# Wicomico County Medical Assistance Transportation: The Five Ride Vendors and How Trips Are Assigned

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/states/maryland/wicomico-county/ · Updated 2026-10-06

In Wicomico County, Maryland, the Health Department in Salisbury screens Medicaid riders at 667-977-1050 and assigns each approved ride to one of five companies: Waters Car Service, Sure Medical Transportation, AM Vans, Lifestar Response, and Taxi Taxi. Riders book by noon two business days ahead and confirm with their assigned company by noon the day before. Rides are shared.

- The Health Department screens every rider and hands each approved ride to one of five named vendors.
- Riders call their assigned vendor, not the county, by noon the business day before to get a pickup time.
- Long trips run on set days: Tuesday and Thursday for the lower and middle Shore, Monday to Thursday mornings across the Bay Bridge.
- Two of the five vendors are Wicomico companies that first show up in state payment records in fiscal 2024 and 2026, so the list does change.
- Get PSC authority first, then call the program at 667-977-1050 to ask how it adds vendors and what it pays.

## Wicomico County NEMT at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Who arranges rides | Wicomico County Health Department, Medical Assistance Transportation, 667-977-1050. Its phone list still gives 410-548-5142, the older program number. |
| Ride vendors | Waters Car Service, Sure Medical Transportation, AM Vans, Lifestar Response, and Taxi Taxi, as listed in October 2026 |
| How trips go out | The Health Department screens each request and assigns the rider to a vendor. It is a shared ride program. |
| Booking deadline | By noon at least two business days before the ride, and up to two weeks ahead |
| Day-before call | Riders call their assigned vendor by noon the business day before for a pickup time. Rural riders who do not call are not picked up. |
| Long-trip days | Somerset and Worcester: Tuesday and Thursday. East of the Bay Bridge: Tuesday and Thursday, appointments 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. West of it: Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon. |
| Trips in FY2019 | 63,947 paid trips at an average program cost of $32.21 a trip, the third lowest of Maryland's 24 programs |
| Requests not authorized | 549 in fiscal 2019, the third most of any Maryland program |
| State payments, FY2026 | Sure Medical Transportation LLC $459,032.18 and Waters Car Service LLC $377,983.01 from MDH (state records, not split by county) |
| Funding | An MDH Medical Assistance transportation grant under state plan amendment 26-0002, effective January 1, 2026 |

## Who arranges rides here

- [Wicomico County Health Department: Medical Assistance Transportation](https://wicomicohealth.org/health-services/other-services/medical-assistance-transportation/): Screens Medicaid riders and assigns each approved ride to a vendor. (667) 977-1050
- [Wicomico County Health Department](https://wicomicohealth.org/contact-us/): Main line. Responses to its requests for interest go to 108 E. Main Street, Salisbury. (410) 749-1244
- [Maryland PSC Transportation Division](https://psc.maryland.gov/regulated-utilities/transportation/): Grants authority to for-hire sedan and van companies and licenses their drivers.
- Somerset County MA Transportation: Runs the separate Medical Assistance ride program for Somerset County residents. (443) 523-1722
- Worcester County MA Transportation: Runs the separate Medical Assistance ride program for Worcester County residents. (410) 632-0092

Wicomico County's Medicaid rides run through the Health Department in Salisbury. Staff screen each request, then hand the rider to one of five ride companies, and from that point the rider deals with that company. For an owner on the Lower Shore, the way in is a place on that vendor list.

## Who arranges Medical Assistance rides in Wicomico County

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) gives a ride grant to one agency per jurisdiction, usually the local health department, and that agency screens riders and contracts for rides under the state plan change CMS approved on May 20, 2026. A statewide dispatch and claims system is planned for about 2030, and the [Maryland guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/maryland/) covers both.

Here the grant goes to the Wicomico County Health Department. Its program serves county residents with active Medicaid who have no other way to reach a medical appointment, and every rider goes through a screening. It is a shared ride program, so riders travel with other people. The program page, updated May 29, 2026, gives 667-977-1050 for questions. The department's general phone list still shows 410-548-5142 for Transportation, the program's number in 2019 and 2023.

