Veyo NEMT broker: what owner-operators need to know

Last updated 2026-07-25

what is veyo and is it still a nemt broker in my state

Veyo is a non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) broker that contracts with state Medicaid agencies to manage rides for members who need transport to medical appointments but don't need an ambulance. Brokers like Veyo don't drive members themselves in most markets. They build a network of transportation providers, independent contractors, taxi companies, and wheelchair-van operators, and dispatch rides through an app or call center. Here's the thing you need to know upfront: Veyo's footprint has shrunk a lot since 2021 and 2022. The company held state Medicaid broker contracts in places like Connecticut, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Virginia, and parts of Texas and California at various points, but several of those contracts have ended or been rebid to competitors. Connecticut's Department of Social Services, for example, moved its NEMT brokerage away from Veyo after a contentious contract period. Nevada's Medicaid program has also changed brokers. This is normal in the NEMT world. States rebid these contracts every few years, sometimes on a 3 to 5 year cycle, and the incumbent doesn't always win. If you're researching Veyo because you saw it mentioned somewhere online, don't assume it's still the broker in your state today. Call your state Medicaid transportation unit or check your state's Medicaid NEMT broker page directly ^[1]. Broker rosters change mid-year sometimes, more than at contract renewal. For background on how the broker model works generally, see our guide to NEMT brokers and how they fit into the bigger non emergency medical transportation system.

what is nemt and how is it different from an ambulance ride

Non-emergency medical transportation, or NEMT, is transportation to and from Medicaid-covered medical services for people who have no other way to get there and don't need emergency care. Think dialysis three times a week, chemotherapy, physical therapy, or a routine doctor visit. The ride is in a car, van, or wheelchair-accessible vehicle, not an ambulance, and it isn't a 911 response. Federal Medicaid regulations require states to provide NEMT as part of their program. The relevant rule is at 42 CFR 431.53, which says states must "ensure necessary transportation for beneficiaries to and from providers" and may do this directly, by contract, or through a broker arrangement ^[2]. That's the legal hook that created the whole broker industry. Modivcare, MTM, Access2Care, SafeRide, and yes, Veyo, all exist because states satisfy this federal requirement by outsourcing the logistics. Emergency medical transport is a completely different animal. That's the ambulance that responds to a 911 call, staffed by EMTs or paramedics, billed under a different Medicaid benefit category, and regulated by separate state EMS rules. If you're cross-shopping ambulance work versus wheelchair-van NEMT work, read our breakdown of emergency medical transport licensing, because the vehicle specs, staffing requirements, and reimbursement codes don't overlap much with NEMT.

does medicaid cover ambulance rides and other medical transportation

Yes. Medicaid covers ambulance transportation when it's medically necessary, and separately covers non-emergency transportation to get eligible members to covered services. These are two distinct benefits with different rules, different vehicles, and often different companies handling them. Medicaid.gov describes the transportation benefit this way: states "must ensure that eligible individuals have transportation to and from providers" and lists both emergency and non-emergency transportation as parts of that requirement ^[1]. Ambulance coverage typically requires a documented emergency or a physician's certification of medical necessity for non-emergency ambulance transport (for example, a bed-confined patient who needs stretcher-level care but isn't in an active emergency). NEMT coverage, by contrast, is about access: no other means of transportation, not a clinical emergency. Coverage details, prior authorization rules, and mileage reimbursement all vary by state, because Medicaid is a joint federal-state program and each state runs its own plan within federal minimums. If you're trying to figure out whether a specific ride type is covered in your state, the state Medicaid agency's transportation unit page is the authoritative source. Not a broker's marketing site. Not a forum post.

does medicare cover medical transportation

Medicare's coverage of medical transportation is narrower than Medicaid's. Original Medicare Part B covers ambulance services when other transportation would endanger the person's health, meaning it's largely limited to emergency or medically necessary ambulance trips, not routine rides to a doctor's office ^[3]. CMS is explicit that Medicare doesn't have a broad NEMT benefit the way Medicaid does. Some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans offer supplemental transportation benefits, including rides to medical appointments, as an added perk beyond what Original Medicare covers. These vary enormously by plan and insurer, and they're not guaranteed year to year. If a plan drops the transportation benefit at renewal, the rides stop. What this means for owner-operators: your bread-and-butter Medicaid NEMT contract work is a different revenue stream from any Medicare Advantage transportation work you might pick up. Some brokers, including Modivcare and MTM, manage both Medicaid NEMT and Medicare Advantage transportation benefits in different contracts, sometimes in the same state. Don't assume credentialing with one automatically covers the other. Ask the broker directly which lines of business your contract covers.

