# Molina Healthcare of Texas Transportation: The Move to SafeRide and How to Get the Trips

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/molina-healthcare-texas/ · Updated 2026-09-30

Molina Healthcare of Texas transportation has run through SafeRide Health since April 1, 2026, when SafeRide replaced Access2Care, the ride company MTM Health owns. STAR and STAR+PLUS members book free rides on the same line, (866) 462-4857, any hour of any day, at least 48 hours ahead. A NEMT company gets Molina trips by enrolling in Texas Medicaid through TMHP, then joining SafeRide.

- Since April 1, 2026, every Molina Medicaid ride in Texas goes through SafeRide Health, not Access2Care or MTM.
- Molina has more STAR+PLUS members than STAR members, so older adults and adults with disabilities are most of its Medicaid members.
- In Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Hidalgo, and Northeast Texas, every STAR+PLUS plan books through SafeRide.
- Assisted living facilities owe their residents rides to the nearest medical provider, which makes them customers you can call.
- Molina's extra ride help is gas money for members, so your Molina work comes from covered Medicaid rides.

## Molina Healthcare of Texas rides at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Ride vendor | SafeRide Health, since April 1, 2026. Access2Care, which MTM Health owns, arranged Molina's Medicaid rides before that. |
| Member ride line | (866) 462-4857, the same number members used before the switch. SafeRide schedules rides 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and option 2 is Where's My Ride. |
| Booking notice | As early as possible: at least 48 hours ahead, and Molina's pages also give two business days. Hospital discharges, pharmacy trips, and urgent conditions can be booked with less. |
| Who rides | STAR and STAR+PLUS members with no other way to reach a Medicaid service. Molina has no STAR Kids members. |
| Nursing home residents | Rides only to and from dialysis, or on discharge from the facility to a lower level of care or home |
| Where members are | STAR in 5 service areas and STAR+PLUS in 8, as of September 2026, from El Paso to Beaumont |
| Size | About 271,000 Medicaid members in HHSC's preliminary count for May 2026, more than half of them in STAR+PLUS |
| Extra ride help | Gas rewards paid to members, not extra trips: $30 a year in STAR and CHIP (HHSC charts dated September 1, 2026), $15 a year in STAR+PLUS (September 1, 2025) |
| How to get the trips | Enroll in Texas Medicaid through TMHP, then apply to SafeRide Health with a real NPI and your EIN |

Molina Healthcare of Texas had about 271,000 Medicaid members in HHSC's preliminary count for May 2026, and more than half of them were in STAR+PLUS, the program for adults with disabilities and adults 65 or older. All of its Medicaid rides go through SafeRide Health now. The [Texas guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/texas/) explains how plans and ride vendors divide the state, and [SafeRide Health in Texas](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/saferide-health/texas/) covers SafeRide's other Texas plans, its insurance limits, and the state's audit of its payments.

## What changed on April 1, 2026

Molina's March 2026 provider notice says SafeRide replaced Access2Care/MTM as the ride vendor for its Medicaid members on April 1, 2026. Access2Care is the ride company MTM Health bought from Global Medical Response in 2024. Molina kept members' benefits and their booking number, (866) 462-4857, the same. Every ride already booked for an appointment on or after April 1 moved to SafeRide on its own.

HHSC's list of plan ride vendors named Access2Care for Molina in October 2025, and on September 30, 2026 it names SafeRide. Two things follow for a transportation company:

- **Molina riders you drove for Access2Care or MTM** stopped coming from them after March 31, 2026, and their standing bookings went to SafeRide with everything else. Our [broker transition checklist](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-broker-transition/) covers final claims and what to settle with a new broker.
- **Keep your MTM agreement** in every Molina area except Hidalgo, where all the plans use SafeRide. In the other seven, at least one plan still books through MTM: Parkland and Wellpoint around Dallas, Community Health Choice and Wellpoint in Harris and Jefferson, El Paso Health in El Paso, and Aetna, Cook Children's, or Wellpoint in Tarrant, Bexar, and Northeast Texas.

