Rep. Zeleznikar Raises Concerns Over DHS Termination Impacting Patient Transportation

ST. PAUL, MN — Representative Natalie Zeleznikar (R-Fredenberg Township) is raising concerns following the Minnesota Department of Human Services decision to immediately terminate a non-emergency medical transportation provider’s enrollment in the Minnesota Health Care Programs system.

According to the provider, DHS conducted an unannounced site visit at its Pine City office and the company fully cooperated with the inspection. The provider was later informed its enrollment was terminated due to an alleged failure to disclose a management official, citing a scheduling manager who is not an officer of the company.

“This provider cooperated fully with DHS during its inspection, yet months later was terminated because a scheduling manager answered the door and assisted inspectors,” said Rep. Zeleznikar. “The company has the right to appeal, but the termination remains in effect while that process plays out.”

The provider has indicated it intends to appeal the decision. In the meantime, patients who rely on transportation services for medical appointments could face disruptions.

“A simple deficiency notice and opportunity to correct the record could have resolved this issue immediately,” Zeleznikar said. “Instead, DHS chose immediate termination, putting patients at risk of losing access to critical transportation for treatments and appointments. Government enforcement should protect patients, not create unnecessary barriers to care.”

June 1, 2026, was the federal recertification deadline for certain healthcare providers. This revalidation process includes site visits and documentation reviews to ensure program integrity.

The concern is how the state is handling providers that were still awaiting review when the deadline arrived. Because the DHS had not completed processing all providers by June 1, many non-emergency medical transportation providers in Greater Minnesota are seeing their status changed from pending to terminated. As a result, Medical Assistance clients, including dialysis patients and others who depend on reliable transportation for life-sustaining care, could face significant disruptions.

Rep. Zeleznikar received calls throughout the day from affected providers and contacted the Department of Human Services after learning that one transportation provider’s enrollment was terminated over what appears to be a clerical error that could have been easily corrected.

Several other providers, some of which have served their communities for 40 to 60 years, reported that they submitted all required documentation on time and were awaiting DHS review. Despite meeting their obligations, their status has now changed from pending to terminated due to processing delays within the department.

Here are companies to call for verification.

1.Sue, Northern Access for Duluth (320) 260-0250

2. Scott Issacson, Lifts Transportation (651) 303-7876

3 Jeremy Carlson, Innovative Human Services (218) 590-6692

4. Brian Annis, Trillium (949) 903-3164