# Sentara Medicaid Transportation: Modivcare Rides, the 50-Mile Rule, and 24 Nonmedical Round Trips

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/sentara-community-plan-virginia/ · Updated 2026-09-30

Modivcare arranges every Sentara Community Plan Medicaid ride. Members call 1-877-892-3986 at least five business days before a routine trip, and rides over 50 miles need a doctor's form and Sentara's approval, except to three named hospitals. Members also get 24 nonmedical round trips a year. To carry Sentara riders, a Virginia company needs a DMV NEMT certificate and a Modivcare contract.

- Modivcare arranges every Sentara Community Plan ride, and DMAS's September 15, 2026 bulletin keeps it there when fee-for-service moves to MTM Health on October 1, 2026.
- Sentara rides over 50 miles need a doctor's form and plan approval, except trips to Duke, Children's National, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
- A child 12 or under riding with no adult goes to a company that can supply a trained attendant, so a company with attendants can take trips others cannot.
- Members get 24 nonmedical round trips a year, and caregivers of long-term care members get 24 more of up to 50 miles.
- Sentara reported $50.7 million in nonemergency transportation costs from July 2025 through March 2026, second only to Anthem.

## Sentara Community Plan (Sentara Health Plans) rides at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Who books the ride | Modivcare, at 1-877-892-3986 (TTY 711) or in the Modivcare app. The January 2026 handbook lists the line weekdays 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Urgent trips and Where's My Ride run 24 hours. |
| Members | An average of about 528,000 a month from July 2025 through March 2026, about a third of Cardinal Care health plan members, just behind Anthem HealthKeepers Plus |
| Booking notice | At least 5 business days for routine trips, and up to 30 days ahead. Urgent trips need no advance notice. |
| Distance limit | Over 50 miles or out of state needs a signed medical necessity form and approval by Sentara leadership, except trips to Duke University Hospital, Children's National Hospital, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia |
| Escorts | Up to two with a Sentara Community Plan member, and one with a Sentara Medicare member |
| Minors | Ages 13 to 17 may ride alone with a Minor Consent Form on file. A child 12 or under with no adult rides with a provider that can supply a trained attendant. |
| Nonmedical rides | 24 round trips a year to places like grocery stores, laundromats, and places of worship. Caregivers of long-term care members get 24 round trips of up to 50 miles. |
| Overnight trips | Lodging and up to $50 a day per person for meals when the member lives more than 50 miles from the provider and has a medical necessity form |
| Not covered | FAMIS members get no NEMT. Developmental disability waiver rides go to the fee-for-service line, 1-866-386-8331, run by MTM Health from October 1, 2026. |
| Ride spending | $50.7 million in nonemergency transportation costs from July 2025 through March 2026, second to Anthem among the five plans |

Sentara Community Plan is the Medicaid plan of Sentara Health Plans, which DMAS's ride contact sheet still labels "formerly Optima." In DMAS's fiscal 2026 plan financial results, it averaged about 528,000 members a month from July 2025 through March 2026, almost level with Anthem HealthKeepers Plus. Modivcare runs its ride benefit, and it also books rides for Sentara Medicare and D-SNP members on a separate line.

DMAS's bulletin effective September 15, 2026 keeps Sentara members with Modivcare when fee-for-service rides move to MTM Health on October 1, 2026. Your DMV certificate, bond, and the state driver and vehicle minimums are covered in the [Virginia guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/virginia/), and Modivcare's Virginia offices, regions, and final fee-for-service billing are on [Modivcare in Virginia](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/modivcare/virginia/).

## How Sentara members get a ride

A member calls 1-877-892-3986 (TTY 711) or books in the Modivcare app. Sentara's member handbook, effective January 1, 2026, lists the line weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and its October 2025 provider sheet gives routine reservations weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Urgent reservations and Where's My Ride run 24 hours a day, and urgent trips also run on weekends and on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

The handbook covers rides such as buses, taxis, or wheelchair vans to medical, behavioral health, dental, and long-term care appointments. Sentara's provider manual, updated August 12, 2026, expects members to call at least five days before a covered service. Facilities can book through Modivcare's TripCare portal.

A member rides from home to a hospital only when being admitted, and anyone who needs the emergency room calls 911. Emergency ambulance service is not part of the ride benefit.

### Who else books through Modivcare for Sentara

Sentara Medicare members book at 1-866-381-4860, Modivcare's line for Sentara Medicare and D-SNP riders, with three business days of notice and one escort instead of two. If you want both groups, ask Modivcare whether your agreement covers Sentara Medicare as well as the Medicaid plan. See [dual eligible](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/dual-eligible/).

### Riders Sentara does not send you

- **FAMIS members.** The handbook says FAMIS members are not eligible for non-emergency medical transportation.
- **Developmental disability waiver riders.** Sentara's provider manual lists rides to Building Independence, Community Living, and Family and Individual Supports waiver services as carved out to fee-for-service. The handbook sends them to 1-866-386-8331, the line MTM runs for trips from October 1, 2026. Those members' doctor visits stay with Modivcare, so one rider can have two brokers. See [MTM Health in Virginia](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/mtm-health/virginia/).

