# Louisiana Ends Its ARPA Per-Vehicle Payments to NEMT Providers on September 30, 2026

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/news/louisiana-arpa-nemt-payments-end/ · Updated 2026-09-30

Louisiana's extra payment to NEMT companies for each vehicle they keep on the road ends with September 2026. The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) says its ARPA NEMT Program officially terminates effective September 30, 2026, and the final payment to providers will be issued on October 31, 2026. The program paid fully credentialed providers in the health plans' networks $500 a month per vehicle, for up to three vehicles, or at most $1,500 a month.

## What is ending

The money came from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). Under section 9817 of that law, states got a higher federal match for home and community-based services and had to spend state money equal to that extra federal money on improving those services. Louisiana's CMS-approved spending plan for that money set aside $9 million to improve access through NEMT payments.

LDH ran the program through the Healthy Louisiana health plans. CMS approved it as a state directed payment under 42 CFR 438.6(c), a rule that lets a state require its health plans to pay certain providers in a set way. It approved the payment for the plan years starting July 1, 2023, 2024, and 2025. On July 27, 2026, CMS approved one more round, and the approved preprint limits the payment to July 1 through September 30, 2026.

| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who paid it | The provider's assigned Healthy Louisiana health plan, with funds from LDH |
| Who could get it | Traditional NEMT providers, for-profit and nonprofit, in a health plan's network and fully credentialed in Louisiana Medicaid |
| Amount | $500 per credentialed vehicle a month, up to three vehicles, so at most $1,500 a month |
| Condition | At least one Medicaid round trip, two consecutive legs, on each of at least 20 days in the month |
| How it was paid | Monthly invoices to the health plan, paid quarterly |
| Last period covered | July 1 to September 30, 2026 |
| Last payment | October 31, 2026 |
| Total approved for the last period | Up to $2,259,096, an estimated $1,539,348 of it federal |

The approved preprint says the payment is kept outside the plans' regular monthly rates "because it is one-time only funding," so it is not seen as a permanent rate increase. LDH's notice calls September 30, 2026 the official end of the program.

## Last deadlines for July, August, and September 2026

Each month's invoice is due by the 5th of the following month. LDH warns that a late submission may mean losing the payment.

| Service month | Submission due |
|---|---|
| July 2026 | August 5, 2026 |
| August 2026 | September 5, 2026 |
| September 2026 | October 5, 2026 |

Two other LDH rules also applied to the last months. A provider whose broker onboarding finished with fewer than 20 calendar days left in a month could not qualify that month. And LDH builds each plan's payment list from what the plan reports on the 15th of each month, so a provider not active by then may not be paid right away.

## What it means for your cash

For a company that qualified every month, the end of the program removes a fixed amount of revenue.

| Credentialed vehicles meeting the rule | Per month | Per quarter | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $500 | $1,500 | $6,000 |
| 2 | $1,000 | $3,000 | $12,000 |
| 3 or more | $1,500 | $4,500 | $18,000 |

To put $1,500 in trip terms, take a 10-mile wheelchair leg paid at the state minimum: the $21.50 A0130 base plus 10 miles at $1.30 is $34.50. Replacing $1,500 a month takes about 44 of those legs, as an example.

LDH says the end of the program does not change any other Medicaid transportation requirement, service, or contract obligation. The state fee schedule in effect since October 1, 2025 is still the floor under your broker rates:

| Code | Service | Base per leg | Per mile from mile zero |
|---|---|---|---|
| T2003 | Ambulatory trip | $13.50 | $1.10 |
| A0130 | Wheelchair van | $21.50 | $1.30 |
| A0130 | Wheelchair van, higher level of care (ELOC) | $31.50 | $1.30 |

The health plans' broker may pay more than these rates but not less. In the 2026 session, the Legislature passed Act 969 (House Bill 1028), which tells LDH to set a minimum of $14.50 a trip and $2.10 a mile. Its rate sections take effect only when a law funding them takes effect. As of September 30, 2026, the posted schedule is still the one effective October 1, 2025.

## What Louisiana NEMT providers should do now

1. **Send the last three months on time.** Submit September 2026 to your assigned plan by October 5, 2026, and confirm July and August went in.
2. **Check the October 31 payment.** Match it to what you invoiced for July through September, and raise any gap with your assigned plan or MediTrans.
3. **Budget without it from October.** Take the bonus out of your cash plan for the fourth quarter of 2026. The [cash reserve calculator](https://nemtguide.com/tools/nemt-cash-reserve-calculator/) and our [NEMT cash flow guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-cash-flow/) can help.
4. **Talk rates with the broker.** Rates are negotiated with each provider, and the state schedule is only the minimum. See [NEMT reimbursement rates](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-reimbursement-rates/).
5. **Keep every credential current.** LDH says the other transportation rules and your contract duties stay as they are.

For how the plans' network works, see our [MediTrans provider guide](https://nemtguide.com/brokers/meditrans/) and the [Louisiana state guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/louisiana/). For CMS's 2026 proposal on payments that states steer to some providers, see [CMS targeted supplemental payments and NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/news/cms-nemt-supplemental-payment-limit/).

## Who to contact

LDH lists these contacts as of September 30, 2026.

| Plan or office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Aetna Better Health, AmeriHealth Caritas, Healthy Blue, and Humana Healthy Horizons ARPA questions | arpa@meditrans.com |
| Louisiana Healthcare Connections ARPA questions | LHCC_NEMTARPA@louisianahealthconnect.com |
| MediTrans provider network | providers@meditrans.com or 1-844-349-4326 |
| LDH Medicaid Transportation, if the plan or broker cannot help | MedicaidTransportation@la.gov, (225) 342-9566 or (225) 333-7473 |