Michigan Seeks a Medicaid NEMT Broker That Could Cover the Whole State, Proposals Due November 6, 2026

On August 27, 2026, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) posted RFP 260000002254, “NEMT Broker for Medicaid FFS Beneficiaries,” on the state’s SIGMA VSS bid site. It seeks one company to arrange fee-for-service (FFS) Medicaid rides. Today a broker does that only in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. This bid asks every bidder to price those three counties and, separately, the whole state. Amendment 1, posted September 30, 2026, moved the proposal deadline from October 30 to November 6, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

What the bid covers

The broker would get a monthly capitated rate for each eligible FFS member in its area, covering both rides and administration. Each proposal must price two regions:

1. Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties only.
2. The whole state, both peninsulas, including those three counties.

The state will choose based on how bidders score, and award of a contract “does not guarantee the provision of services statewide.”

The bid covers FFS members only. Health plan members, PACE enrollees, some dual eligible plan members, and nursing home residents are left out, so your health plan broker trips are not part of it.

The statement of work says the winner must be ready to run the three counties by August 1, 2027, and the whole state no later than October 1, 2027. The SIGMA listing shows a service period of August 1, 2027, through July 31, 2030.

How FFS rides work today

In Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb, Modivcare arranges FFS rides as the state’s contracted broker. The state’s posted copy of its contract, MA190000000912, was last changed in February 2025 and runs through July 31, 2026, after the last option year was used. It prices that year, August 2025 through July 2026, at $6.24 per eligible member per month for an estimated 187,551 members. The Medicaid Provider Manual dated October 1, 2026 still lists Modivcare for those counties at 866-569-1902.

Everywhere else, local MDHHS offices authorize FFS rides. You send an MSA-4674 Medical Transportation Statement to the authorizing office within 12 months of the trip, and you must be enrolled in CHAMPS on the date of service. The state rate schedule effective July 1, 2026 pays commercial and nonprofit providers $0.76 a mile. Wheelchair lift and Medi-Van vehicles get $35 a round trip plus $0.76 a mile. You get that amount or your usual charge to the public, whichever is less.

What a broker would change for you

These rules come from the bid’s statement of work, which lists the contract’s anticipated requirements, so they can still change.

• Rates. The broker sets and negotiates each provider’s rate, so your pay comes from your agreement with the broker, not the state schedule.
• Payment. The broker works with you to submit claims within 30 days of the trip. It must pay 95 percent of approved claims within 45 days of receiving them and 99 percent within 90 days.
• Enrollment. The broker checks that your company and every driver are enrolled in CHAMPS on each date of service.
• Vehicles. Each vehicle is inspected before its first trip and at least twice a year, and shows a pass notice good for six months.
• Proof of trips. At least 90 percent of pickups must fall within 15 minutes before or after the scheduled time. The state ties its payment to the broker to trips backed by verified pickup and drop-off events, GPS-validated locations, and the driver’s CHAMPS ID. A trip without that proof can be ruled invalid and its payment taken back.
• Service levels. Ambulances and stretcher vans are not covered.

What to do now

1. Keep billing as you do today. The new contract’s service period starts August 1, 2027. Until then, local MDHHS offices, or Modivcare in the three counties, arrange FFS rides.
2. Get your file ready. Keep CHAMPS enrollment current for your company and each driver, along with insurance, inspections, and driver records. See our credentialing guide.
3. Know your costs per mile. A broker sets its own rates, so know what you need before you negotiate.
4. Watch SIGMA VSS. Answers to bidder questions are expected October 6, 2026. The award recommendation will post there after proposals close on November 6.
5. Watch for the state audit. The Auditor General’s NEMT audit, 391-0715-20F, has an estimated release of October 2026. Michigan spent $160.5 million on Medicaid NEMT from October 1, 2024, through March 31, 2026.

See our Michigan guide, Modivcare in Michigan, how broker contracts are awarded, and the broker transition checklist.