## Sentara's own rules for each trip

These rules come from Sentara's handbook and its October 2025 provider sheet:

| Sentara rule | What your company sees |
|---|---|
| Routine trips booked at least 5 business days ahead, and up to 30 days ahead | Routine Sentara trips are booked a week or more before the ride. Urgent trips are verified at booking. |
| Rides allowed up to 50 miles. Longer or out-of-state trips need a signed medical necessity form and approval by Sentara leadership | A long Sentara trip on your manifest was approved, or goes to one of three hospitals |
| Up to two escorts ride with a Community Plan member | One trip can carry three people, so check your seats |
| Minors 13 to 17 may ride alone with a Minor Consent Form on file | Confirm the form before a teen rides alone |
| A child 12 or under with no parent or approved adult rides with a provider that can supply a trained attendant | A company with attendants can take trips others cannot |
| Home to hospital only for an admission | Emergency room trips go to 911, not to you |

### The 50-mile rule and its three exceptions

Sentara's handbook and provider sheet name three hospitals as exceptions: Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Every other trip over 50 miles or out of state waits for the doctor's signed form and Sentara's approval, and the provider sheet says a case manager or care coordinator works with the member on those trips. See [medical necessity form](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/medical-necessity-form/).

When the member lives more than 50 miles from the provider, has the signed form, and needs an overnight stay, Sentara may also cover lodging and up to $50 a day per person for meals, for the member and one attendant. Sentara Health Plans Travel Services books it, receipts are required, and members call Member Services at 1-800-881-2166 to request approval. For planning trips like these, see [long-distance medical transport](https://nemtguide.com/guides/long-distance-medical-transport/).

### Children and trained attendants

Members under 18 ride with a parent, legal guardian, or family-approved adult who has signed a Minor Consent Form, unless the minor is emancipated, which can include a pregnant minor. When no adult can come with a child 12 or under, the form is still required, and Modivcare sends the trip to a provider that can offer an attendant trained for that child's needs. If you employ attendants, tell your Modivcare provider relations contact. See [children in NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/children-in-nemt/) and [escorts and caregivers](https://nemtguide.com/guides/escorts-and-caregivers/).

### Standing orders from treatment centers

The treating facility, not the member, sends a written request for standing order trips, such as behavioral health, adult day care, dialysis, and chemotherapy. It sends the form through TripCare, the method Sentara prefers, or by fax if it cannot use TripCare, at least five days before the first Community Plan ride, and allows 24 hours for Modivcare to confirm receipt. The request should say:

- Whether the member needs hand-to-hand, door-to-door, or curb-to-curb help.
- Whether the member uses a wheelchair, and its type, plus special instructions such as bariatric needs, seizure precautions, or behaviors.
- The number of steps, and the member's height and weight.
- Any language or other communication needs.

Those details decide which vehicle and crew the ride needs, so read them on every standing trip. Modivcare's Virginia facility page says changes go through Modivcare, which then tells the assigned company. See [level of service](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/level-of-service/) and [NEMT standing orders](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-standing-orders/).

## Nonmedical rides, caregiver rides, and mileage

Sentara's benefits page, as of September 2026, gives eligible members 24 round-trip rides a year to places like community events, grocery stores, laundromats, and places of worship. Members book them at 1-877-892-3986, weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sentara's contact page asks for five business days of notice. Anthem's member handbook lists the same yearly count; see [Anthem HealthKeepers Plus transportation](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/anthem-healthkeepers-plus-virginia/).

Sentara adds a benefit for caregivers. A caregiver of a member in long-term services and supports gets 24 round trips a year of up to 50 miles each, to grocery stores, the pharmacy, and the member's home.

Mileage reimbursement is for Medicaid members only. The member asks for it when booking the ride, which can be as late as the same day, and can do both in the Modivcare app. Modivcare pays at the IRS medical mileage rate, and the provider's office signs to confirm the visit. See [mileage reimbursement](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/mileage-reimbursement/).

## How your company gets Sentara trips

Sentara's provider manual says a contracted vendor runs its transportation program, and its handbook names that partner as Modivcare. Sentara does not sign transportation companies itself. DMAS's enrollment sheet, updated July 1, 2025, says each health plan's broker enrolls providers, trains drivers, inspects vehicles, negotiates rates, assigns trips, and pays. To get Sentara work:

1. **Get your DMV authority.** Virginia's non-emergency medical transportation carrier certificate, with its $25,000 bond and NEMT plates, is explained in the [Virginia guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/virginia/).
2. **Send Modivcare's provider form** from its Become a Transportation Provider page. Modivcare checks each driver's PASS wheelchair certificate, First Aid and CPR, defensive driving, drug screen, driving record, and background, and asks for general liability, sexual abuse and molestation, auto, and workers' compensation coverage. See abuse and molestation coverage and the [Modivcare guide](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/modivcare/).
3. **Confirm which programs you cover.** Modivcare's Virginia facility page lists Sentara Health Plans, Humana, and Kaiser Permanente riders, among others. Ask in writing which plans, regions, and levels of service your rates apply to.

