# Wellpoint Medicaid Transportation in Texas: MTM Health Lines, Extra Rides, and How to Get Trips

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

Wellpoint Medicaid transportation in Texas runs through MTM Health, which took over from its Access2Care brand on May 14, 2026. Members book free rides on their program's line: STAR 833-721-8184, STAR+PLUS 844-867-2837, or STAR Kids 844-864-2443, at least two business days ahead, or five for trips out of town or out of their service area. Companies get these trips by enrolling with TMHP and joining MTM.

- Every Wellpoint Medicaid ride in Texas goes through MTM Health, so MTM's network is the only way to get these trips.
- Wellpoint has three ride lines, one each for STAR, STAR+PLUS, and STAR Kids, the same numbers its 2021 ride flyer lists.
- Handbooks that still say Access2Care point to the same numbers MTM answers now.
- Nursing home residents in Wellpoint STAR+PLUS ride with MTM for dialysis, while the facility covers their other rides.
- Since September 1, 2026, Wellpoint and Superior split STAR in Lubbock and the three rural service areas, so rural companies need MTM and SafeRide.

## Wellpoint (Texas Medicaid) rides at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Ride vendor | MTM Health. Access2Care arranged the plan's rides from June 1, 2021 and moved to the MTM name on May 14, 2026, with the same phone lines and transportation companies. |
| Ride lines | STAR 833-721-8184, STAR+PLUS 844-867-2837, STAR Kids 844-864-2443 (TTY 711). Wellpoint lists Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time. |
| Where's My Ride | The same line, 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time Monday through Saturday, or any time a member is waiting for a scheduled ride |
| Booking notice | Two business days. Five business days for a trip out of town or out of the member's service area. |
| Nursing home residents | STAR+PLUS nursing facility residents get routine rides from the facility. Their dialysis rides are booked on the STAR+PLUS line. |
| Extra rides | Up to 12 round trips a year to WIC, Member Advisory Group meetings, community behavioral health sites, and food pantries, on HHSC's September 1, 2026 STAR charts |
| Where members are | STAR in 9 service areas, STAR Kids in 5, and STAR+PLUS in 4, as of September 2026. None in Hidalgo or Travis. |
| Size | About 489,000 Medicaid members in HHSC's preliminary count for May 2026, second only to Superior and the most of any plan that uses MTM |
| Former name | Amerigroup, until January 2024. Some of the plan's posted materials still show Amerigroup or Access2Care. |
| How to get the trips | Enroll in Texas Medicaid through TMHP, then apply to MTM Health with a valid NPI |

Wellpoint is the Texas Medicaid plan that members knew as Amerigroup until January 2024, run by Wellpoint Texas, Inc. and Wellpoint Insurance Company for Elevance Health. It had about 489,000 Medicaid members in HHSC's preliminary count for May 2026, the second most of any Texas plan, and all of its Medicaid rides go through MTM Health. The [Texas guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/texas/) explains how plans and ride vendors split the state, and [MTM Health in Texas](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/mtm-health/texas/) covers MTM's other Texas plans and its trip rules.

## Where Wellpoint's riders live

Wellpoint's ride benefit covers STAR, STAR+PLUS, and STAR Kids members with no other way to reach a Medicaid service. The state's September 2026 map and HHSC's May 2026 enrollment file show where they are:

| Service area | Wellpoint programs, September 2026 | Wellpoint Medicaid members, May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas | STAR, STAR Kids | About 190,000 |
| Tarrant | STAR | About 88,000 |
| MRSA Northeast | STAR | About 57,000 |
| Harris | STAR, STAR Kids | About 56,000 |
| MRSA West | STAR, STAR+PLUS, STAR Kids | About 39,000 |
| Jefferson | STAR, STAR+PLUS | About 16,000 |
| Lubbock | STAR, STAR+PLUS, STAR Kids | About 14,000 |
| MRSA Central | STAR | About 14,000 |
| Bexar | STAR | About 8,000 |
| Nueces | STAR+PLUS | About 6,000 |
| El Paso | STAR Kids | About 1,000 |

Wellpoint has no Medicaid members in the Hidalgo or Travis areas. Almost nine in ten of its members are in STAR: about 435,000, against about 33,000 in STAR+PLUS and 21,000 in STAR Kids. The Dallas service area alone holds close to four in ten, so Collin, Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro, and Rockwall counties have more Wellpoint members than any other area.

