Four people were charged this month over twelve million dollars in Medicaid transportation claims, and the operation behind it was never a transportation company. Prosecutors say it manufactured ride data and spoofed GPS coordinates, then supplied it to companies that billed Medicaid for trips that never happened.

That is one of six stories in the August Genie Journal Recap, your monthly update on the regulatory, financial, and operational shifts shaping medical transportation.

In this episode:

(00:19) RouteGenie at NEMTAC Transform 2026 in Orlando, where accountability ran through the whole agenda
(01:13) DOJ charges the "War Room" in a $12M Medicaid transportation fraud case, and what it means that the claims were caught as unmatched
(03:04) Alabama, West Virginia and North Dakota put roughly $8.5M behind NEMT vehicles and wheelchair-accessible capacity
(04:40) A 125-mile wheelchair ride to the Wisconsin State Capitol
(05:47) Maine's high court upholds Modivcare's $750M MaineCare contract, and Montana moves to Modivcare on October 1
(07:03) Nevada clears thousands of robotaxis for Las Vegas, and why the accessibility gap still matters
(08:23) RouteGenie now integrates directly with Uber Health
(08:52) A new Inside the Lamp episode with BraunAbility, plus Cameron Craig on the SourceForge Podcast

August rewarded the same provider throughout: the one who can document the work, enroll early, and deliver the hands-on service technology still cannot.

Subscribe to The Genie Journal newsletter: https://go.routegenie.com/newsletter
Broker changes guide: https://routegenie.com/blog/nemt-broker-changes/
Inside the Lamp with BraunAbility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN0Yib8Ho7E

Sources: U.S. Department of Justice, Alabama Governor's Office, West Virginia Department of Health, North Dakota HHS, Wisconsin Examiner, Maine Morning Star, Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Montana DPHHS, TechCrunch, NEMTAC.

Anyone can put a van in a garage and start cutting. That's not the same as building something that's ADA compliant, crash tested, and safe to put a passenger in.

Cameron Craig, CEO of RouteGenie, sits down with Jake Craig and John Maselli from BraunAbility's retail commercial team — the company Ralph Braun started after fabricating his own wheelchair lift on a postal Jeep in a Winamac, Indiana garage.

They answer the question every new provider asks first: can I use my own vehicle for NEMT? From there, what ADA compliance and crash testing actually require, how to match vehicle type to the service you're running, what to inspect before buying used, why the list of minivan platforms keeps shrinking, and where electric and autonomous really stand — including the question nobody in the AV conversation is answering. When the van pulls up with no driver, who secures the wheelchair?

Straight answers on buying, converting, and compliance. No sales pitch.

(00:00) Cold open
(01:25) Welcome and introductions
(03:25) The Ralph Braun origin story
(06:08) Where demand for accessible transport is heading
(07:31) Why minivans became the NEMT workhorse
(08:31) What a real conversion involves
(10:08) Paratransit vs. retail commercial: BraunAbility's two sides
(11:06) What to ask before buying your first NEMT vehicle
(13:28) "Can I use my own vehicle for NEMT?"
(13:54) ADA, crash testing, and the 350,000-mile durability test
(17:33) Buying a used accessible vehicle secondhand
(18:33) Minivan supply and the shrinking platform list
(21:05) Electric: Sienna hybrid, Kia PV5, and the E-Transit lesson
(22:57) Autonomous vehicles and the securement problem
(24:25) May Mobility, neighborhood EVs, and Q'STRAINT
(27:58) What's next: long-wheelbase Sienna and an NEMT-equipped minivan
(30:20) Why NEMT policy needs to catch up with innovation
(32:23) Wrap-up

Guests: Jake Craig, Senior National Account Manager, Retail Commercial Vehicles at BraunAbility. John Maselli, National Account Manager, Retail Commercial Vehicles at BraunAbility. BraunAbility manufactures wheelchair accessible vehicles and lifts, sold exclusively through its dealer network.

Inside the Lamp is your go-to podcast for everything NEMT and RouteGenie software, hosted by Cameron Craig, CEO of RouteGenie.

Want to be a guest? Fill out the form: https://forms.gle/dATuK6brMqghWBpw7RouteGenie: https://routegenie.com/

Is rideshare a threat to NEMT, or the most useful tool in the toolbox?