Members and facilities may ask for your company by name. Modivcare's facility page says it notes the request but may use another provider that fits the member's needs, so good service with a facility helps but does not guarantee its trips. For how plans hand rides to brokers, see [contracting with Medicaid health plans](https://nemtguide.com/guides/contract-with-medicaid-health-plans/).

### What Sentara spends on rides

Sentara reported $50.7 million in nonemergency transportation costs from July 2025 through March 2026, and $9.2 million more to administer the NEMT benefit, in DMAS's fiscal 2026 plan financial results. Among the five plans, only Anthem, at $84.6 million, reported more.

## Who to call for Sentara rides

| For | Contact |
|---|---|
| Sentara Community Plan rides and Where's My Ride | 1-877-892-3986 (TTY 711) |
| Sentara Medicare and D-SNP rides | 1-866-381-4860 |
| Facility booking portal | tripcare.modivcare.com |
| Sentara Member Services, lodging and meal approvals | 1-800-881-2166 (TTY 711), weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Developmental disability waiver rides | 1-866-386-8331, fee-for-service, run by MTM from October 1, 2026 |
| Joining Modivcare | The Become a Transportation Provider form at modivcare.com |

## What to do first

1. **Send Modivcare's provider form** once your DMV certificate and insurance are in place.
2. **Train attendants** if you can, and tell Modivcare, since children 12 and under riding alone go to companies that have them.
3. **Visit the dialysis, day care, and behavioral health centers** you want to serve, and ask them to note your company when they send Sentara standing orders.
4. **Keep an MTM agreement in view** if your riders include developmental disability waiver members, whose waiver rides go to MTM from October 1, 2026.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the Sentara Medicaid transportation phone number?

Sentara Community Plan members book rides with Modivcare at 1-877-892-3986 (TTY 711), at least five business days before a routine appointment. Sentara's member handbook, effective January 1, 2026, lists the line weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and urgent trips and Where's My Ride run 24 hours. Sentara Medicare and D-SNP members call 1-866-381-4860, and Sentara Member Services is 1-800-881-2166.

### Does Sentara Medicaid cover rides over 50 miles?

Only with approval. Sentara's member handbook, effective January 1, 2026, says trips over 50 miles or out of state need a signed medical necessity form from the member's doctor and approval by Sentara Health Plans leadership. Trips to Duke University Hospital, Children's National Hospital, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia are the exceptions. A member who needs an overnight stay may also get lodging and meals.

### How many non-medical rides does Sentara Community Plan cover?

Eligible members get 24 round-trip nonmedical rides a year, to places like community events, grocery stores, laundromats, and places of worship. Sentara's benefits page, as of September 2026, books them at 1-877-892-3986 weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Caregivers of members in long-term services and supports get their own 24 round trips a year, up to 50 miles each.

### Does Sentara Medicaid pay mileage reimbursement?

Yes, for Medicaid members. Sentara's October 2025 provider sheet says a member asks for mileage reimbursement when booking the ride, which can be done up to the same day, and the Modivcare app handles both. Modivcare pays at the IRS medical mileage rate, and the provider's office must sign to confirm the visit. Sentara Medicare members do not get this benefit.

### Is Sentara Medicaid transportation a cab service?

Not exactly. Modivcare decides the mode for each ride, and Sentara's handbook lists buses, taxis, and wheelchair vans. Members and facilities can ask for a particular transportation company, but Modivcare's Virginia facility page says it notes the request and may assign a different company that fits the member's needs. All rides must be booked and confirmed through Modivcare first.

### How do I become a Sentara Medicaid transportation provider?

Get your Virginia DMV non-emergency medical transportation carrier certificate, then send the Become a Transportation Provider form on Modivcare's website. Modivcare checks each driver's PASS wheelchair, First Aid and CPR, and defensive driving training, drug screen, driving record, and background, and asks for general liability, sexual abuse and molestation, auto, and workers' compensation coverage.

## Official resources

- [Sentara Health Plans: Nonemergency Transportation Benefit provider sheet](https://www.sentara.com/en/health-plans/documents/general-documents/provider-orientation/faqs-non-emgergency-transport-pdf)
- [Sentara Community Plan: Member Handbook (January 1, 2026)](https://shc-p-001.sitecorecontenthub.cloud/api/public/content/60b7d8cacf0a44c893bbc909a479d94c?v=3465460f)
- [Modivcare: Become a Transportation Provider](https://www.modivcare.com/transportation-providers-contact-us/)
- [Modivcare: Virginia facility resources and forms](https://www.modivcare.com/facilities/va/)
- [Modivcare: TripCare facility portal](https://tripcare.modivcare.com/login)
- [Sentara Health Plans: Medicaid benefits, programs, and services](https://www.sentara.com/en/health-plans/members/medicaid/medicaid-benefits-programs-and-services)