Two numbers explain a lot of what's straining non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) operations right now. Annual driver turnover in NEMT runs north of 64% in several US markets. And every time a fleet has to replace a driver, building that driver's qualification file (background check, credentialing, documentation) takes 2 to 3 weeks and runs $285 to $600, before wheelchair-securement training is even factored in.

That combination, high turnover paired with slow, expensive credentialing, means fleets and brokers are constantly playing catch-up just to keep enough qualified drivers on the road, let alone grow capacity to meet rising patient demand. 

Where coordination software fits in 

Digital booking has already gone mainstream on the patient and caregiver side: more than half of patients now book NEMT trips through a digital platform rather than a phone call. But booking is only the first step. The harder problem is what happens after the ride is requested: confirming the patient still needs it, tracking the trip in real time, catching a no-show before it happens, and producing a clean, auditable record for Medicaid or broker billing.

That's the layer Curb Health operates in. It's a HIPAA-compliant coordination platform that lets care coordinators book, track, and bill NEMT rides (on demand or scheduled) from one dashboard or API, with automated patient notifications and real-time trip visibility built in. 

Why compliance keeps getting harder, not easier

Several states are actively restructuring their NEMT broker models this year and every one of those transitions means new documentation and audit requirements layered on top of an already thin driver bench. Platforms that build HIPAA compliance and clean billing records into the workflow, rather than reconciling everything after the fact, are the ones that survive a broker transition without a service gap.

We'll be at NEMTAC Transform

If you're navigating any of this (a broker transition, a driver shortage, or just an outdated booking process) we'll be at NEMTAC Transform 2026, August 16 to 19 in Orlando. Stop by booth 321 to talk it through.
‍