# Priority Health Medicaid Transportation: SafeRide Rides, Mileage Checks, and How to Get the Trips

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/priority-health-medicaid/ · Updated 2026-09-30

Since September 8, 2024, Priority Health Choice books every Medicaid and Healthy Michigan Plan ride through SafeRide Health, which members call at 833-944-0535 at least three business days ahead. SafeRide uses rideshare, cab, and specialty companies and dispatches NEMT companies for rides that need special help, such as wheelchair service. To get Priority trips, join SafeRide's network in the 37 counties the plan has covered since October 1, 2024.

- Priority Health handed all of its Medicaid rides to SafeRide Health on September 8, 2024, so a SafeRide agreement is now the way in.
- SafeRide can send Priority riders by rideshare or cab, and Priority says it calls on NEMT companies for wheelchair and other special help rides.
- On October 1, 2024, Priority left seven southwest counties and added 21 northern counties, for 37 in all.
- Priority pays members $0.67 a mile by check when they drive or have someone else drive them, so those riders never reach a van.
- Maternal Infant Health Program members can book 30 days ahead, which lets repeat prenatal trips land on your schedule early.

## Priority Health Choice rides at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Who books the ride | SafeRide Health, for every ride since September 8, 2024. Members call 833-944-0535, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. |
| Before SafeRide | Priority Health coordinated its Medicaid rides itself, with its own vendor network and bus contracts in Grand Rapids and the Holland area (provider manual, July 2024) |
| Members covered | Priority Health Choice Medicaid and Healthy Michigan Plan members |
| Booking notice | At least 3 business days, and no more than two weeks ahead. Maternal Infant Health Program members can book 30 days ahead. |
| Where it covers rides | 37 Lower Peninsula counties since October 1, 2024: 21 northern counties, 13 West Michigan counties, and Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb |
| Members | 214,759 in Medicaid and 64,356 in the Healthy Michigan Plan on July 1, 2024, in the 23 counties it covered then (CMS) |
| Mileage reimbursement | $0.67 a mile, paid by check from Priority Health, with forms processed weekly and accepted for rides in the past 365 days |
| Bus tickets and passes | Tickets through SafeRide. A monthly pass for members with 4 or more appointments in a month, where passes are offered. |
| Long trips | Meals and lodging on trips over 50 miles are approved through Priority's provider line, 616-575-5770 (provider notice, September 2024) |
| Complaints | Turned around within 24 hours, per the MDHHS health plan ride list revised May 14, 2026 |

Priority Health Choice is the Medicaid plan of Grand Rapids-based Priority Health. Until September 2024 it coordinated its members' rides itself. Then it handed every ride to SafeRide Health, and weeks later its map changed under new state contracts. Both changes decide whether Priority riders can reach your vans. For Michigan's statewide rules, see the [Michigan guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/michigan/).

## Who books Priority Health Medicaid rides

The switch to SafeRide came in steps:

| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| December 1, 2023 | SafeRide says it began supporting Priority's Medicaid members with non-emergency rides |
| As of July 2024 | Priority's provider manual still said Priority Health "directly administers" Medicaid transportation, with bus tickets from The Rapid in Grand Rapids and Macatawa Area Express around Holland and Zeeland, and cab and specialty companies in all 23 counties it then served |
| September 8, 2024 | All transportation for Priority Medicaid members, NEMT included, is scheduled through SafeRide, replacing coordination by Priority Health itself |
| October 10, 2024 | Mileage claims for rides from this date go to Priority Health. SafeRide handled claims for rides through October 9 |

A company that used to take rides straight from Priority now needs a SafeRide agreement. For what a hand-off like this means for your cash flow and paperwork, see [NEMT broker transitions](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-broker-transition/).

### How members book now

Members call SafeRide at 833-944-0535, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at least three business days before the appointment and no more than two weeks ahead. The MDHHS ride list, revised May 14, 2026, still shows Priority Health Choice Programs as the plan's transportation provider, with SafeRide as the direct line. Customer Service at 888-975-8102 also takes ride calls: option 1, the member ID, then option 2.

These rules shape your schedule:

- **Pickup readiness.** Priority tells members to be at the pickup address and ready at least one hour before the pickup time, and that the driver may confirm the destination.
- **Special equipment.** Members say at booking if they need special help, and the handbook tells members with wheelchairs or oxygen to book as early as possible.
- **Extra riders.** Members must tell Priority about any extra rider when they schedule.
- **Urgent care.** Priority makes every attempt to arrange a same-day pickup, or one within 24 hours, when vendors are available.
- **Cancellations.** Members cancel or reschedule by calling SafeRide ahead of time.