how to start a nemt business step by step

Starting an NEMT business generally follows a sequence: business formation, vehicle acquisition, insurance, state licensing, Medicaid enrollment, and broker credentialing. Skipping steps or doing them out of order is the single biggest cause of delay owner-operators run into. 1. Form your business entity (LLC is common) and get an EIN from the IRS. 2. Get a wheelchair-accessible van or ambulatory vehicle that meets your state's NEMT vehicle standards. Many states require ADA-compliant lifts or ramps, specific tie-down systems, and annual vehicle inspections. 3. Get commercial auto insurance with the liability limits your state and broker require. This is often higher than personal auto minimums; six figures per occurrence is common for wheelchair-van work. 4. Apply for any state-specific NEMT operating permit or Certificate of Need, if your state requires one (some states, like New York and Texas, have additional transportation network or ambulette licensing on top of Medicaid enrollment). 5. Enroll as a Medicaid provider with your state Medicaid agency. This is separate from broker credentialing and usually has its own application, background check, and provider agreement. 6. Apply for credentialing with the broker(s) operating in your state (Modivcare, MTM, Access2Care, SafeRide, or a state-run system). Brokers run their own vetting: driver background checks, vehicle inspections, drug testing programs, and sometimes their own insurance minimums on top of the state's. 7. Complete driver training, which often includes passenger assistance techniques, wheelchair securement, and sometimes CPR/First Aid certification depending on the state and broker. Expect this whole process to take weeks to a few months, depending on how backed up your state's Medicaid enrollment unit is and how quickly the broker processes new applicants. Our medical transportation overview walks through the state-level licensing variations in more depth.

how do you start a medical transportation business with just one van

You can start with one van. Plenty of owner-operators do exactly this, and it's the most common entry point into NEMT. The requirements don't change much whether you own one vehicle or twenty; you still need the same insurance minimums, the same Medicaid enrollment, and the same broker credentialing. What does change with a one-van operation is your capacity and your risk exposure. If your one van is in the shop, you have zero vehicles running and zero income from that vehicle until it's fixed. Some brokers ask about backup vehicle plans or fleet size during credentialing, not to disqualify single-vehicle applicants, but because they're trying to gauge reliability for scheduled, recurring rides like dialysis. A few practical notes for one-van operators: buy or lease a vehicle that's already built out for wheelchair transport (ramp or lift, secured tie-downs) rather than retrofitting a cargo van yourself, unless you really know vehicle modification and local inspection standards. A used, already-converted wheelchair van from a dealer that specializes in mobility vehicles is usually the faster and cheaper path for a first vehicle. New wheelchair-accessible vans run well into the $50,000 to $70,000+ range; used converted vans can run substantially less, but budget for the wheelchair lift and tie-down system to be inspected and certified before you put it into service. Don't buy the van first and figure out licensing later. Confirm your state's specific vehicle-age limits, lift certification rules, and insurance minimums with your state Medicaid transportation unit and target broker before you commit money to a specific vehicle, because some states have age caps (commonly 5 to 10 years) or require particular lift manufacturers to be on an approved list.

how to start a non-emergency medical transportation business (the full checklist)

Business entity + EIN	LLC formation, IRS EIN	Days
Vehicle	ADA-compliant wheelchair van, lift/ramp inspection	Days to weeks (buying/financing)
Commercial insurance	Auto liability, often 6-figure limits per occurrence	Days to 2 weeks
State operating permit	Ambulette/NEMT license if state requires one	Weeks
Medicaid provider enrollment	Application, background check, provider agreement	Weeks to a couple months
Broker credentialing	Driver background check, vehicle inspection, drug testing	Weeks
Driver training	Passenger assistance, wheelchair securement, CPR/First Aid	Days to weeks	A few things trip people up consistently. First, Medicaid provider enrollment and broker credentialing are not the same application, even though they feel redundant. You typically need both: the state has to recognize you as an enrolled Medicaid transportation provider, and separately the broker (Modivcare, MTM, Access2Care, SafeRide, or whoever holds the contract in your state) has to accept you into its driver network before it'll dispatch rides to you. Second, background check standards can be strict and specific. Many states and brokers disqualify applicants with certain criminal history categories (commonly things like fraud, abuse, or violent offense convictions within a lookback period), and these standards are set by the state Medicaid agency or the broker's contract, not something you can negotiate around. Third, paperwork consistency matters more than people expect. Your business name, EIN, insurance certificate, and vehicle registration all need to match across every application. Mismatches are one of the most common reasons enrollment applications bounce back for correction, adding weeks to the timeline. If you want a structured starting point instead of piecing this together from a dozen state PDFs, RideCredential's $199 one-time Launch Kit Builder walks through the state Medicaid enrollment and broker credentialing paperwork sequence so you're not guessing at the order of operations. It's not a guarantee of approval from any state or broker, just an organized way to get your documents lined up before you submit.