### Rural STAR is a two-plan market now

Two plans left STAR on August 31, 2026. FirstCare had about 77,000 STAR members in Lubbock and MRSA West in May 2026, and RightCare Scott and White had about 44,000 in MRSA Central. HHSC gave those members until July 14, 2026 to pick a new plan. On the September 2026 map, Wellpoint and Superior HealthPlan are the only STAR plans left in Lubbock, MRSA Central, MRSA Northeast, and MRSA West, so the May counts above do not include the members who moved from those two plans.

Superior books its rides through SafeRide Health, not MTM. In counties such as Midland, Taylor, Tom Green, McLennan, Bell, Smith, or Gregg, an MTM contract reaches Wellpoint's STAR riders and a SafeRide contract reaches Superior's. See [Superior HealthPlan's ride benefit](https://nemtguide.com/health-plans/superior-healthplan-texas/), [rural NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/rural-nemt/), and [working with several brokers](https://nemtguide.com/guides/multiple-nemt-brokers/).

## How Wellpoint members book rides

| Rule | Wellpoint in Texas |
|---|---|
| STAR line | 833-721-8184 (TTY 711) |
| STAR+PLUS line | 844-867-2837 (TTY 711) |
| STAR Kids line | 844-864-2443 (TTY 711) |
| Hours | Wellpoint lists Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time, except state holidays. MTM's Texas page says it schedules routine and urgent trips 24 hours a day. |
| Where's My Ride | The "Where's My Ride?" option on the same line, 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time Monday through Saturday, or any time a member is waiting |
| Online | The MTM Link Member app or member portal |
| Notice | At least two business days |
| Trips out of town or out of the service area | At least five business days |
| Less notice allowed | Hospital discharges, pharmacy pickups of medicine or approved supplies, and urgent conditions needing treatment within 24 hours |

Wellpoint's longer notice turns on leaving the member's town or managed care service area, not on miles. HHSC's charts put Midland and Ector counties in MRSA West and Lubbock and Potter counties in the Lubbock service area, so a Midland member riding to a Lubbock specialist is leaving their service area and needs five business days of [advance notice](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/advance-notice/). Ask regular riders about out-of-area visits early, and see [long distance medical transport](https://nemtguide.com/guides/long-distance-medical-transport/) for what those runs cost you.

### Why older papers still say Access2Care

Access2Care, which MTM owns, arranged Wellpoint's rides until May 14, 2026. Wellpoint's handbook update says that on that date Access2Care began moving to the MTM Health name and the plan began using MTM's scheduling and mileage reimbursement systems. Members kept their phone numbers, MTM kept the same transportation companies, and trips already booked carried over. Wellpoint's notice says the Access2Care app stopped working on May 15, 2026, and members moved to MTM Link.

Several Wellpoint documents still carry the old name: the STAR member handbook (September 2022 edition), the STAR+PLUS nursing facility handbook (September 2024), and the Texas provider manual (September 2024). The lines they print are the ones MTM answers now, and the plan's 2021 ride flyer from its Amerigroup days lists the same three numbers. When a clinic says it books Wellpoint rides "with Access2Care," it is reaching MTM. If you drove Access2Care trips for Wellpoint, the [broker transition checklist](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-broker-transition/) covers what to confirm in your agreement.

### Nursing home residents and dialysis

Wellpoint runs STAR+PLUS in the Jefferson, Lubbock, MRSA West, and Nueces areas, so its nursing facility members live there. Their handbook makes the nursing facility responsible for routine nonemergency rides, with one exception: dialysis. The resident or the facility books dialysis rides on the STAR+PLUS line, 844-867-2837, at least two business days ahead, and those trips go to MTM's network. A doctor asks Wellpoint to authorize a nonemergency ambulance by fax at 844-206-3445 or by phone at 866-696-0710.