## Where Molina's riders live

HHSC's September 2026 map shows Molina in STAR in five of the state's 13 service areas and in STAR+PLUS in eight. Molina has no STAR Kids members. The counts below come from HHSC's preliminary enrollment file for May 2026.

| Service area | Molina STAR members | Molina STAR+PLUS members | Does every STAR+PLUS plan there use SafeRide? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | About 57,000 | About 31,000 | Yes: Molina, Superior, UnitedHealthcare |
| Hidalgo | About 35,000 | About 25,000 | Yes: Molina, Superior, UnitedHealthcare |
| Harris | About 22,000 | About 22,000 | No. Community Health Choice uses MTM. |
| Tarrant | None | About 21,000 | Yes: Molina, UnitedHealthcare |
| El Paso | About 5,000 | About 12,000 | No. El Paso Health uses MTM. |
| Bexar | None | About 15,000 | Yes: Community First, Molina, UnitedHealthcare |
| Jefferson | About 5,000 | About 8,000 | No. Wellpoint uses MTM. |
| MRSA Northeast | None | About 12,000 | Yes: Molina, UnitedHealthcare |

Molina carries more STAR+PLUS members than STAR members, about 147,000 against 124,000, and in the May count only UnitedHealthcare had more STAR+PLUS members. In five of Molina's eight STAR+PLUS areas, a single SafeRide agreement reaches every STAR+PLUS rider. In Tarrant (Denton, Hood, Johnson, Parker, Tarrant, and Wise counties), Bexar, and Northeast Texas, STAR+PLUS is Molina's only Medicaid program.

The Dallas service area (Collin, Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro, and Rockwall counties) holds about a third of Molina's Medicaid members. It is also the one area where Molina is the only STAR plan on SafeRide, since Parkland and Wellpoint book their STAR rides through MTM. For how to carry both, see [working with several brokers](https://nemtguide.com/guides/multiple-nemt-brokers/).

## How Molina members book rides

| Rule | Molina Healthcare of Texas |
|---|---|
| Ride line | SafeRide, (866) 462-4857, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Option 2 is Where's My Ride. |
| Online | SafeRide's Molina member portal and the MySafeRide app |
| Notice | As early as possible and at least 48 hours ahead. Molina's pages also give the state's floor of two business days. |
| Less notice | Pickups after a hospital discharge, pharmacy runs for medicine or approved supplies, and urgent conditions that need care within 24 hours |
| Canceled appointments | The member must tell the plan before the scheduled trip |
| Teens riding alone | Members 15 to 17 need a parent's consent on file. SafeRide posts a Molina consent form in English and Spanish. |
| Family and friends who drive | The driver registers with SafeRide before the first trip, and every ride is booked with SafeRide first. Mileage questions go to (855) 932-2331, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the member's local time. |

Over a weekend, two business days reaches back further than 48 hours, so have riders book Monday visits before the weekend starts. See [advance notice](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/advance-notice/) for how booking windows shape a schedule.

### Nursing homes and assisted living

Molina's STAR+PLUS pages limit rides for nursing facility residents to trips to and from dialysis and a discharge from the facility to a lower level of care or home, the same limit section 3120 of the state's NEMT Services Handbook sets. So a Molina resident's standing dialysis runs come through SafeRide. Any other trip for a resident falls outside Molina's ride benefit, so ask the facility how it arranges those. See [dialysis transportation](https://nemtguide.com/guides/dialysis-transportation/).

Assisted living is different, and Molina's March 2026 notice spends its second page on it. It quotes the Texas rule that an assisted living facility must provide transportation, an escort, or both to the nearest available medical provider, and must arrange other transportation when the resident's chosen provider is not the nearest. Molina's notice gives nursing facilities and assisted living providers their own Molina contact, listed under Who to call below.

