 CFR 785.15). Price long waits into your rate sheet. See [NEMT driver pay](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-driver-pay/).

## Billing federal workers' comp claims yourself

The Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs pays medical bills for federal employees, energy employees, and coal miners through its Workers' Compensation Medical Bill Process. Its provider manual (version 10.0, September 2, 2026) covers transportation companies.

1. **Register and enroll online.** Create an OWCP Connect account, then complete the Provider Enrollment Application (OWCP-1168) in the portal. Enrollment is free, and OWCP says it completes enrollment within seven business days of submission. Since September 11, 2026, it no longer accepts mailed or faxed applications. An application you start but do not submit is deleted after 90 days without changes.
2. **Set up electronic payment.** Banking details go into the portal. Since September 30, 2025, every enrolled provider must take payment by electronic funds transfer.
3. **Get approval before costly trips.** For federal employees, send the DFEC Travel Authorization Request through the portal, or by fax to 1-800-215-4901. For energy employees, use Form EE-28, the Transportation Authorization Request.
4. **Bill each service by its code.** Each bill must identify the service by its HCPCS code (20 CFR 10.801). Billing NPI and taxonomy, required on most bills since September 20, 2025, are not required from non-emergency transportation providers.
5. **Attach trip details for energy employee claims.** From October 10, 2026, transportation bills under the energy employees program must show pickup and drop-off locations, the date and time of service, the mileage or total trip distance, and the purpose of the trip, or they may be denied.

The travel authorization form lists the codes it accepts. It asks for estimated charges when they top $75 and estimated miles when a round trip tops 100 miles, the same lines the federal rules use for prior approval. Non-emergency air travel always needs a written request first (20 CFR 10.315).

| Code | Service | What the form asks for |
|---|---|---|
| A0100 | Taxi | Estimated charges, if over $75 |
| A0110 | Bus, intra- or interstate carrier | Estimated charges, if over $75 |
| A0120 | Mini-bus, mountain area, and other transports | Estimated charges, if over $75 |
| A0130 | Wheelchair van | Estimated charges, if over $75 |
| A0140 | Air travel | Estimated charges, if over $75 |
| A0170 | Parking fees and tolls | Estimated charges, if over $75 |
| A0080 and A0090 | Total trip miles, without or with a vested interest | Estimated round trip miles, if over 100 |

For more on the codes, see [NEMT billing codes](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-billing-codes/).

## Billing Washington's state fund (L&I)

Washington's state fund pays transportation companies directly. Its fee schedule chapter on lodging, transportation, and travel took effect July 1, 2026.

- **Open a provider account.** Apply through ProviderOne. Non-medical service providers upload the Non-Network Provider Agreement (F245-509-000), and billing providers add a W-9. L&I has new versions of its enrollment forms, and as of September 18, 2026 it says only the new versions will be accepted after December 1, 2026.
- **Know who qualifies.** Taxis, wheelchair vans, buses, and airlines may give non-medical rides. An ambulance company that also runs wheelchair vans needs a separate provider account for them.
- **Get the trip ticket.** The insurer pays when it preauthorizes the ride and gives you a trip ticket. The destination must be the nearest place of proper treatment.
- **Bill your usual charges.** Codes A0100 (taxi), A0110, A0120, A0130 (wheelchair van), A0140, and A0170 are paid "by report," meaning you bill your usual and customary charge and the insurer may adjust it. Code 1270M covers taxi rides to insurer-arranged exams.
- **Itemize every trip.** Taxis submit the Taxi Trip Ticket (F248-374-000). Everyone else sends an invoice showing the claim number, worker name, trip date, pickup time and address, drop-off address, wait time, drop-off time, driver name, driver operator or cab number, rates, and total cost.
- **Bill within one year** of the date of service. Questions go to the L&I Provider Hotline at 1-800-848-0811.

In Ohio, BWC's travel reimbursement rules pay the worker back for special transportation it authorized in advance. Check your own state's fee schedule, or call its workers' compensation board, before you count on direct billing.

## Workers' comp rides compared with Medicaid rides

| | Medicaid broker trip | Workers' comp trip |
|---|---|---|
| Who approves | The broker or health plan, under state Medicaid rules | The adjuster, network, or state fund on the claim |
| Enrollment | Medicaid enrollment, usually with an NPI | The network's agreement, an L&I account in Washington, or OWCP enrollment |
| Your rate | The broker contract or state fee schedule | Your rate sheet with the network, or your usual charges in Washington |
| Shared rides | Set by the broker and the state | ProCare allows one injured worker per vehicle |
| Records | The broker's trip log and signature rules | The network's invoice fields, or L&I's itemized statement |
| Privacy | Your broker agreement and HIPAA | The network agreement. ProCare's names HIPAA and state medical privacy laws. |

Network agreements make claimant information confidential. ProCare's says claimant names, addresses, and phone numbers are its property and may not be shared for any purpose. HIPAA lets a covered provider share health information as authorized by workers' comp laws, and to the extent needed to comply with them ([45 CFR 164.512(l)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-164.512)), so you may answer an adjuster's questions about a trip as far as your state's workers' comp law allows. Keep your [HIPAA policies](https://nemtguide.com/guides/hipaa-for-nemt/) in force for all riders so drivers follow one set of habits. Log every leg the same way you do for Medicaid: see [NEMT trip documentation](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-trip-documentation/).

