# NEMT Dispatcher Checklist: A Daily Sheet From First Call to Trip Closeout

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-dispatcher-checklist/ · Updated 2026-09-30

A NEMT dispatcher checklist is the list of checks a dispatcher works through every shift: overnight trip changes and driver check-in before the first pickup, late vans, no-shows, and will-calls during the day, tomorrow's manifests and confirmation calls in the afternoon, and trip closeout before going home. Print the sheet below, write in your brokers' deadlines once, and initial each line as you finish it.

- Start each shift in the broker portals: pull overnight changes, move any unassigned trips onto a driver, and resend every manifest that changed.
- An unanswered confirmation call does not cancel a ride. New York's broker requires a vehicle to go out whether or not the rider was reached.
- Call the rider and the broker the moment a van will be late. MTM Health in Virginia wants to hear about any known delay past 15 minutes.
- Dispatch never changes a pickup time, address, or vehicle type on its own. Every change goes to the broker first.
- Close out every leg before you leave: a status, actual times, a signature, and synced app data. A missing piece becomes a denied claim.

A dispatcher's day has three rush hours: the first pickups, the afternoon when tomorrow gets built, and the last hour when every trip has to be closed out. A missed ride or a denied claim often starts with one small check skipped in one of them. This checklist puts those checks on one sheet, in the order they come up, with room to initial each one.

## How to use this template

1. **Fill in Part 8 once for each broker.** Copy each deadline from the broker's current provider handbook: confirmation calls, turnbacks, late notice, incident reports, and claims. The table in [calls and reports each broker expects](#calls-and-reports-each-broker-expects) shows how several programs set them. Keep the finished card at the desk, and update it when a handbook changes.
2. **Print one checklist per dispatcher per shift.** If two people split the day, each initials only the lines they did. Part 7 carries anything still open to the next person.
3. **Work the parts in order.** Part 2 before the first van leaves, Parts 3 and 4 all day, Part 5 in the afternoon, and Part 6 before you go home. [NEMT dispatch](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-dispatch/) walks through the full day behind each part.
4. **Initial and time each line.** A tick mark shows a check was done. Initials and a time show who did it and when, which is what you need when a broker asks about a trip weeks later.
5. **Put every will-call and discharge on the tracker in Part 4.** Write the time the call came in and the latest arrival time the broker allows. Anyone at the desk can then see which return is closest to late. [Managing will-call trips](https://nemtguide.com/guides/managing-will-call-trips/) covers how much van time to hold for them.
6. **Write "N/A" when a line does not apply.** A blank line looks like a missed check.
7. **File the finished sheet with the day's manifests and trip logs.** It names riders, so lock it away with them for as long as you keep trip records. See [NEMT record retention](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-record-retention/).
8. **Train new dispatchers on it.** A new hire can shadow the sheet for the first two weeks. [How to hire a NEMT dispatcher](https://nemtguide.com/guides/hire-a-nemt-dispatcher/) has a full training plan.

## The template

### Part 1: Shift details

| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Date | |
| Dispatcher and shift hours | |
| Second dispatcher or owner on call, with phone | |
| Drivers working today, with vehicle numbers | |
| Spare driver and spare vehicle | |
| Brokers and payers with trips today | |
| Weather or road alerts for today | |

### Part 2: Before the first pickup

| Check | Time | Initials | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overnight changes and cancellations pulled from every broker portal | | | |
| Every trip sent to us "unassigned" moved onto a driver's run | | | |
| Every manifest that changed since yesterday resent to its driver | | | |
| Every driver checked in, fit to drive, and in the vehicle on the manifest | | | |
| Any swapped driver placed only on trips they are credentialed for | | | |
| Pre-trip inspection sheet turned in for every vehicle | | | |
| Lift or ramp tested on every wheelchair van, per the inspection sheet | | | |
| Every driver's phone charged, broker app logged in, location on | | | |
| Driver, vehicle, and company credentials expiring in the next 10 business days listed and sent for renewal | | | |
| Spare driver or van ready for the first breakdown or sick call | | | |
| Weather checked. If a trip cannot run safely, the rider and broker told now | | | |
| Dispatch phone covered for every break | | | |

### Part 3: All day, checked at least three times

| Check | Mid-morning | Midday | Mid-afternoon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every pickup in the next hour has a driver on the way and inside its window | | | |
| Every van at risk of being late: rider or facility called with a new time, broker told | | | |
| Any trip that cannot make its appointment: broker asked to reassign or reschedule | | | |
| Every no-show: driver waited the full time, tried the rider by phone or text, and called dispatch before leaving | | | |
| Every no-show and rider cancellation entered the way the broker requires | | | |
| Every will-call and discharge in Part 4 has a van assigned | | | |
| Same-day trips accepted only when a credentialed driver and the right vehicle can make the time | | | |
| Rider change requests (new address, extra stop, new time) sent to the broker, never done on the spot | | | |
| Any accident, injury, or incident reported to the broker by phone, and the written report started | | | |
| Vans on the tracking map match where the drivers say they are | | | |