Section 3120 of the NEMT Services Handbook lists trips to or from an assisted living facility among those NEMT may not be used for. Section 7220 of the STAR+PLUS Handbook says residents in the STAR+PLUS Home and Community Based Services program still get Medicaid rides to Medicaid-covered appointments, and the facility's staff schedule them. In Molina's STAR+PLUS areas, that makes the facility's office the place to start: it owes most of these rides itself, and its staff book any Medicaid ride a resident gets. Our [facility contracts guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/how-to-get-nemt-facility-contracts/) covers how to pitch a facility.

## Extra ride help from Molina

Molina's value-added ride help is money for the member's gas, not trips. HHSC's comparison charts list it by program:

| Program | Extra ride help | HHSC chart |
|---|---|---|
| STAR | A $30 gas reward once a year, on request, for trips to places like WIC offices, food pantries, or help with a Your Texas Benefits application | Dallas, Harris, Hidalgo, and Jefferson charts dated September 1, 2026 |
| CHIP | The same $30 gas reward | Dallas and Harris CHIP charts dated September 1, 2026 |
| STAR+PLUS | A $15 gas reward once a year for the same kinds of trips | Dallas and Tarrant charts dated September 1, 2025 |
| STAR+PLUS in a nursing facility | A $20 gas reward every three months for a caregiver who visits the resident | Dallas nursing facility chart dated October 1, 2025 |

Other Houston-area plans hand out rides instead. On the same Harris chart, Wellpoint offers up to 12 extra round trips a year and UnitedHealthcare offers four round trips booked with SafeRide. With Molina, every trip you carry is a covered Medicaid ride. Compare [Wellpoint's ride benefit](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/wellpoint-texas/) and [Superior HealthPlan's](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/superior-healthplan-texas/).

## How to get Molina trips

Molina's rides reach transportation companies through SafeRide, so the path runs through SafeRide's network:

1. **Get enrolled with TMHP first.** Section 2200 of the state's NEMT Services Handbook requires a plan's ride subcontractor to confirm a company is enrolled in Texas Medicaid before it signs an agreement. Enroll in TMHP's PEMS portal, and call the TMHP Contact Center at 800-925-9126 for help.
2. **Complete SafeRide's provider form.** It needs a real NPI and your EIN, asks whether you are already approved for Medicaid rides, and starts over if left unfinished for 30 days.
3. **Name your Molina areas during credentialing.** A Tarrant, Bexar, or Northeast Texas company reaches Molina only through STAR+PLUS, so tell your network account manager which counties you cover. The insurance limits to buy are on [SafeRide Health in Texas](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/saferide-health/texas/), and the company, vehicle, and driver files on our [SafeRide Health guide](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/saferide-health/).

Your rate is set in your SafeRide agreement, not by Molina. The state pays its own flat fee-for-service rates by county type, listed in [Texas's MTP rate update](https://nemtguide.com/news/texas-mtp-rate-update/), which gives you a number to compare against. Our guide to [contracting with Medicaid health plans](https://nemtguide.com/guides/contract-with-medicaid-health-plans/) covers the negotiation.

## Who to call

| For | Contact |
|---|---|
| Member ride bookings and changes | SafeRide, (866) 462-4857 |
| Family and friend mileage | SafeRide, (855) 932-2331 or molina_driver@saferidehealth.com |
| Mileage claim forms | molina_claims@saferidehealth.com |
| Joining SafeRide's network | team@saferidehealth.com or (855) 955-7433 |
| Molina Member Services, STAR and STAR+PLUS | 866-449-6849 (TTY 711) |
| Molina provider relations | MHTXProviderServices@MolinaHealthcare.com |
| Nursing facilities and assisted living | MHTNursingFacility@MolinaHealthCare.Com |
| Texas Medicaid enrollment | TMHP Contact Center, 800-925-9126 |

## What to do first

1. **Find your service area in the table** and note whether Molina has STAR, STAR+PLUS, or both there.
2. **Start TMHP enrollment** with your NPI in hand, since SafeRide cannot sign you until it is done.
3. **Apply to SafeRide** if you lost Molina riders in April, because their bookings moved there on April 1.
4. **Call the assisted living facilities near you** in Molina's STAR+PLUS areas about the rides they must provide or book.
5. **Keep MTM as well** everywhere except the Hidalgo area, since at least one plan in each of Molina's other seven areas still uses it.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the Molina Texas transportation phone number?