Host Jonathon Anthon talks with Chas McCarthy, General Manager at Orqa Group, who has spent nearly two decades across the NEMT ecosystem in operations, provider relations, and broker management. Chas covers what makes the broker and provider relationship work, why rideshare has matured into an asset rather than a disruptor, and how aligning stakeholders around one definition of success leads to better outcomes for patients, providers, brokers, and payers. He also shares how endurance sports and the volunteer fire service shaped his approach to leadership and discipline.

Practical listening for anyone who runs or dispatches for an NEMT company.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

0:22 Meet Chas McCarthy

0:44 Two decades across the NEMT ecosystem

2:26 What triathlons and the fire service taught him about leadership

4:02 What a strong broker and provider relationship looks like

6:47 Rideshare in NEMT: no longer the threat everyone feared

7:40 Finding rideshare's place in the toolbox

10:24 A hospital discharge story: why speed matters

11:54 How rideshare frees capacity for rural and long-distance trips

12:40 Rates, cost savings, and reinvesting in providers

13:19 Getting every stakeholder on the same page

15:54 Acting as one team, not separate organizations

16:44 GPS mandates and the New York Department of Health

18:41 How to reach Orqa Group and wrap-up

RouteGenie: https://routegenie.com

The Genie Journal newsletter: https://go.routegenie.com/newsletter

July was a month about proof, and the providers who can document clean trips are pulling ahead. This month's Genie Journal Recap covers the regulatory, financial, and operational shifts shaping medical transportation, plus what each one means for providers.

In this episode:

• Ohio SB 315 makes GPS-confirmed pickup, transport, and drop-off a condition of payment for NEMT, phasing in over 18 months
• Iowa stands up a Medicaid Fraud Elimination Task Force with EVV in focus and a strategy due in 120 days
• Federal officials defer more than $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota while documentation is verified (deferrals, not cuts)
• California raises its managed care tax to backfill Medi-Cal money, and Oregon weighs a broad spending adjustment while NEMT stays a mandatory benefit
• Illinois and Texas Blue Cross Medicaid plans move from Modivcare to MTM Health on October 1, plus leadership shuffles at both brokers
• The FTA opens roughly $12 million in coordination funding at up to an 80% federal share, due September 9
• A DC robotaxi bill never mentions wheelchairs, and why that gap is a moat for accessible providers
• Deep Read: a Michigan State University study finds unreliable transportation a stronger predictor of missed care than illness itself
• RouteGenie product news: passenger language support across 15 languages, and smarter per-position multi-load pricing

Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:22 July's theme: proof
0:29 Ohio SB 315 and GPS-confirmed payment
0:59 Iowa's Medicaid Fraud Elimination Task Force
1:28 $1B+ in Medicaid deferrals (California, Minnesota)
1:55 California's managed care tax and HR One
2:19 Oregon's Medicaid gap
2:49 Blue Cross drops Modivcare for MTM (IL and TX)
3:23 MTM and Modivcare leadership moves
3:49 FTA opens $12M in coordination funding
4:31 The DC robotaxi bill and the accessibility gap
5:06 Deep Read: transportation insecurity study
5:50 Blog: 10 NEMT conferences worth attending in 2026
6:15 RouteGenie at NEMTAC Transform, Booth 228
6:32 Product news: 15-language passenger support
6:54 Product news: smarter multi-load pricing
7:20 Wrap-up

Full breakdown and source links: The RouteGenie Journal → https://go.routegenie.com/newsletter
Blog mentioned: https://routegenie.com/blog/nemt-conferences
See us in person: RouteGenie at Booth 228, NEMTAC Transform, August 16–19, JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes

Sources this month: Ohio and Iowa governors' offices, Axios, the Associated Press, Mercury News, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Newswire, Business Wire, Tech Times, Electrek, and a Michigan State University study in the journal Sustainability.

Gas prices have fallen for five straight weeks, and if you run a fleet, you'll feel it. In this month's Genie Journal Recap, we cover what moved in medical transportation in June — from the pump to the statehouse.