Riders must request a ride by noon at least two business days before they need it, and can book up to two weeks ahead. When they call, they give the facility's name, address, and phone number, how long the visit should take, any wheelchair, walker, crutches, or oxygen they use, and whether an adult escort is medically necessary. Standing trips for dialysis, radiation, chemotherapy, physical therapy, and substance use counseling keep running as scheduled. Emergencies go to 911, not the program.

## The five vendors and how trips are assigned

As of October 2026, the program page lists these Wicomico transportation vendors:

- **Waters Car Service:** 443-614-9829
- **Sure Medical Transportation:** 410-430-6894
- **AM Vans:** 410-663-2012
- **Lifestar Response:** 410-546-0809
- **Taxi Taxi:** 410-289-8989

The Health Department picks the vendor for each approved rider. After that, the rider must call the assigned vendor by noon on the business day before the appointment to confirm and get an estimated pickup time. In rural parts of the county, a rider who does not confirm is not picked up. For a vendor, that makes your phone line part of the job: on weekday mornings, riders call you, not the county, for their times.

One more rule shapes the work: a rider is picked up only at the place they were dropped off, and a rider who leaves that facility must find their own way back to the Eastern Shore.

## Where and when long trips run

Wicomico sets fixed days for rides beyond the county:

1. **Somerset and Worcester counties.** Tuesdays and Thursdays only, to places such as Princess Anne and Berlin.
2. **East of the Bay Bridge.** Tuesdays and Thursdays only, for appointments between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., to places such as Easton and Cambridge.
3. **West of the Bay Bridge.** Monday through Thursday, for appointments between 8 a.m. and noon, to places such as Annapolis and Baltimore.

MDH's fiscal 2020 grant guide lets programs hold long-distance trips to certain days, as long as a rider whose provider is only open on another day still gets a ride. For a Salisbury vendor, a morning appointment across the bridge means an early departure.

The program page also lists ride programs it does not run, so each needs its own contact: Somerset County MA Transportation (443-523-1722), Worcester County MA Transportation (410-632-0092), Dorchester County MA Transportation (410-901-2426), Delaware's non-emergency medical transportation line (888-412-3778), and Shore Transit (443-260-2300).

## How the vendor list has changed

The list has changed more than once. In July 2019 the program's page named City Cab and East Coast Ambulance, and the program gave out bus tickets only to riders with three or more documented appointments a week. In February 2023 the page said Eastern Transport was contracted to provide the curb-to-curb service, and its phone list also named East Coast Ambulance and Lifestar Response. By September 2025 the page listed today's five vendors and told riders to call their assigned vendor.

Maryland's state payment records list what MDH paid each company each fiscal year, though not by county. They show the same shift among Salisbury-area companies: Eastern Transport's payments fell to $108,086 in fiscal 2026 as Sure Medical Transportation's and Waters Car Service's grew.

| Company | Fiscal 2024 | Fiscal 2025 | Fiscal 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Transport LLC | $932,086 | $848,342 | $108,086 |
| Sure Medical Transportation LLC | $85,034 | $250,448 | $459,032 |
| Waters Car Service LLC | None | None | $377,983 |

Eastern Transport's payments peaked at $1,092,068 in fiscal 2023, and City Cab, the 2019 name, received $708,515.82 in fiscal 2019. Fiscal 2027 began July 1, 2026, and as of the records' September 8, 2026 update it shows $96,355 paid to Sure Medical and $79,472 to Waters Car Service, and nothing to Eastern Transport. New local companies have joined the list in the last three years, so it is not closed.

## How big the Wicomico program is

Wicomico ran Maryland's sixth largest program by paid trips in fiscal 2019. MDH's October 2019 report to the legislature counted 63,947 paid trips in Wicomico County in fiscal 2019, more than [Baltimore City's](https://nemtguide.com/states/maryland/baltimore-city/) 56,863, at an average program cost of $32.21 a trip. Only Caroline and Dorchester counties ran cheaper trips. Wicomico also logged 549 requests it did not authorize that year, behind only St. Mary's and Prince George's counties.