For a wheelchair company near a nursing home in Beaumont, Lubbock, Corpus Christi, or Midland, that means two kinds of work: standing dialysis runs through MTM for Wellpoint residents, and the residents' other appointments, which the facility is responsible for. See [dialysis transportation](https://nemtguide.com/guides/dialysis-transportation/) and [facility contracts](https://nemtguide.com/guides/how-to-get-nemt-facility-contracts/).

## Extra rides Wellpoint pays for

Wellpoint adds value-added rides the state does not require. HHSC's comparison charts list them by program:

| Program | Extra rides | HHSC chart |
|---|---|---|
| STAR | Up to 12 round trips a year to WIC offices, Member Advisory Group meetings, community behavioral health sites, and food pantries. Additional family may be approved for rides to doctors if requested within 48 business hours of the appointment date. Rides to pregnancy, birthing, or newborn classes. | Dallas and Bexar charts dated September 1, 2026 |
| STAR Kids | The same 12 round trips, family riders, and pregnancy class rides | Dallas chart dated September 1, 2025 |
| STAR+PLUS | Up to 12 round trips to the same places. Eligible members also pick one: a bus pass, a $100 gas card, a $100 rideshare card, or a $100 card for oil changes. | Lubbock chart dated September 1, 2025 |
| CHIP | Rides to doctor visits for members with chronic illnesses, requested within 48 business hours of the appointment date, the same 12 round trips, and pregnancy class rides | Dallas CHIP chart dated September 1, 2026 |

Wellpoint's September 2022 STAR handbook tells members to book these extra rides on the STAR ride line, 833-721-8184, which MTM answers, and says rides for extra family members must be approved first. Its current transportation page sends questions about them to Member Services at 833-731-2160. Before extra riders board, check that the trip record lists them. The STAR+PLUS cards go to the member to use, not to a ride company.

## How to get Wellpoint trips

Wellpoint sends its Medicaid rides to MTM, and MTM contracts with the ride companies. HHSC's list names MTM as Wellpoint's medical transportation service provider as of September 30, 2026.

1. **Enroll in Texas Medicaid through TMHP.** Chapter 16.4 of the state's Uniform Managed Care Manual bars a plan or its vendor from signing an agreement with a ride company TMHP has not enrolled. Apply in TMHP's PEMS portal, and call the TMHP Contact Center at 800-925-9126 for help.
2. **Apply to MTM with a valid NPI.** MTM's 2025 application voids a Texas applicant without one.
3. **Work through MTM's three phases.** Its Texas page describes application, credentialing, and contracting, each with a designated MTM representative. Insurance is settled during credentialing, and rates are set with each provider. The details are on [MTM Health in Texas](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/mtm-health/texas/).
4. **Name the Wellpoint programs you can serve,** such as STAR Kids in Dallas, Harris, or El Paso, or STAR+PLUS dialysis from nursing homes in the four areas above.

MTM pays nothing for a [no-show](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/no-show/), so confirm each pickup with the member the day before, as MTM's Texas provider page asks. For a sense of the state's own rates when you negotiate, see [Texas's MTP rate update](https://nemtguide.com/news/texas-mtp-rate-update/) and [contracting with Medicaid health plans](https://nemtguide.com/guides/contract-with-medicaid-health-plans/).