## How to add workers' comp rides, step by step

1. **Check your permits and insurance.** A workers' comp ride is still a paid ride, so your state's vehicle, driver, and insurance rules apply. If a trip crosses a state line, see [DOT numbers for NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/dot-number-for-nemt/).
2. **Build your rate sheet.** Price a base fee, loaded mile, minimum trip, hourly wait, and no-show for each level of service you run.
3. **Apply to two or three networks.** Start with the ones above, and ask each one for its rate sheet, insurance minimums, and payment terms in writing.
4. **Enroll where you can bill directly.** In Washington, open an L&I account. Anywhere, enroll with OWCP to serve federal employees.
5. **Set up next-day confirmations.** Assign one person to confirm every assignment the day before and to call the network when a trip is at risk.
6. **Record what the invoice needs.** ProCare's invoice form asks for its PO number, the service type, whether the appointment happened, the drop-off and return pickup times, loaded miles, authorized fees, and the worker's next appointment date. Capture all of it on every leg.
7. **Invoice within days, not weeks.** A 45-day window closes fast when your dispatcher is also your biller.
8. **Track each payer.** Compare trips, pay per hour, and days to payment for each network against your broker work. See [who pays for NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/who-pays-for-nemt/) for the other payers worth adding, and [private pay NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/private-pay-nemt/) for rides families pay for themselves.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need a Medicaid ID or NPI to give workers' comp rides?

No Medicaid ID is needed, because these rides are not Medicaid claims. The networks ask for your tax ID, licenses, insurance, and driver records instead. For federal workers' claims, the Department of Labor's provider manual (version 10.0, September 2, 2026) says billing NPI and taxonomy are not required on bills from non-emergency transportation providers. Washington requires an L&I provider account through ProviderOne.

### Who approves a workers' comp ride?

The payer on the claim. An adjuster or case manager sends the referral, often through a transportation network, and the network sends you an authorization for the trip. In Washington, taxi and wheelchair van rides are payable when the insurer preauthorizes them and gives you a trip ticket. For federal employees, the FECA procedure manual (version 1.3, September 10, 2026) says cab fare or special transportation over $75 needs prior authorization.

### Are empty miles paid on workers' comp trips?

Usually not. ProCare's provider packet pays only miles driven with the injured worker in the vehicle, unless ProCare authorizes unloaded miles before the trip. Washington's fee schedule, effective July 1, 2026, pays loaded miles only and lists unloaded miles as not covered. Build the drive to the pickup and back into your base fee or minimum trip.

### Can I carry two injured workers in one van?

Not with every network. ProCare's agreement allows only one injured worker in a vehicle at a time and bars family members or other passengers unless ProCare approves them before the trip. Ask each network for its rule before you pair riders, and never add a passenger the authorization does not list.

### How fast do workers' comp networks pay?

It depends on the agreement. ProCare's agreement says it processes payment within 30 days of receiving a clean invoice, and it will not consider invoices received more than 45 days after the date of service. One Call pays its network providers after they invoice it, then bills the payer. Get the payment terms in writing before you sign.

### Can I charge the injured worker if the network pays too little?

No. ProCare's agreement makes the contracted rate payment in full, bars drivers from asking the worker for payment or tips, and cuts payment by 30 percent if you try to collect from the worker, the employer, or anyone else. If a rate does not cover your cost, negotiate the rate sheet or decline those trips.

## Official resources

- [U.S. Department of Labor: Find your state workers' compensation board](https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workcomp)
- [OWCP: Provider enrollment for federal workers' compensation](https://owcpmed.dol.gov/portal/Provider/Enrollments)
- [OWCP: WCMBP Provider Manual](https://owcpmed.dol.gov/portal/tutorials/WCMBP%20Provider%20Manual.pdf)
- [OWCP: DFEC Travel Authorization Request](https://owcpmed.dol.gov/portal/sites/default/files/inline-files/DFEC-Travel.pdf)
- [Washington L&I: Become a Provider](https://lni.wa.gov/patient-care/provider-accounts/become-a-provider/)
- [Washington L&I: Fee schedules and payment policies (MARFS)](https://lni.wa.gov/patient-care/billing-payments/fee-schedules-and-payment-policies/index)
- [ProCare: Transportation provider packet](https://theprocare.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PROCARE-NEW-TRANSPORTATION-PROVIDER-PACKET-v4-2024-6.pdf)
- [MTI America: Become a network provider](https://www.mtiamerica.com/service-providers/how-to-become-a-network-provider/)
- [One Call: Become a provider](https://onecallcm.com/who-we-serve/become-a-provider/)