MATP Philadelphia: How the Modivcare Broker Contract Works for Ride Companies (2027)

Philadelphia is the one Pennsylvania county where Medicaid rides go through a broker. The city and county government runs none of it. The Department of Human Services (DHS) pays Modivcare, formerly LogistiCare, a flat amount for every Medical Assistance member, and Modivcare books each trip and hires the companies that drive them.

Who arranges MATP rides in Philadelphia

In the other 66 counties, the county, its vendor, or a transit agency runs the Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP), and ride companies sign local subcontracts. The Pennsylvania guide covers those programs, Public Utility Commission licensing, and the statewide trip rules.

Philadelphia has used a broker since 2005. The current grant, number 4100077277, began March 1, 2017 with LogistiCare Solutions, now Modivcare Solutions. DHS pays it by capitation: a fixed rate for each member each month, whether or not the member rides. Modivcare, not DHS, sets your rate and pays you.

Contract item	As of September 2026
Grant	4100077277, between the DHS Bureau of Managed Care Operations and Modivcare Solutions
Rate DHS pays	$6.30 per member per month from March 1, 2026 (Amendment 5), up from $5.65 once psychiatric rehabilitation trips were added
Term	Extended to November 30, 2026 by a DHS letter of July 24, 2026, with one more three-month option
Budget for that term	$12,426,201 for September 1 to November 30, 2026
Rebid	RFA 06-24, stayed while litigation was pending, per the June 25, 2026 study

DHS has tried to replace the contract before. RFA 35-21 and RFA 01-23 were both cancelled after bid protests. Amendment 4, executed February 24, 2026, extended the term “to allow for the completion of the current procurement.” A new broker would build its own network, so see what a broker transition means for you and the state’s broker study for the history.

How a Philadelphia MATP ride reaches your van

Philadelphia riders do not file an MATP application, unlike riders in Montgomery and Bucks counties. Modivcare’s letter for new members, revised March 11, 2024, says its reservation staff ask about each rider’s health and needs, then pick the mode:

• SEPTA first. A rider who can take the bus, trolley, or train gets day passes or a monthly pass.
• Mileage. A rider with a car, or a friend who drives, gets $0.25 a mile plus parking and tolls.
• Paratransit. Everyone else rides a shared minivan, a 12 to 15 passenger van, a lift-equipped van, a taxi, or another vehicle. It takes a Physician’s Transportation Restriction Form from the treating doctor, and a wheelchair van also takes a wheelchair certification form.

Transit still carries most trips. From 2023 to 2025, 59% of Philadelphia MATP trips went by public transit and 40% by paratransit, up from 25% paratransit in 2016 to 2018, per the June 2026 study.

The same letter sets rider rules that shape your day:

1. Riders book at least 3 days ahead (7 days for a SEPTA pass) and up to 30 days ahead.
2. “The transportation company may call you the night before” with the exact pickup time.
3. Riders should be ready 30 minutes early. Drivers come from 15 minutes before to 15 minutes after the pickup time.
4. The driver asks the rider to sign a sheet or tablet at pickup and at drop-off.
5. Drivers and attendants may not help anyone up or down steps. A rider who needs that brings a helper.
6. Five no-shows in 30 days cancels the facility’s standing order and can move the rider to transit or mileage for 30 days.

DHS’s contact list, updated June 18, 2026, puts reservations at 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Rides run 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, and on Sunday for dialysis only. For repeat dialysis runs, see standing orders.