## Who to call

| For | Contact |
|---|---|
| STAR ride bookings | 833-721-8184 (TTY 711) |
| STAR+PLUS ride bookings, including nursing home dialysis | 844-867-2837 (TTY 711) |
| STAR Kids ride bookings | 844-864-2443 (TTY 711) |
| Wellpoint Member Services | 833-731-2160, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central. STAR Kids: 844-756-4600. |
| Wellpoint Service Coordination Hotline | 877-405-9872. STAR Kids: 866-696-0710. |
| Wellpoint Provider Services | 833-731-2162 |
| MTM Texas program director | ehowarth@mtm-inc.net |
| MTM portal and driver app help for providers | MTM dispatch line, 888-597-1180 |
| MTM Link help for members | 888-597-1189 |
| Texas Medicaid enrollment | TMHP Contact Center, 800-925-9126 |

## What to do first

1. **Find your service area in the table** and note which Wellpoint programs run there.
2. **Start TMHP enrollment** with your NPI in hand, since both TMHP and MTM need it.
3. **Apply to MTM** and ask your representative where Wellpoint needs more capacity.
4. **Call the nursing homes near you** in the Jefferson, Lubbock, MRSA West, and Nueces areas about Wellpoint residents' dialysis runs.
5. **Update your facility sheets** so staff book on the Wellpoint lines, whatever name is printed next to them.
6. **In rural counties, apply to SafeRide Health too** for Superior's STAR members.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the Wellpoint transportation phone number in Texas?

It depends on the program. STAR members call 833-721-8184, STAR+PLUS members 844-867-2837, and STAR Kids members 844-864-2443 (TTY 711). MTM Health answers all three. Wellpoint lists Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time, and the Where's My Ride option on the same lines runs 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Wellpoint Member Services is 833-731-2160.

### Is Access2Care still Wellpoint's transportation company?

Not by that name. Wellpoint's handbook update says Access2Care began moving to the MTM Health name on May 14, 2026, and the plan began using MTM's scheduling and mileage systems that day. Members kept the same phone numbers, MTM kept the same transportation companies, and booked trips carried over. MTM owns Access2Care, and Wellpoint's notice says the Access2Care app stopped working on May 15, 2026.

### Is Wellpoint the same as Amerigroup in Texas?

Yes. HHSC's enrollment reports note that Amerigroup has operated under the Wellpoint name since January 2024. The plan is run by Wellpoint Texas, Inc. and Wellpoint Insurance Company, both owned by Elevance Health. Its 2021 ride flyer, still posted on Wellpoint's site under the Amerigroup name, lists the same three ride lines members use today.

### How do I become a Wellpoint transportation provider in Texas?

Apply to MTM Health, which books every Wellpoint Medicaid ride. First enroll your company in Texas Medicaid through TMHP, because the state bars a plan's ride vendor from signing an agreement with a company TMHP has not enrolled. MTM's application voids a Texas applicant without a valid NPI. Its Texas page describes application, credentialing, and contracting phases, each with a designated MTM representative.

### Can family members ride along on a Wellpoint trip?

An attendant a member needs rides free on a Medicaid trip. Beyond that, HHSC's STAR charts dated September 1, 2026 say additional family may be approved for rides to doctors if the request comes within 48 business hours of the appointment date. Wellpoint's STAR handbook says rides for extra family members must be approved first, so check the trip record before extra riders board.

### Does Wellpoint Texas cover rides for CHIP members?

CHIP members are not in Wellpoint's Medicaid ride program, which covers STAR, STAR+PLUS, and STAR Kids. CHIP members do get value-added rides: HHSC's September 1, 2026 CHIP chart for the Dallas area lists rides to doctor visits for members with chronic illnesses, rides to pregnancy, birthing, or newborn classes, and up to 12 round trips a year to WIC offices, advisory group meetings, community behavioral health sites, and food pantries.

## Official resources

- [Wellpoint Texas: Transportation for members](https://www.wellpoint.com/tx/medicaid/extras/transportation)
- [Wellpoint Texas: NEMT program update, May 14, 2026 (PDF)](https://www.wellpoint.com/content/dam/digital/wellpoint/documents/medicaid/texas/TX_WLP_CAID_NEMTProgramUpdate_EN.pdf)
- [MTM Health: Texas transportation providers page](https://www.mtm-inc.net/texas/transportation-providers/)
- [MTM Health: Join the transportation provider network](https://www.mtm-inc.net/driverswanted/)
- [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)
- [TMHP: Enroll in Texas Medicaid through PEMS](https://www.tmhp.com/programs/mtp)