### Part 4: Will-call and discharge tracker

Use initials or the trip ID for the rider, never a full name on a sheet that sits on the desk.

| Rider initials or trip ID | Pick up at | Will-call or discharge | Call received | Van must arrive by | Driver sent | Arrived | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |

### Part 5: Afternoon: tomorrow's trips

| Check | Time | Initials | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every trip offer answered: accepted, or turned back before the broker's deadline | | | |
| Each accepted trip matched to a vehicle with the right mode, seats, and wheelchair or stretcher space | | | |
| Level of assistance, escorts, and weight with mobility device read for every trip | | | |
| Tomorrow's drivers and vehicles credentialed through tomorrow | | | |
| Standing-order riders kept with their usual driver where possible, and any change noted | | | |
| Runs built, and ride times checked on shared rides | | | |
| Confirmation call or text made to every rider, with the result written down | | | |
| Riders not reached left on the run, since the trip goes unless the broker cancels it | | | |
| Wrong addresses, times, or trip details found on calls sent to the broker | | | |
| Riders who will not go told how to cancel, or the trip canceled in the portal the broker's way | | | |
| Final manifests sent to every driver, with each driver told their first pickup | | | |

### Part 6: Before you go home: close out today

| Check | Time | Initials | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every leg has a status: completed, no-show, canceled, or turned back | | | |
| Every completed leg has actual pickup and drop-off times, and a signature where the broker requires one | | | |
| App trip data synced to each broker portal, and any leg not ready to bill fixed | | | |
| No driver shows in two vehicles, and no vehicle shows two drivers, at the same time | | | |
| Every no-show, cancellation, and rescheduled trip written down, with who asked for it | | | |
| Written incident reports sent inside each broker's deadline | | | |
| Paper backup trip logs collected from drivers | | | |
| Claims or trip attestations coming due listed with their deadlines | | | |
| Manifests and papers with rider names collected and locked away | | | |
| Notes for tomorrow written in Part 7 | | | |

### Part 7: Hand-off and sign-off

| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Returns or will-calls still open | |
| Trips waiting on an answer from a broker | |
| Drivers or vehicles out tomorrow | |
| Follow-ups: complaints, incidents, portal errors | |
| Dispatcher signature and time | |
| Next dispatcher or owner, initials | |

### Part 8: Broker deadline card (fill in once)

| Deadline | Broker: | Broker: | Broker: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm the ride with the rider | | | |
| Turn back a trip no later than | | | |
| Wait at the door before a no-show | | | |
| Will-call van arrives within | | | |
| Hospital discharge pickup within | | | |
| Tell the broker a van is late when | | | |
| Report an accident or incident within | | | |
| File the claim or trip record within | | | |
| Provider support phone | | | |
| Handbook name and date | | | |

## Calls and reports each broker expects

Every broker sets its own clock for the calls a dispatcher makes. These five programs show how far apart they are, as of September 2026. Always work from the handbook your broker sends you.

| Program | Confirm the ride | Turn back a trip | Van running late | Accident or incident | Claim or trip record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTM Health, Virginia fee-for-service, trips from October 1, 2026 (handbook approved August 10, 2026) | The day before the trip | At least 24 hours before the scheduled pickup | Call affected riders or facilities with a new arrival time and tell MTM. Tell MTM right away of any known delay past 15 minutes | Report every one to MTM. Failing to report is a level 3 infraction, the most serious tier | Clean claim within 6 months of the date of service |
| MTM Health, Rhode Island (July 1, 2026) | 24 hours before the ride | At least 24 hours before the appointment. No same-day or Marketplace turnbacks | Report late arrivals so MTM can tell the facility, and tell waiting riders | Injuries, police or EMS calls, and other safety events by phone at once. Written report within 24 hours, police report within 5 business days | Within 90 days of the date of service |
| New York, MAS (manual of October 1, 2023) | Encouraged ahead of the appointment. The vehicle goes either way | Keep your availability profile current. Refusals within 48 hours of pickup are ten times as likely to draw a complaint | Tell MAS of any delay ahead of time, and of weather or an accident as soon as you know | Within 48 hours (state manual, August 25, 2023). At once for a death, an ambulance response, or a hospital stay | Attest within 30 days of the date of service |
| Texas Medicaid health plans (UMCM 16.4) | 24 hours before pickup, never after 9 p.m. local time, with a record kept | Set by each health plan or its broker | Driver reports a late arrival immediately | Report to the plan or its subcontractor, which tracks every accident and incident | Within 95 days of the date of service |
| CareOregon (February 2024) | Ask your brokerage. It may add a same-day confirmation to a rider's service | As much notice as possible | Tell brokerage dispatch right away of anything that will make a rider late | Injuries, deaths, or abuse claims against a driver in writing at once. Others within 24 hours | Ask your brokerage |