This is the condensed version of everything above, laid out as a checklist you can work through in order. Treat it as a starting sequence, not a guarantee of approval; every state and broker has its own final say. | Step | What it involves | Typical timing |

what happened to veyo's state contracts and who took over

Veyo built its business model around being a technology-forward alternative to the older brokers, using an app-based dispatch system instead of relying purely on call centers. That pitch won it contracts in a handful of states in the late 2010s and early 2020s. But several of those contracts have since ended, and states have moved to other brokers or brought parts of the work in-house. Connecticut is a well-documented example. The state's Department of Social Services manages its non-emergency medical transportation program and has overseen broker transitions and performance concerns over the years ^[4]. This kind of turnover isn't unique to Veyo. Modivcare (formerly LogistiCare) and MTM have also lost and gained state contracts over the years as bids come up for renewal. It's just how the government contracting cycle works in this industry. If you're an owner-operator trying to figure out who to credential with, the practical move is simple: go to your state Medicaid agency's website, find the transportation or NEMT broker page, and see who's listed as the current contracted broker for your region. States sometimes split contracts by region within the same state, so the broker in one county may not be the broker in the county next door. Don't rely on a broker's own website claiming service in your state; cross-check it against the state Medicaid agency's official broker directory.

how does broker credentialing actually work once you pick a broker

Once you know which broker holds the contract in your area (Modivcare, MTM, Access2Care, SafeRide, or another regional player), credentialing follows a fairly standard pattern across brokers, even though each one has its own portal and paperwork. You'll typically submit: proof of Medicaid provider enrollment, your business license and EIN, commercial auto insurance certificates naming the broker as certificate holder or additional insured (confirm the exact requirement with the broker), vehicle registration and inspection records, driver's license and MVR (motor vehicle record) for every driver, and results of a background check that may be run by the broker itself or by a third-party vendor the broker designates. Most brokers also require driver training specific to their program: this can include defensive driving courses, passenger assistance and sensitivity training, wheelchair securement certification, and CPR/First Aid. Some brokers recertify drivers annually; ask about the renewal cycle up front so it doesn't catch you off guard a year in. Expect an in-person or virtual vehicle inspection before your first dispatch. Brokers check things like working seatbelts and tie-downs, functioning wheelchair lift or ramp, interior cleanliness, first-aid kit presence, and sometimes GPS or dash-cam requirements. None of this is unique to Veyo; it's standard across the industry and shows up in some form with Modivcare, MTM, Access2Care, and SafeRide alike. For a broader comparison of how these brokers differ in practice, see our guide to NEMT transportation networks.

what should i budget for before i apply

Beyond the vehicle itself, plan for insurance, licensing fees, and a stretch of weeks to months where you're paying for coverage and permits before you're credentialed to take a single ride. This is the part new owner-operators consistently underestimate. Commercial auto insurance for wheelchair-van NEMT work is not cheap, and rates vary heavily by state, driving record, and vehicle type; get quotes early in your planning process, not after you've already bought the van, because insurance cost can change whether a given vehicle purchase makes financial sense. State operating permits, ambulette licenses, and Medicaid enrollment fees vary by state, some charge modest application fees, others charge more for annual permit renewal. Factor in driver training costs (some certifications, like CPR/First Aid through the American Red Cross or American Heart Association, run relatively low cost per person, while broker-specific training is sometimes provided free as part of onboarding). Vehicle inspection and lift certification may have their own fees depending on your state's requirements. None of this article, and nothing RideCredential publishes, should be read as a promise of trip volume, income, or broker approval. States and brokers change requirements, contract holders, and reimbursement rates regularly, and the honest answer to "how much will I make" is that it depends on factors nobody can responsibly predict in a general article: your region's ride demand, how many other operators the broker already has, and how many hours you're available to drive.

do i need to work with more than one broker

Many owner-operators do end up credentialed with more than one broker, because Medicaid NEMT and Medicare Advantage transportation benefits are often managed by different contracts, and because some states use different brokers for different regions or populations. Working with multiple brokers means duplicate paperwork: separate credentialing applications, separate insurance certificate requirements (though your actual policy can often satisfy multiple broker requirements if the limits are high enough), and separate driver training modules even if the content overlaps. It's more administrative work. But it also means more potential dispatch volume, since you're not dependent on a single broker's demand in your area. If your state Medicaid transportation unit lists more than one active broker for your county, it's worth asking each one directly about their credentialing timeline and current provider network size before deciding whether to pursue both at once or start with one and add the second later.

Frequently asked questions

Is Veyo still a NEMT broker in any state?

It depends on your state and can change without much notice. Veyo has held Medicaid NEMT broker contracts in several states over the years, but a number of those contracts have ended or moved to other companies. Check your state Medicaid agency's transportation unit page directly for the current, confirmed broker before assuming Veyo is active in your area.

What is NEMT?