What the Philadelphia grant asks of ride companies

The grant makes DHS’s request for proposals of July 29, 2016, RFP 01-15, part of the agreement as Attachment A, and each amendment keeps its other terms in force. It tells the broker what to require of the companies it hires:

• Driver clearances. Every driver, volunteers included, needs a Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance, a State Police criminal record check, and an FBI background check.
• Inspection before you start. The broker inspects all of a company’s vehicles before it signs the service agreement, then again no later than 12 months after the last inspection. Brakes, tires, turn signals, horn, seat belts, heat, and air conditioning are on the list, and a noncompliant vehicle comes out of service at once.
• Broker training. The broker trains every driver before the driver’s first MATP trip.
• DHS approval. DHS approves each transportation subcontract before use. It must cover pickup rules, driver and vehicle standards, any damages, the billing schedule, payment terms, and a provider grievance process.
• Trip standards. Curb-to-curb is standard, and drivers stay at or near the vehicle without entering buildings. On shared rides, a rider’s time in the vehicle should run no more than 45 minutes longer than a direct trip, as far as possible. A vehicle that arrives more than 30 minutes after the scheduled pickup does not count as a completed trip.
• Invoice decisions. The broker decides 90% of accurate invoices within 30 days, all accurate invoices within 45 days, and every invoice within 90 days. Accurate means complete trip tickets or vehicle manifests.

Rider 2 of the grant adds that Modivcare must pay providers on the RFP’s contracting terms, including timely payment. Modivcare’s own driver, vehicle, and insurance list, such as PASS wheelchair training, applies on top, and the Modivcare guide explains it.

DHS also added driver bonus payments to the grant in Amendment 3, signed during the extension that began September 1, 2024. Ask Modivcare whether any driver bonus still applies.

Stretcher and ambulance trips go to MTM

MATP carries ambulatory and wheelchair riders only. Philadelphia sits in the HealthChoices Southeast zone, where Keystone First is one of five physical health plans, and Keystone First sends non-emergency ambulance and stretcher trips to MTM. Since November 15, 2024, facilities book them with MTM at 1-844-879-7345, 24 hours a day. The April 2, 2026 bulletin lists 1-855-540-7063 for Keystone First Community HealthChoices members.

Keystone First’s April 2, 2026 bulletin adds that since January 1, 2026, a non-emergency ambulance trip from a hospital or medical facility can be authorized after the ride. A trip from a home still goes through MTM. The plan’s notices say facilities place these calls, not ride companies. A stretcher company joins MTM’s Pennsylvania network, and Keystone First’s ride benefit covers the plan side.

Other ride work in Philadelphia

• SEPTA Access. The service called CCT Connect until July 1, 2024 gives ADA paratransit and senior shared rides. Contract carriers drive the trips, train their drivers, and maintain the vans, while SEPTA books the rides and runs central driver training. PennDOT’s fiscal year 2024-25 profile of SEPTA’s community transportation, filed under Philadelphia, counts 905,132 shared-ride trips, 532,655 of them ADA trips, at an average cost of $76.21 per trip. It is a SEPTA contract, separate from MATP. See ADA paratransit contracts.
• Other Modivcare plans. As of September 2026, Modivcare’s Pennsylvania member page also lists ride lines for PA Health and Wellness, HealthSpring Medicare Advantage, and Aetna Better Health Kids (CHIP). Ask whether its Philadelphia network carries those plans’ trips too.

How to get MATP work in Philadelphia

1. Get PUC paratransit authority. The Philadelphia Parking Authority regulates taxis and limousines in the city, and paratransit authority comes from the Public Utility Commission. The Pennsylvania guide has the application, fee, and timeline.
2. Apply to Modivcare’s network with the form on its Become a Transportation Provider page.
3. Have every van ready for inspection before Modivcare signs your agreement, and keep each driver’s three clearances on file.
4. Ask where Modivcare is short. Taxis, minivans, larger vans, and lift vans all carry Philadelphia paratransit, so ask which vehicle types, neighborhoods, and hours it needs.
5. Invoice with complete trip tickets. They start the 30 and 45 day decision clocks. See how to bill NEMT brokers.
6. Watch the rebid. The grant runs to November 30, 2026 with one three-month option left. If DHS names a new broker, apply to it as soon as it opens its network.

The suburban counties buy rides differently. Montgomery County works through TransNet and its carriers, Bucks County through Bucks County Transport, and Delaware County through a county contract.