What payers look for
The fields vary by broker and plan, but a trip record that holds up usually has the driver’s name and the vehicle, the member’s name and ID, the actual pickup and drop-off times, the full addresses, loaded miles, the authorization number, the signatures the payer requires and GPS evidence that the van was there.
Each broker wants its own columns in its own order, often as a spreadsheet uploaded to its portal.
Manifests
A manifest is the run’s plan: every pickup and drop-off in order with times, addresses and rider notes. Brokers may require manifests, and drivers without a phone app work from a printed one.
Why it matters
Most NEMT denials come back to a trip record that was incomplete or didn’t match: a missing signature, times outside the window, or miles that don’t agree. Keeping records for years matters too, because payer audits look back.
Going deeper: NEMT trip sheets: what payers and brokers ask for, and how to keep them complete
Related terms
- Run (route)A run, also called a route, is the ordered list of pickups and drop-offs one van and driver will do in a shift.
- Loaded milesLoaded miles are the miles a vehicle drives with the rider on board, from pickup to drop-off.
- 837P claim (CMS-1500)An 837P is the standard electronic file for a professional health care claim, and the CMS-1500 is the paper form with the same content.
- 835 remittance (ERA)An 835, or electronic remittance advice (ERA), is the file a payer sends back after processing claims.
- Payer (funding source)The payer, also called the funding source, is whoever pays for a trip leg: a broker, a health plan directly, Medi-Cal fee-for-service, a facility, a workers’ compensation administrator or the rider.