Members book rides with SafeRide Health at (866) 462-4857, the same number Molina used before it changed vendors on April 1, 2026. SafeRide takes calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Family members and friends who drive a member for mileage pay call SafeRide at (855) 932-2331. For other questions, Molina Member Services for STAR and STAR+PLUS is 866-449-6849.

### Does Molina still use Access2Care or MTM in Texas?

No. Molina's March 2026 provider notice says SafeRide replaced Access2Care/MTM for Molina Medicaid members on April 1, 2026, with no change to members' benefits. Rides already booked for appointments on or after that date moved to SafeRide automatically. HHSC's list of plan ride vendors named Access2Care for Molina in October 2025 and names SafeRide on September 30, 2026.

### Does Molina Texas cover rides for nursing home residents?

Only in two cases, under Molina's STAR+PLUS pages and section 3120 of the state's NEMT Services Handbook: trips to and from dialysis, and a discharge from the nursing facility to a lower level of care or home. Any other trip for a resident falls outside Molina's ride benefit, so the facility is the one to ask. Molina's Dallas nursing facility chart, dated October 1, 2025, also gives a resident's caregiver a $20 gas reward every three months to visit.

### How do I become a transportation provider for Molina in Texas?

Apply to SafeRide Health, which arranges every Molina Medicaid ride. First enroll your company in Texas Medicaid through TMHP's PEMS portal, because the state bars a plan's ride vendor from signing a company TMHP has not enrolled. Then fill out SafeRide's provider form with a real NPI and your EIN, finish it within 30 days, and pass credentialing. New providers reach SafeRide at team@saferidehealth.com or (855) 955-7433.

### Does Molina pay family or friends to drive members to appointments?

Yes, through SafeRide's mileage program for Molina members. The driver registers with SafeRide first, with a driver's license, vehicle details, and the member's information. Online registration takes about 72 hours to approve, and an emailed or faxed one about five business days. Each ride must be booked with SafeRide before the trip, and the claim goes in through the MySafeRide app or Molina's claim form.

### Does Molina Texas give members extra rides beyond Medicaid?

Not as trips. HHSC's September 1, 2026 charts list a $30 gas reward, once a year on request, for Molina STAR and CHIP members to reach places like WIC offices, food pantries, or help with a benefits application. STAR+PLUS members get a $15 gas reward once a year, on HHSC's September 1, 2025 charts. The member gets the money, not a ride company.

## Official resources

- [Molina Healthcare of Texas: Medicaid contact page (Member Services and the SafeRide line)](https://www.molinahealthcare.com/medicaid/tx/contact)
- [SafeRide Health: Molina Healthcare of Texas ride line and member portal](https://www.saferidehealth.com/member-health-plan/molina-healthcare-of-texas)
- [SafeRide Health: Mileage reimbursement and forms for Molina of Texas members](https://www.saferidehealth.com/molina-tx)
- [SafeRide Health: Join the NEMT network (signup form)](https://www.saferidehealth.com/what-to-expect-nemt-provider)
- [Texas HHSC: Which plans serve each service area (PDF map)](https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/services/health/medicaid-chip/programs/managed-care-service-areas-map.pdf)
- [Texas HHSC: Ride vendor and phone line for each health plan](https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicaid-chip/medicaid-chip-members/nonemergency-medical-transportation-program/health-plan-transportation-contact-information)
- [TMHP: Enroll in Texas Medicaid through PEMS](https://www.tmhp.com/programs/mtp)