# Sampson County Medicaid Transportation: The Transit Contract and the Early, Late, and Weekend Trips Bid Out

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/states/north-carolina/sampson-county/ · Updated 2026-10-06

Sampson County DSS arranges NC Medicaid Direct rides at 910-592-7131 and buys them from two carriers. The county transit system was paid $40 to $165 a one-way trip from July 2025 to June 2026. A 2025 bid, RFP 007-25, gave weekday out-of-county trips before 9 a.m. or after 2 p.m., plus evenings, weekends, holidays, and same-day rides, to Crossway Transportation through October 31, 2026.

- DSS splits NC Medicaid Direct rides between the county transit system and one outside contractor picked by bid.
- The outside contract covers early and late out-of-county appointments, evenings, weekends, holidays, and same-day rides.
- Crossway Transportation of Dunn holds it at up to $2.91 a mile ambulatory and $3.40 wheelchair, through October 31, 2026.
- The transit contract moved from mileage to flat rates of $40, $150, and $165 a trip in July 2025.
- The signed contract asks for $1.5 million in liability coverage on vans, far above the limits in the bid's sample contract.

## Sampson County NEMT at a glance

| Fact | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Who arranges rides | Sampson County DSS, 360 County Complex Rd., Clinton, 910-592-7131, for NC Medicaid Direct and EBCI Tribal Option members |
| County carrier | Sampson County Public Transportation, the county transit system, under a yearly DSS contract capped at $962,800 for July 2025 to June 2026 |
| Transit rates (FY2026) | $40 a one-way trip in the county, $150 out of the county, and $165 off the out-of-county schedule |
| Work bid out in 2025 | Weekday out-of-county appointments before 9:00 a.m. or after 2:00 p.m., plus evenings, weekends, holidays, and same-day trips (RFP 007-25) |
| Contractor | Crossway Transportation Inc. of Dunn, approved by the county commissioners on November 3, 2025 |
| Contractor rates | Up to $2.91 a mile for ambulatory riders and $3.40 a mile for wheelchair riders |
| Contract term | November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026. The bid allowed two one-year extensions by mutual written notice. |
| Performance limits | No more than 0.25% of trips missed in a year and no more than 5% arriving late in any month |
| Liability insurance | $1.5 million on vehicles seating 15 or fewer and $5 million on vehicles for 16 or more, in the signed contract |
| Bid scoring | Cost 30%, fleet capacity 25%, compliance and safety 20%, staffing 15%, records and communication 10% |

## Who arranges rides here

- [Sampson County Department of Social Services](https://www.sampsoncountync.gov/Government/Departments-A-Z/Social-Services): Arranges NC Medicaid Direct rides and holds the county's ride contracts. (910) 592-7131
- [Sampson County Finance Department, Purchasing](https://www.sampsoncountync.gov/Business/Bids-and-RFPs): Issues county bids, including the 2025 Medicaid ride request for proposals. (910) 592-7181
- [Sampson County Public Transportation](https://www.sampsoncountync.gov/Government/Departments-A-Z/Public-Transportation): County transit system that drives DSS Medicaid trips under a yearly contract. (910) 299-0127

Sampson County splits its NC Medicaid Direct rides between two carriers. The county's own transit system, Sampson County Public Transportation, drives trips under a yearly contract with the Department of Social Services (DSS). In 2025 DSS bid out a separate slice: weekday appointments outside the county set before 9:00 a.m. or after 2:00 p.m., plus evenings, weekends, holidays, and same-day rides. That contract went to Crossway Transportation of Dunn, and its term ends October 31, 2026.

Since July 1, 2021, North Carolina's county DSS offices have arranged rides only for NC Medicaid Direct and EBCI Tribal Option members, while health plan members book through their plans. The state manual MA-2910 (revised March 16, 2026) makes every DSS contract vendor enroll in NCTracks, pay for a random drug and alcohol testing program that meets federal transit rules, and pass a yearly county review, and the [North Carolina guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/north-carolina/) covers the rest of the statewide rules.

## Who drives Medicaid rides in Sampson County

DSS sits at 360 County Complex Road, Building E, in Clinton, and its main line is 910-592-7131, weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It sends trips to its carriers electronically by 4:00 p.m. each workday, three days in advance, and five days in advance for trips outside the county. Urgent same-day trips that a medical provider requests come by phone first, followed by the written referral.

Sampson County Public Transportation, called Sampson Area Transportation until the change took effect after the commissioners' March 4, 2024 meeting, has held the DSS contract every year from July 2023 through June 2026. It runs out-of-county medical trips on a set schedule of days, and both sides agree to go off that schedule when a doctor sees patients only one day a week or a provider asks for an urgent trip. As of October 2026, the system runs weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is closed on weekends and holidays.

