The Lorain County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 24 authorized purchase-of-service agreements with four transportation providers to deliver nonemergency medical transportation (NEMT) services for Medicaid recipients in federal fiscal year 2026.

Job and Family Services Director Chris Cabot told the board the county and its providers collectively made roughly 35,000 trips last year for about 800 Medicaid recipients. Cabot said the county aims to use internal capacity (Lorain County Transit) where possible and that the agreements provide for oversight and deliverables to ensure services meet contract terms.

The four agreements approved are: America's Cab Transportation Inc. (Cleveland) for up to $750,000; Rakesh Marenjan, MD and Associates, DBA Cherry Center for Health and Wellness (Garfield Heights) for up to $450,000; Lorain County Transit (Elyria) for up to $450,000; and DND Bridal LLC (Berlin Heights) for up to $250,000. Each agreement is effective retroactive to Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026, and is to be paid from the county’s Medicaid net funds account, as recorded in the meeting packet.

Commissioners asked whether the services were competitively bid and whether the county had oversight in place. Cabot said the contracts cover a mix of providers; he confirmed the county is “already beginning” oversight processes and is using Lorain County Transit where practical to maximize internal capacity. He also said the 35,000-trip figure represents annual trips across all providers, with larger contractors historically providing up to roughly 12,000 trips and smaller ones fewer.

Commissioners voted to approve each agreement during the meeting.