This episode covers:

• Fuel prices — The national average hit $3.91/gallon on June 25, the fifth consecutive weekly decline. What's driving it and what it means for fleet operations.
• Colorado — Governor Polis signed HB 26-1328, one of the most comprehensive NEMT modernization bills of 2026. Plus: the MediDrive broker transition takes effect July 1, and providers need to be ready.
• Maryland — CMS approved a new state plan amendment requiring Medicaid NEMT to cover lodging and meals for qualifying members.
• Minnesota — A five-month revalidation sweep of 5,583 high-risk Medicaid providers produced 3,411 disenrollment notices. NEMT providers were caught in the wave.
• Ohio — SB 315 names NEMT providers directly in new GPS and electronic verification requirements, moving EVV from best practice to law.
• Federal policy — KFF breaks down what the 2025 reconciliation law means for NEMT reimbursement starting in 2029, and CMS consolidates its technology functions under a new office.

The Genie Journal Recap is RouteGenie's monthly update on the regulatory, financial, and operational shifts shaping medical transportation. New episodes every month.

Follow the show so you don't miss the next one.

What if the fastest path to doubling your NEMT revenue had nothing to do with Medicaid? In this episode of Inside the Lamp, NEMT consultant and sales expert Joe Siddle joins RouteGenie Co-Founder and Growth Partner Jonathon Anthon to share the exact strategy he's used to help NEMT providers break into school transportation contracts and unlock a whole new revenue stream.

Joe walks through his proven approach to winning school contracts, including a real-world example of 40 daily trips translating to $200K a month in additional billing. He covers how to research your market, size up the competition, close the deal, and why saying "yes" to opportunities outside the typical NEMT lane builds the kind of reputation that compounds over time.

Jonathon also shares the RouteGenie features that make scaling into student and non-NEMT transportation actually manageable, from contract templates to passenger app notifications.

What you'll hear:0:47 Joe Siddle's background2:16 The step-by-step process of an NEMT consultant4:33 Post-sale marketing and contract execution8:59 RouteGenie features that make growing your business easier12:08 RouteGenie templates for non-NEMT transportation12:53 RouteGenie passenger app and notifications13:54 How to reach Joe Siddle

Want to be a guest on Inside the Lamp? Fill out the invite form: https://forms.gle/dATuK6brMqghWBpw7

Want to see how RouteGenie helps NEMT providers diversify and scale?Book a demo: https://routegenie.com/get-a-demo/Call: 1 (877) 599-6560

Connect with RouteGenie:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/routegenie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/routegenie/X: https://twitter.com/theroutegenieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/routegenie/

Disclaimer: The information provided in this episode does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal, financial, medical, or business advice. All content is for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the most up-to-date information.

May was the most decisive month of state level NEMT modernization this year. Colorado passed HB 26 1328, Wisconsin selected Verita as its new Medicaid NEMT vendor, and Massachusetts committed $15.66 million for 131 wheelchair accessible vans. On the federal side, CMS deferred $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments to California, HHS OIG launched reviews of every state Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and 15 people were charged in a $90 million Minnesota Medicaid fraud case.

Inside the Lamp, we published a new case study on 360 Quality Care in Saint Louis, and this month's product release brings faster invoicing, an 837P billing fix, and Lightning Assign updates.

Chapters:00:00 Welcome and what mattered in May00:20 Three state moves: Colorado, Wisconsin, Massachusetts00:30 Colorado HB 26 1328 passes State Senate01:03 Industry response: Tyler Bors O'Leary, MedRide01:38 Wisconsin selects Verita as new Medicaid NEMT vendor02:11 Fourth major broker change of 202602:31 Massachusetts $15.66M Community Transit Program funding03:28 Federal compliance push hits a new gear03:43 $1.3 billion California Medicaid deferral03:57 HHS OIG launches MFCU reviews04:14 Minnesota: 15 charged in $90M Medicaid fraud case04:41 Rising compliance baseline for Medicaid providers05:05 NEMTAC CSO Instructor Bridge course launches05:41 Inside the Lamp: 360 Quality Care case study06:31 Product release: invoice speed, 837P billing fix, Lightning Assign07:05 Wrap up and what it all means

What does it take to run nearly 2 million NEMT trips a year and earn NEMTAC's 2025 Broker of the Year? In this episode of Inside the Lamp, we find out.

We sit down with Gabe Erwin, Sr. Director of Client Engagement and Market Strategy at Provide A Ride, the Cleveland-based hybrid broker and fleet operator that's redefining what payers can expect from their NEMT partners. By blending network management with direct transportation operations, Provide A Ride controls costs, enforces accountability, and stays ahead of rising payer demands.

Gabe shares what makes a veteran NEMT organization resilient, how brokerage and fleet operations actually coexist day to day, the KPIs that matter most, the tools that keep the operation running, and the single biggest piece of advice he has for NEMT operators today.

