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Heath Sampson is president and CEO of Modivcare.
At Modivcare, our mission is simple: provide access to the care that matters for those who need it most. That commitment is especially true in Maine. For over a decade we’ve been a proud partner to the state, delivering non-emergency transportation to tens of thousands of MaineCare members every month.
I’m concerned for the Mainers we serve by the recent calls by some elected officials to rebid the MaineCare transportation contract. It risks disrupting services so many Mainers depend on. While I fully respect our leaders’ commitment to oversight, these calls overlook the complexity of this work, our performance data that tells the full story, and the local impact Modivcare delivers every day.
Transportation isn’t just about getting from Point A to Point B. It’s about making sure a cancer patient doesn’t miss their lifesaving treatments. It’s about helping someone living with complex health needs get to their follow-up appointment, allowing them to continue living a healthy, independent life at home. It’s about access, reliability, and trust.
In Maine, Modivcare provides more than 80,000 rides a month across five regions — over half of all MaineCare rides statewide. The state’s own performance data shows Modivcare consistently outperforms other transportation providers in key metrics like call response times, missed trips, and on-time arrivals.
Are there challenges? Of course. No program of this size is without areas to improve. When issues occur, especially outside our regions but wrongly attributed to Modivcare, we work hard to correct the record and continue improving. We ensure that each member served by Modivcare is provided high-quality service.
Since launching service here, we’ve strengthened our network, implemented new training, expanded our local team, and built strong partnerships with transportation providers from across the state. Modivcare has been and will continue to be by Mainers for Mainers.
We’ve also continued operations throughout the protest of the contract, while $750 million in awarded funding is held up and inaccessible. Our mission demands it, and Mainers deserve stability. We’re committed to our members and to our Maine team.
Modivcare employs 117 Mainers and partners with dozens of local transportation companies, providing good jobs and strong relationships that support the health of our community’s economic growth. A contract rebid would put those jobs and service at risk during a time when Maine families and businesses alike need stability, not disruption. At Modivcare, we are committed to the growth of Maine communities. We know firsthand the positive impact that our job creation has on Maine communities, and we aim to continue this growth to promote stability within the areas we serve. A contract rebid would threaten this growth, impacting Mainers throughout the state.
We’re proud of our performance, our people, and, most of all, our service to the state of Maine. We remain ready to deliver the highest standard of access to care and to continue building on the progress we’ve made. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the state to make this happen.
Instead of starting over, let’s keep working together to make what’s working even stronger. Let’s continue ensuring each Mainer has reliable access to the care that they need. That’s what Mainers deserve and that’s what we’ll deliver.