DSS moved the transit contract from mileage to flat trip rates in July 2025, kept the same $962,800 yearly cap, and pays its new outside contractor by the mile:

| Contract | Term | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Sampson Area Transportation | July 2023 to June 2025 | $3.10 a mile on the out-of-county schedule, $3.68 a mile on Sundays, holidays, and off schedule |
| Sampson County Public Transportation | July 2025 to June 2026 | $40 a one-way trip in the county, $150 out of the county, $165 off schedule |
| Crossway Transportation | November 2025 to October 2026 | Up to $2.91 a mile ambulatory and $3.40 a mile wheelchair |

The 2023 and 2024 transit contracts estimated 180,000 reimbursable miles a year at the schedule rate and 110,000 at the higher rate. Every one of these contracts names the same service area: Sampson County, plus Chapel Hill, Dunn, Durham, Fayetteville, Goldsboro, Raleigh, Wilmington, and other places in North Carolina. The [rural NEMT guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/rural-nemt/) covers pricing runs that long.

## The trips the county bid out in 2025

The Finance Department issued RFP 007-25 for DSS on August 27, 2025, took written questions until noon on September 16, and closed proposals at 2:00 p.m. on September 25, 2025. Proposals could be emailed, mailed, or delivered, there was no public bid opening, and three addenda followed. The contractor covers:

1. **Weekday trips out of the county** for appointments before 9:00 a.m. or after 2:00 p.m.
2. **After-hours, weekend, holiday, and same-day trips** for any Medicaid-covered service.
3. **Other DSS trips**, such as Disability Determination appointments that Medicaid does not approve, invoiced separately and paid by the county.

Each trip runs from a pickup in Sampson County to the nearest appropriate medical provider and back. Your fleet must carry ambulatory, lift, and wheelchair riders, and you must be enrolled in NCTracks before the first trip. Phones must be covered from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, with a protocol for after-hours, weekend, and holiday referrals, and you complete the documentation and staff training that DSS and the state manuals MA-2910 and MA-3550 require. See [after-hours NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/after-hours-nemt/) and [same-day NEMT trips](https://nemtguide.com/guides/same-day-nemt-trips/).

The bid also wrote two limits into the work:

- **Missed trips.** No more than 0.25% of trips in a year, about 1 in 400. See [missed trip](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/missed-trip/).
- **Late arrivals.** No more than 5% of trips arriving late to appointments in any month.

### How proposals were scored

DSS weighed cost at 30%, fleet capacity and availability at 25%, compliance and safety at 20%, staffing and organization at 15%, and records, reporting, and communication at 10%. The cost score also looked at how clearly you priced the non-Medicaid trips. A proposal described your fleet and its accessibility, your safety policies, your staffing plan, your fees, and your insurance and NCTracks status. It also carried two notarized forms: an E-Verify affidavit, which asks whether you employ 25 or more people in North Carolina, and a non-collusion affidavit.

### Who won

On November 3, 2025, the commissioners approved, on their consent agenda, a DSS contract with Crossway Transportation Inc. of Dunn. The contract, signed by the company on October 23, 2025, runs from November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026 and pays up to $2.91 a mile for ambulatory riders and $3.40 a mile for wheelchair riders, with Disability Determination trips at the maximum allowed rate. The bid's sample contract allowed two one-year extensions by mutual written notice.

The contract began inside the October 1 to December 16, 2025 window when NC Medicaid paid NEMT claims 3% lower before reversing the cut. If you drove county trips in that window, the [story on the reversal](https://nemtguide.com/news/north-carolina-nemt-rates-restored/) explains how those claims were corrected.

## What the contract asks of you

### Insurance: price to the signed contract

The bid's sample contract listed bodily injury liability of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate plus $100,000 in property damage, and auto liability of $100,000/$300,000/$50,000 or a $300,000 combined single limit, from insurers authorized by the NC Commissioner of Insurance. The contract DSS signed sets a higher bar for the vans. Its scope of work requires $1.5 million in liability coverage on vehicles seating 15 or fewer and $5 million on commercial vehicles for 16 or more, with the DSS director named as additional insured for the larger vehicles. Its general terms add workers' compensation with $500,000 in employer's liability, $1 million in commercial general liability, and auto coverage with at least a $500,000 combined single limit, $500,000 in uninsured motorist coverage, and $2,000 in medical payments. MA-2910 gives the same $1.5 million figure for for-hire vehicles and leaves taxi limits to local ordinance. Quote the signed contract's limits, and see [NEMT insurance requirements](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-insurance-requirements/).

### Drivers and vehicles

- **Drivers.** At least 18, with a North Carolina license for the vehicle they drive. Criminal background checks before hire and every three years after, and driving records reviewed every 12 months, with no more than two chargeable accidents or moving violations in three years and no suspension or revocation in five.
- **Identification.** A North Carolina driver's license and a reflective vest on every driver.
- **Testing.** A random drug and alcohol testing program meeting federal transit requirements, paid by you. See [NEMT driver drug testing](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-driver-drug-testing/).
- **Vehicles.** Current state registration and inspection, working heat and air conditioning, a phone or radio, and decals that identify your company. The fleet should be equipped for wheelchairs and motorized scooters, and DSS hears from you within 15 days whenever a vehicle joins or leaves it.