The one-hour readiness rule gives your dispatcher something to point to when a rider is not ready at the pickup time. Use it with your [pickup window](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/pickup-window/) and [no-show](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/no-show/) policy.

## Where Priority Health covers Medicaid rides

MDHHS's awards of April 8, 2024 gave Priority Health Choice four Prosperity Regions from October 1, 2024: Northwest, Northeast, West Michigan, and Detroit Metro. Priority's map of its area as of that date, compared with the county list CMS published for July 1, 2024, shows what moved:

| Counties | Status |
|---|---|
| Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, Ottawa | Covered before and after October 1, 2024 |
| Macomb, Oakland, Wayne | Covered before and after October 1, 2024 |
| Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Iosco, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon, Wexford | Added October 1, 2024 |
| Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Van Buren | Dropped October 1, 2024 |

That makes 37 counties. Priority's provider manual, updated February 21, 2026, still describes SafeRide's vendors as covering "all 23 counties we serve", the count from before October 2024. So ask SafeRide how many vehicles it has in the 21 northern counties before you plan around them. See [rural NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/rural-nemt/).

CMS counted 214,759 Priority members in Michigan's Medicaid program and 64,356 in the Healthy Michigan Plan on July 1, 2024, in the old 23-county area.

In 16 of the 37 counties, the West Michigan group and the three Detroit-area counties, Meridian also uses SafeRide for its Medicaid members, so one SafeRide agreement reaches both plans. See [Meridian Michigan transportation](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/meridian-michigan/). In the 21 northern counties, Priority is the only Michigan Medicaid plan that books through SafeRide.

## How to get Priority Health trips

Priority's September 2024 notice says SafeRide coordinates travel with rideshare options and dispatches NEMT providers for special assistance, such as wheelchair service. Its current manual lists cab and specialty companies and rideshare companies in SafeRide's network. So a rider who can walk to a car may go by rideshare or cab, and your strongest offer is special assistance, starting with wheelchair vans. See [NEMT vs rideshare](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-vs-rideshare/) and [starting a wheelchair transportation business](https://nemtguide.com/guides/start-a-wheelchair-transportation-business/).

1. **Pick your Priority counties** from the table, and ask local dialysis units and clinics how many patients carry Priority Health Choice cards.
2. **Get the state registration right.** For-hire vehicles with 8 or fewer seats, driver included, register with LARA under the limousine act, and 9 or more seats need MDOT authority under the Motor Bus Transportation Act. The [Michigan guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/michigan/) has the fees and insurance.
3. **Send SafeRide's signup form.** It asks for your NPI, EIN, insurance limits, counties, and how many rides a day each vehicle type can take. List your wheelchair vans on their own line.
4. **Finish credentialing.** SafeRide's insurance, driver screening, and training rules are on the [SafeRide Health page](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/saferide-health/).
5. **Ask for special assistance work.** Tell your network vendor manager you want Priority wheelchair trips and, if you run up north, trips in the newly added counties.

### Rides for expecting mothers and new babies

Priority members in the Maternal Infant Health Program get extra rides, to WIC, behavioral health, and dental visits, when they tell SafeRide they are enrolled. They can book 30 days ahead, which Priority says supports frequent or recurring appointments such as a high-risk pregnancy. Those repeat trips can become a steady block on your calendar. See [standing orders](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-standing-orders/) and [children in NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/children-in-nemt/) for car seat rules.

## Mileage checks and bus passes

Some Priority rides never go near a van. Priority pays the mileage claims itself, and SafeRide hands out the bus tickets.

**Mileage.** A member who drives, or has someone else drive them, can ask for [mileage reimbursement](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/mileage-reimbursement/). Priority processes forms weekly and mails a check at $0.67 a mile, up from $0.66 in its July 2024 manual. Its current form sets these conditions:

- The ride took place in the past 365 days and normally costs money.
- The member went to the nearest facility, unless a farther one was approved first.
- The vehicle had valid insurance and the driver held a valid license.
- No other payment and no other member's claim covers the same ride.
- A payee other than the member has no controlled substance felony on or after August 21, 1996.

Distance is figured from the member's address on file with MDHHS to the destination. Members send forms through the member portal, to reimbursement@priorityhealth.com, by fax to 616-464-8905, or by mail to the Priority Health Transportation Coordinator in Grand Rapids.