## How to become a Wicomico County ride vendor

1. **Get state authority first.** Sedan and van companies that carry passengers for pay need Public Service Commission authority, and their drivers need a PSC for-hire license. See [the PSC for-hire driver's license](https://nemtguide.com/guides/maryland-psc-for-hire-driver-license/).
2. **Meet MDH's vendor standards.** MDH's fiscal 2020 grant guide has each health department check its vendors' licenses, insurance, written policies, backup plan for breakdowns, complaint and incident tracking, drug screening, and DMV and criminal background checks with routine rechecks, and report on each vendor to MDH every January 15.
3. **Call the program.** Ask 667-977-1050 how it adds vendors, what it pays per trip and per mile, and whether it needs wheelchair or out-of-county capacity. As of October 6, 2026 the Health Department's website posts no open transportation request. Its current requests, for two grant evaluators due October 9, 2026, go to Room 216 of the Hurdle building at 108 E. Main Street.
4. **Watch eMMA.** eMaryland Marketplace Advantage is where Maryland's state, county, and local agencies post their solicitations. See [government NEMT contracts](https://nemtguide.com/guides/government-nemt-contracts/) for how to find and track public bids.
5. **Ask for the vendor agreements.** Under the Maryland Public Information Act, the Health Department must grant or deny a request within 30 days. Ask for its agreements with the five vendors and their rate pages.
6. **Compare a bid county.** In [Washington County](https://nemtguide.com/states/maryland/washington-county/), the Health Department sends its trips to one contractor picked through a formal bid, so the way in there is a bid deadline, not a vendor list.

## Frequently asked questions

### Who provides Medical Assistance transportation in Wicomico County, Maryland?

The Wicomico County Health Department runs the program and screens every rider, and five companies drive the trips. As of October 2026 its program page lists Waters Car Service, Sure Medical Transportation, AM Vans, Lifestar Response, and Taxi Taxi. The Health Department assigns each approved rider to one of them.

### What is the phone number for Wicomico County medical assistance transportation?

The program page, updated May 29, 2026, gives 667-977-1050 for questions and to check whether you qualify. The Health Department's general phone list still shows 410-548-5142 for Transportation, the number the program used in 2019 and 2023. The main switchboard is 410-749-1244.

### How are Wicomico County Medicaid rides assigned to companies?

A rider calls the Health Department by noon at least two business days before the ride. Staff screen the rider and the trip, then assign a vendor. The rider must call that vendor by noon on the business day before the appointment to confirm and get an estimated pickup time. Riders in rural parts of the county who do not confirm are not picked up.

### How does a company become a Wicomico County ride vendor?

Get Maryland PSC authority for your sedans or vans first, and set up the licenses, insurance, written policies, and driver checks MDH asks each county to monitor. Then call the program at 667-977-1050 and ask how it adds vendors and what it pays. As of October 6, 2026 the Health Department's website posts no open transportation request, so also watch eMMA, the state's procurement site.

### Does Wicomico County Medical Assistance transportation go to Baltimore?

Yes, on a set schedule. Rides west of the Bay Bridge, to places such as Annapolis and Baltimore, run Monday through Thursday for appointments between 8 a.m. and noon. Rides east of the bridge, such as Easton or Cambridge, run Tuesdays and Thursdays for appointments between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. The rider must be picked up where they were dropped off.

### How many Medicaid trips did Wicomico County's program pay for?

MDH's October 2019 report to the legislature counted 63,947 paid trips in Wicomico County in fiscal 2019, more than Baltimore City's 56,863, at an average program cost of $32.21 a trip. That works out to about $2.06 million for the year. The county also logged 549 trip requests it did not authorize.

### Will Maryland's statewide NEMT system replace the Health Department?

Not yet. The Department of Legislative Services' 2026 review of the MDH budget lists a statewide NEMT dispatching and claims system with an estimated completion date of 2030. Until something replaces the grant model, the Wicomico County Health Department keeps screening riders and choosing a vendor for each trip.

## Official resources

- [Wicomico County Health Department: Medical Assistance Transportation](https://wicomicohealth.org/health-services/other-services/medical-assistance-transportation/)
- [Wicomico County Health Department: Contact us](https://wicomicohealth.org/contact-us/)
- [eMaryland Marketplace Advantage: State and local solicitations](https://procurement.maryland.gov/)
- [Maryland PSC: Transportation Division and applications](https://psc.maryland.gov/regulated-utilities/transportation/)
- [MDH: 2019 report on the NEMT grant program, with county trip counts](https://health.maryland.gov/mmcp/SiteAssets/pages/Reports-and-Publications/NEMTJCRfinal10-19.pdf)