### Pickups, reports, and pay

- **Dialysis and oncology.** Pick up local dialysis and oncology riders within 60 minutes after they say they are ready.
- **Stops.** Only those on the referral, though a restroom stop or an urgent health need is allowed.
- **Reports.** No-shows go to DSS daily and cancellations monthly, and DSS pays nothing for no-shows or driver wait time.
- **Billing.** Invoice DSS by the 10th of the following month with the county's billing codes. Payment is made through NCTracks.
- **Meetings.** Meet with DSS every quarter.

## What to do first

1. **Call DSS at 910-592-7131 before October 31, 2026.** Ask whether the Crossway contract is being extended or rebid, and whether DSS has a transit contract in place for the year that began July 1, 2026.
2. **Enroll in NCTracks now.** The bid accepted a plan to enroll, but no trip happens until the enrollment is done.
3. **Call Purchasing at 910-592-7181, extension 2241,** and ask how to get on the distribution list for the next ride bid and its addenda. The county asks for a public records request to see past bids.
4. **Price both pay models.** Work out what you need per mile, like Crossway's contract, and per trip, like the county transit contract, using the [mileage billing guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-mileage-billing/).
5. **Quote insurance at $1.5 million** on vans seating 15 or fewer, and set up random drug and alcohol testing that meets federal transit rules.

Coastal [New Hanover County](https://nemtguide.com/states/north-carolina/new-hanover-county/) takes a different approach, spreading its DSS trips across a panel of vendors from a 2024 bid. The [government NEMT contracts guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/government-nemt-contracts/) explains how county bids like these are built.

## Frequently asked questions

### Who provides Medicaid transportation in Sampson County, NC?

Sampson County DSS arranges rides for NC Medicaid Direct and EBCI Tribal Option members at 910-592-7131. Two carriers drive them: the county's own Sampson County Public Transportation, under a yearly DSS contract, and Crossway Transportation of Dunn, which won the 2025 bid for early and late out-of-county trips, evenings, weekends, holidays, and same-day rides. Members of a Medicaid health plan book through their plan instead.

### Who won Sampson County's 2025 Medicaid transportation bid?

Crossway Transportation Inc. of Dunn. The county commissioners approved the DSS contract on November 3, 2025. It runs from November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026 and pays up to $2.91 a mile for ambulatory riders and $3.40 a mile for wheelchair riders. The bid allowed two one-year extensions by mutual written notice, so ask DSS whether it is extending or rebidding.

### What does Sampson County pay for Medicaid trips?

It depends on the contract. From July 2025 through June 2026, the county transit system was paid $40 per one-way trip in the county, $150 out of the county, and $165 off its out-of-county schedule, up to $962,800 for the year. Crossway is paid by the mile. DSS pays nothing for no-shows or driver wait time under either contract.

### What insurance does Sampson County DSS require from ride vendors?

The 2025 bid's sample contract listed $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate in bodily injury liability and auto limits of $100,000/$300,000/$50,000. The contract DSS signed with the winner sets $1.5 million in liability coverage on vehicles seating 15 or fewer and $5 million on vehicles for 16 or more, the same figures the state manual MA-2910 gives for for-hire vehicles, and its general terms add $1 million in commercial general liability and workers' compensation. Quote the higher limits.

### Do I need NCTracks enrollment to bid on Sampson County Medicaid trips?

Not to submit a proposal. RFP 007-25 accepted proof of NCTracks enrollment or a plan to enroll, but the contractor must be enrolled before it gives any trip. The signed contract also requires you to keep the enrollment active and to tell DSS within 24 hours of any change in insurance, ownership, management, or Medicare or Medicaid exclusion.

### What performance standards does Sampson County set for Medicaid ride vendors?

The 2025 bid and the signed contract allow no more than 0.25% of trips to be missed in a contract year, about 1 in 400, and no more than 5% of trips to arrive late to appointments in any month. Local oncology and dialysis riders must be picked up within 60 minutes after they say they are ready.

## Official resources

- [Sampson County: 2025 Non-Emergency Medicaid Transportation RFP 007-25](https://www.sampsoncountync.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/documents/financelegal/rfps-amp-bids/007-25-rfp-nemt-services.pdf)
- [Sampson County: Bids and RFPs](https://www.sampsoncountync.gov/Business/Bids-and-RFPs)
- [Sampson County Board of Commissioners: agendas and minutes](https://www.sampsoncountync.gov/Government/Board-of-Commissioners/Agendas-and-Minutes)
- [NC DHHS: MA-2910 county NEMT manual](https://policies.ncdhhs.gov/wp-content/uploads/MA-2910-.pdf)