**Bus.** A member who can use public transit asks SafeRide for bus tickets. With 4 or more appointments in a month, the member qualifies for a monthly pass where one is offered.

**Long trips.** Priority's September 2024 notice says that when a member travels over 50 miles to an appointment, the member's health care provider still gets meals and lodging approved through Priority's provider line, 616-575-5770, as before SafeRide.

## When a Priority ride goes wrong

Priority's entry on the MDHHS ride list says complaints are turned around within 24 hours. If a member misses an appointment because the transportation company did not show up, the member, a caregiver, or a Maternal Infant Health Program worker calls Customer Service at 888-975-8102 to reschedule. See [broker rider complaints](https://nemtguide.com/guides/broker-rider-complaints/).

## Who to call

| For | Contact |
|---|---|
| Booking, changing, or canceling a Priority ride | SafeRide, 833-944-0535, 24 hours a day |
| Priority transportation questions | Customer Service, 888-975-8102 (TTY 711), option 1, then option 2 |
| Meals and lodging on trips over 50 miles | Priority's provider line, 616-575-5770 |
| Mileage reimbursement forms | reimbursement@priorityhealth.com, or fax 616-464-8905 |
| Joining SafeRide's network | team@saferidehealth.com or 855-955-7433 |

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the Priority Health Medicaid transportation phone number?

Members book, change, or cancel rides with SafeRide Health at 833-944-0535, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For questions, Priority Health Customer Service is 888-975-8102 (TTY 711): choose option 1, enter the member ID, then choose option 2 for transportation. Health care providers call 616-575-5770 to approve meals and lodging for trips over 50 miles.

### Does Priority Health use SafeRide for Medicaid rides?

Yes. Priority Health told providers that starting September 8, 2024, all transportation for its Medicaid members, NEMT included, is scheduled through SafeRide Health. Until then, Priority Health coordinated the rides itself. SafeRide's own page says it began supporting Priority's Medicaid members on December 1, 2023, and it handled their mileage claims for rides through October 9, 2024.

### How much does Priority Health pay for mileage reimbursement?

Priority Health's provider manual, updated February 21, 2026, says forms are processed weekly and members get a check at $0.67 a mile. Its mileage form adds that the ride must be in the past 365 days, to the nearest facility unless a farther one was approved, in an insured vehicle with a licensed driver, and not paid any other way. Members send the form through the member portal, by email, by fax, or by mail.

### How far in advance do Priority Health Medicaid members schedule rides?

At least three business days before the appointment, and no more than two weeks ahead. Members in the Maternal Infant Health Program can book 30 days ahead for frequent or recurring appointments, such as a high-risk pregnancy. For urgent care, Priority says it makes every attempt to arrange a same-day pickup, or one within 24 hours, when vendors are available.

### How do I become a transportation provider for Priority Health Medicaid?

Join SafeRide Health's network, since SafeRide books every Priority Medicaid ride. Register your vehicles with LARA or MDOT first, then apply on SafeRide's NEMT provider page, choose Michigan and the Priority counties you serve, and pass credentialing. Wheelchair capacity is your strongest offer, because Priority's notice says SafeRide coordinates rideshare rides and dispatches NEMT providers for special assistance, such as wheelchair service.

### Which counties does Priority Health Medicaid cover?

Since October 1, 2024, Priority Health Choice covers 37 Lower Peninsula counties: the 21 counties of the northern Lower Peninsula, 13 West Michigan counties from Mason and Lake south to Allegan and Barry, and Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb. It no longer covers Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, or Van Buren.

## Official resources

- [SafeRide Health: Join the NEMT network (signup form)](https://www.saferidehealth.com/what-to-expect-nemt-provider)
- [Priority Health: Provider manual, Medicaid transportation services](https://www.priorityhealth.com/provider/manual/services/medical/transportation-medicaid)
- [Priority Health: Medicaid service area map](https://www.priorityhealth.com/about-us/service-area/medicaid-service-area)
- [Priority Health: How members book rides and claim mileage](https://www.priorityhealth.com/michigan-medicaid/member/plan/transportation-services)
- [MDHHS: Every Michigan health plan's ride vendor and booking rules](https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/-/media/Project/Websites/mdhhs/Assistance-Programs/Medicaid-BPHASA/Other-Prov-Specific-Page-Docs/MHP-NEMT-Contact-and-Process.pdf)