NEMT stands for non-emergency medical transportation. It's Medicaid-funded transportation to and from covered medical services, like dialysis or physical therapy, for members who have no other transportation and don't need an ambulance. States are required to ensure this transportation under 42 CFR 431.53, and most run it through contracted brokers.

Does Medicaid cover ambulance rides?

Yes, Medicaid covers medically necessary ambulance transportation as a separate benefit from non-emergency transportation. Ambulance coverage generally requires a documented emergency or a physician's certification of medical necessity for non-emergency ambulance use. Coverage specifics and prior authorization rules vary by state, so confirm details with your state Medicaid agency.

Does Medicare cover medical transportation?

Original Medicare Part B covers ambulance services mainly when other transportation would endanger the patient's health, so it's largely limited to emergency or medically necessary ambulance trips, not routine rides to appointments. Some Medicare Advantage plans add supplemental transportation benefits as a plan perk, but these vary by plan and aren't guaranteed year to year.

How do I start a NEMT business?

Form a business entity, get a wheelchair-accessible vehicle that meets your state's standards, secure commercial auto insurance, obtain any state NEMT operating permit required, enroll as a Medicaid provider with your state, and get credentialed with the broker(s) contracted in your area. Driver training and vehicle inspection usually come last, right before you start taking dispatched rides.

Can I start a medical transportation business with just one van?

Yes, a single wheelchair van is a common and legitimate way to start. The licensing, insurance, and credentialing requirements are the same regardless of fleet size. The main tradeoffs are capacity (no backup vehicle if yours needs repair) and that some brokers ask about backup plans during credentialing.

What's the difference between Medicaid provider enrollment and broker credentialing?

Medicaid provider enrollment is your registration with the state Medicaid agency as a recognized transportation provider. Broker credentialing is a separate process with the company (Modivcare, MTM, Access2Care, SafeRide, or another contracted broker) that actually dispatches rides in your area. You typically need both, and they have separate applications and timelines.

How long does it take to get credentialed as a NEMT provider?

It varies widely by state and broker workload, but expect several weeks to a few months from initial application to your first dispatched ride. Delays commonly come from mismatched paperwork (business name, EIN, insurance certificate, and vehicle registration not matching exactly), background check processing time, or state Medicaid enrollment backlogs.

What insurance do I need for a wheelchair van NEMT business?

You need commercial auto insurance, not personal auto coverage, with liability limits that meet your state's requirement and often the broker's separate minimum on top of that. Six-figure per-occurrence limits are common for wheelchair-accessible vehicle work. Get quotes early, since insurance cost affects whether a specific vehicle purchase makes sense.

Do all states use the same NEMT broker?

No. Each state Medicaid agency contracts its own broker or brokers, sometimes by region within the state, and these contracts get rebid every few years. Modivcare, MTM, Access2Care, SafeRide, and Veyo have each held contracts in different states at different times, and the roster changes regularly.

What happens if my state's broker contract changes after I'm already credentialed?

When a state switches brokers, existing credentialed drivers usually have to re-apply or transfer credentials to the new broker, since credentialing is broker-specific, more than state-specific. Watch for announcements from your state Medicaid transportation unit during contract transition periods so you don't have a coverage gap.

Is a Certificate of Need or special license required to start NEMT?

Some states require an additional operating permit or ambulette/NEMT-specific license beyond standard Medicaid enrollment; others don't. This varies significantly by state, so confirm with your state Medicaid transportation unit and any state department of transportation or health licensing office before assuming Medicaid enrollment alone is sufficient.

How much does a wheelchair van cost for starting an NEMT business?

New ADA-compliant wheelchair-accessible vans commonly run in the $50,000 to $70,000+ range, while used, already-converted vans can cost substantially less. Budget separately for lift/ramp certification and inspection, since some states require specific approved lift systems or age limits on the vehicle.

Sources

1. Medicaid.gov, Medical Transportation: States must ensure necessary transportation for Medicaid beneficiaries to and from providers, covering both emergency and non-emergency transportation
2. eCFR, 42 CFR 431.53: Federal regulation requiring states to ensure necessary transportation for Medicaid beneficiaries, directly, by contract, or via broker
3. Medicare.gov, Ambulance Services: Medicare Part B covers ambulance services generally when other transportation would endanger the person's health
4. Connecticut Department of Social Services, Non-Emergency Medical Transportation program page: Connecticut's Medicaid NEMT program is administered by the Department of Social Services, which has overseen broker transitions
5. 42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(4): State Medicaid plans must provide for methods of administration necessary for proper and efficient operation, the statutory basis for 42 CFR 431.53's transportation assurance rule
6. GAO, Report GAO-16-238, Medicaid Nonemergency Medical Transportation: Updated Medical Necessity Criteria Could Enhance Program Integrity: NEMT is typically delivered through state contracts with transportation brokers who manage networks of drivers and vehicles