Pickup windows, no-show waits, and will-call times are in the timing table of the [daily manifest template](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-daily-manifest/). Two programs are not in it. New York's manual (effective August 25, 2023) has drivers wait at least 15 minutes before a no-show. MAS requires a van within 1 hour of the ready call when a return has no set time, and a same-day hospital discharge picked up within 3 hours of the reservation reaching you. In Missouri, MTM Health's program gives providers a 15-minute grace period past a standing-order pickup, and facilities call the Where's My Ride line after that (MO HealthNet manual, posted April 2026).

## The rules behind the checks

### An unanswered confirmation call does not cancel the ride

Confirmation calls catch cancellations and bad addresses. They do not decide whether the trip runs. MAS, New York's broker, requires providers to dispatch a vehicle regardless of contact with the rider, and encourages calling riders ahead to coordinate pickup details. Texas Medicaid health plans require a confirmation 24 hours before pickup, by phone, text, or another platform, and never after 9 p.m. local time. Add-on trips and hospital discharges are exempt, and the provider keeps a record of each contact.

MTM Health's Virginia and Minnesota pages ask providers to confirm the trip and pickup time the day before, and to cancel the trip when the rider says they will not attend. MTM does not pay for no-shows. The Minnesota page also asks you to check the pickup and drop-off places and times on the call, and to tell your Vendor Account Manager about any error quickly so the trip is paid correctly. The [no-show guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/how-to-reduce-nemt-no-shows/) has a call script.

### Changes belong to the broker

A rider who asks the driver for an extra stop or a new address is asking for a change only the broker can approve. CareOregon requires brokerage approval for any change to pickup times, appointment times, or addresses, and for a different vehicle type unless the vehicle sent still meets the rider's needs. Trips not given as authorized are not paid. MAS tells providers to keep to every time and address on the trip invoice, and to send the rider or clinic to MAS for changes. Its provider FAQ warns that accepting a change at the rider's or clinic's request can keep the invoice from being processed.

### Late vans: call early, then the broker steps in

MTM Health's Virginia handbook (approved August 10, 2026) has you contact affected riders or facilities with the delay and a new arrival time, then notify MTM, which works with them on another pickup when needed. MTM's standard agreement, in the January 1, 2023 version Pennsylvania posts, requires immediate notice of significant delays and alternate plans when the appointment can still be kept. If a late pickup or drop-off means the rider cannot be seen, you may get a provider no-show penalty or no pay for the trip.

Brokers arrange backup at set points. Georgia's manual (July 1, 2026) counts a vehicle 20 minutes late as excessively late, and its broker must have a backup in place within 30 minutes. It also has the dispatcher or provider contact waiting riders at their pickup points about the delay. When weather makes a trip unsafe, MTM's standard agreement requires you to tell both the rider and MTM right away. See [driver running late](https://nemtguide.com/guides/driver-running-late/) and the [bad weather policy guide](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-bad-weather-policy/).

### Closeout is what gets you paid

MTM Health's Virginia handbook requires an electronic trip log with the trip ID, scheduled pickup time, actual pickup time, departure time, arrival time, and the member's signature, with the trip in completed status. If any of those is missing, the claim is denied. The same handbook scores overlapping claims, meaning one driver in two vehicles or two drivers in one vehicle at the same time, and holds them under 0.99 percent. That is why Part 6 checks driver and vehicle pairs.

MTM Health's Rhode Island handbook (July 1, 2026) says to check every synced trip for errors in times, driver name, vehicle, and member signature before you submit claims, even when drivers use the broker's app. It also has all drivers carry paper copies of approved trip logs as a backup. New York has required GPS data on every trip since April 3, 2023, unless the state grants an exemption, and MAS says GPS data that does not match the trip invoice can keep you from attesting to it. Texas requires providers to document every cancellation, no-show, and rescheduled trip, whoever asked for it. The [trip log template](https://nemtguide.com/templates/nemt-trip-log-template/) has the fields most brokers ask for.