What you'll hear:0:43 Guest introduction1:15 Gabe's background at Provide A Ride4:10 What it means to be a veteran NEMT organization, and Provide A Ride's strategy for resilience6:50 How to navigate a changing NEMT environment9:39 How brokerage and fleet operations coexist day to day11:04 The operational advantages of a broker running its own fleet13:15 How to earn a NEMTAC Broker of the Year award15:25 What payers are demanding from brokers and transportation providers today17:14 The most important KPIs to track19:46 The essential tools for running an efficient NEMT operation23:59 The biggest piece of advice for NEMT operators

Want to be a guest on Inside the Lamp? Fill out the invite form: https://forms.gle/dATuK6brMqghWBpw7

Become a transportation provider for Provide A Ride: https://providearide.com/Provide A Ride on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/provide-a-ride-ohio

Want to see how RouteGenie helps NEMT brokers and providers scale efficient operations?Book a demo: https://routegenie.com/get-a-demo/Call: 1 (877) 599-6560

Connect with RouteGenie:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/routegenie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/routegenieX: https://x.com/TheRouteGenieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/routegenie/

Disclaimer: This content is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, medical, or professional advice. Requirements, regulations, and practices may vary by jurisdiction and change over time.

What does it actually take to build an NEMT partnership that holds up over time? Recorded live from Inside the Lamp LIVE in Dallas, just ahead of NEMTAC Transform 2025, this episode brings back one of the most thoughtful operators in the industry.

RouteGenie Co-Founder and ITL host Jonathon Anthon sits down with Stephen Newman, CEO of 360 Quality Care + Transport Services in St. Louis, to talk through the real story behind their partnership: how it started, the challenges they worked through, and what the road ahead looks like. Jonathon shares where he sees AI reshaping NEMT, and Stephen makes a strong case for raising the bar on service quality through a value-based approach to medical transportation.

If you're an NEMT provider thinking about quality over quantity, or wondering what the next decade looks like for the industry, this conversation is for you.

What you'll hear:0:10 Meet the guest0:30 How RouteGenie transformed 360 Transport2:30 What drives RouteGenie3:20 The journey of the partnership5:00 No partnership is perfect, but trust is priceless7:00 A decade of NEMT progress, and why AI is a gamechanger9:00 Priority Medical Transportation: quality over quantity, value over volume9:50 Why attend NEMTAC12:22 Inside the Lamp LIVE

Want to see how RouteGenie helps NEMT providers scale through stronger partnerships?Book a demo: https://routegenie.com/get-a-demo/Call: 1 (877) 599-6560

Connect with RouteGenie:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/routegenie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/routegenie/X: https://twitter.com/theroutegenieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/routegenie/

Disclaimer: The information provided in this episode does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal, financial, medical, or business advice. All content is for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the most up-to-date information.

Ever wondered what's actually happening on the broker side of every NEMT trip? In this episode of Inside the Lamp, we sit down with Ben Salter, Co-Founder and CPO at SafeRide Health and a member of the NEMTAC Technology Advisory Committee, to pull back the curtain.

To mark RouteGenie's official integration with SafeRide Health, Ben breaks down how NEMT brokers really operate, who sets the requirements behind broker contracts, and why API integration has become essential for efficient, reliable communication between brokers, providers, and health plans. SafeRide brings a tech-driven, human-centered approach to NEMT, connecting health plans and providers across all 50 states plus Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands to deliver safe rides for Medicaid and Medicare members.

If you're a provider trying to understand what brokers expect, or weighing what an API connection actually changes day to day, this one is worth a listen.

What you'll hear:1:16 The story of SafeRide Health3:15 How NEMT brokers operate3:56 NEMT contract requirements explained6:16 How API integration helps NEMT brokers7:53 Why seamless communication is essential in NEMT8:48 What happens when a broker has no API connection10:13 The Lyft and Uber API experience11:51 How to become a transportation provider for SafeRide

Want to see how RouteGenie helps NEMT providers integrate with brokers and run a smarter operation?Book a demo: https://routegenie.com/get-a-demo/Call: 1 (877) 599-6560

Connect with RouteGenie:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/routegenie/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/routegenie/X: https://twitter.com/theroutegenieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/routegenie/

Disclaimer: The information provided in this episode does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal, financial, medical, or business advice. All content is for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the most up-to-date information.