## Keep rider information safe at the desk

A dispatch desk holds every rider's name, address, phone, and destination. CareOregon's manual (February 2024) bars dispatchers from giving trip information to a caller until they verify who is calling. It limits what they share to the member, the member's caregiver or representative, and the member's health care provider. It requires a secure email portal for any email with member information, and a report of any suspected breach to the brokerage right away, and no more than 24 hours later.

If your company is a HIPAA covered entity or business associate, two federal rules apply at the desk. [HIPAA for NEMT providers](https://nemtguide.com/guides/hipaa-for-nemt/) explains when they do.

- **Access by role.** You must decide which staff need which rider information and make reasonable efforts to limit their access to it ([45 CFR 164.514(d)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-164.514)). Each driver gets only their own legs, never the full board.
- **Safeguards.** You must reasonably protect health information and limit incidental disclosures ([45 CFR 164.530(c)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-164.530)). Turn screens away from the door, keep manifests off the counter, and lock paper away at closeout.

Broker portals help. MTM Health's Rhode Island portal sends a six-digit code by text or email to confirm who is signing in, and the MAS system signs and time-stamps every change to a trip invoice. Give each dispatcher their own login instead of sharing one, so those records show who made each change.

## Frequently asked questions

### What should a NEMT dispatcher check first each morning?

Overnight changes in every broker portal, any trips sent to you unassigned, and whether each driver, vehicle, and phone is ready. MTM Health's Rhode Island handbook (July 1, 2026) says an unassigned trip is already yours and must be moved onto a driver's run so it is not missed. Then make sure a spare driver or van is ready. MTM's standard provider agreement requires a backup plan for every trip you accept.

### What if a rider does not answer the confirmation call?

Keep the trip on the run unless the broker cancels it. New York's broker, MAS, requires providers to dispatch a vehicle whether or not they reached the rider (network manual, October 1, 2023). Texas Medicaid health plans require a confirmation 24 hours before pickup, never after 9 p.m. local time, and a record of the contact. Write down each attempt and leave a callback number.

### How late can I turn back a broker trip?

It depends on the broker. MTM Health's Virginia handbook (approved August 10, 2026) asks for turnbacks at least 24 hours before the scheduled pickup. Its Rhode Island handbook (July 1, 2026) requires 24 hours before the appointment, allows no same-day turnbacks, and bars turning back trips taken from the Marketplace. CareOregon asks for as much notice as possible and treats a pattern of last-minute returns as unacceptable.

### When should dispatch tell the broker a van is running late?

As soon as you know. MTM Health's Virginia provider page (September 2026) has drivers notify MTM immediately of known pickup delays of 15 minutes past the scheduled time. Its handbook also has you call the affected riders or facilities with a new arrival time. Texas has drivers report a late arrival immediately so the clinic can say whether it can still see the rider.

### What does it mean to close out a NEMT trip?

It means every leg gets a final status and a complete record before the day ends. MTM Health's Virginia handbook denies a claim when the electronic trip log lacks the trip ID, scheduled pickup, actual pickup, departure or arrival time, or the member's signature, or when the trip is not marked completed. Its Rhode Island handbook has you check synced app data and keep paper trip logs as a backup.

### How fast must dispatch report an accident to the broker?

Check each handbook, because the clocks differ. MTM Health in Rhode Island wants a phone call right away for serious events, a written report within 24 hours, and a police report within 5 business days, with $500 in liquidated damages for a missed deadline (July 1, 2026). New York's state manual allows 48 hours, and a death, ambulance response, or hospital stay is reported at once. CareOregon wants injury reports right away and others within 24 hours.

## Official resources

- [MTM Health: Virginia Transportation Provider Handbook (trip assignment, delays, and claims)](https://www.mtm-inc.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/VA-Provider-Handbook-2026.pdf)
- [MTM Health: Rhode Island Transportation Provider Handbook (turnbacks, incident tiers, and the portal guide)](https://www.mtm-inc.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/RI-Transportation-Provider-Handbook-Final-7.1.26.pdf)
- [MAS: Transportation Provider Network Manual (New York)](https://masvmwp01.medanswering.com/wp-content/uploads/MAS-Transportation-Provider-Network-Manual-October-2023-v.1.1.pdf)
- [MAS: Accident and incident reporting policy and form (New York)](https://wp2.medanswering.com/transportation-providers/forms-resources-for-transportation-providers/)
- [Texas HHSC: NEMT Services Handbook (UMCM 16.4)](https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/16-4.pdf)
- [CareOregon: Transportation Provider Manual (trip changes, timeliness, and incident reporting)](https://careoregon.org/docs/default-source/nemt/nemt-provider-manual.pdf)
- [HHS: HIPAA for professionals](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/index.html)