FAQs

A receivership is a legal process in which a court-appointed official – the receiver – takes custody and control of a company’s assets and operations for purposes set forth by the court. The receiver is an officer of the court and has an obligation to act in the best interests of the receivership and for the benefit of creditors. The purpose of a receivership is to protect, as much as possible, the creditors and customers of a company that is unable to pay its bills. 

Hamstreet & Associates, the receiver for GridWorks, is a neutral third-party that specializes in managing through situations like this one. As the receiver, Hamstreet has been granted special powers by the court to facilitate an orderly transition of services from GridWorks to CareOregon and its partners. The receiver is now in charge of GridWorks and working closely with Health Share and CareOregon to promote the best possible result under the circumstances.

Since its launch in June of 2018, GridWorks has encountered significant financial difficulties. Those difficulties became severe in November when GridWorks learned that it did not win its bid for the Ride to Care contract. Under the circumstances it became clear that GridWorks could not continue in business. The company was unable to pay its debts as they became due, rendering it insolvent.

Often, companies in this kind of situation have to shut down immediately, because they cannot ask vendors to provide services they cannot pay for.  In GridWorks’ case, however, because of the important nature of its services providing medically necessary rides to a vulnerable population, a sudden shutdown would have been extremely disruptive to the lives of thousands of people in the Portland metro area. The Receivership is a solution intended to keep GridWorks’ operations running through the transition of its services to the new contract holders. Health Share has stepped in and agreed to fund GridWorks during this period while the Receiver is in charge.

GridWorks has funding from Health Share to pay vendors for services provided during the receivership, including the period from December 1, 2019, forward. By order of the court, however, GridWorks cannot pay for services provided by vendors prior to December 1, 2019. Debts incurred by GridWorks for services performed prior to December 1 are frozen and can only be dealt with through the receivership process.

In an effort to mitigate the hardship on transportation providers caused by missed payments for November rides, GridWorks arranged to make a special payment for December rides earlier than normal. Transportation providers were eligible to receive up to 95% of their estimated December payment during the month of December.  In January 2020, after December rides are fully adjudicated, GridWorks will make a true-up payment to bring all December accounts current. 

Initially it was expected that GridWorks would transition network management and payment responsibilities to CareOregon and/or Ride Connection as of January 1, 2020. Subsequent discussions among the parties led to a change in that plan, so that GridWorks will retain responsibility for the network in the month of January. This means that providers will continue operating under their contracts with GridWorks, and GridWorks, with financial support from Health Share, will continue to fulfill credentialing, payment, and other network management functions through January 31, 2020.  As of February 1, 2020, all network management functions other than dispatch will shift to CareOregon and Ride Connection.  For more information about the transition plan, refer to HEALTH SHARE’S COMMUNICATION OF JANUARY 6, 2020

The receiver does not expect there to be any value remaining in the receivership estate after liquidation of the assets, payment of administrative costs, and payment of claims secured by GridWorks’ assets.  This means that GridWorks is not expected to have funds available to reimburse vendors for services provided prior to December 1, 2020.

Because of this expectation, THE RECEIVERSHIP ORDER provides that: “the Receiver shall not be required to establish a claims bar date or provide for a claims process for creditors holding unsecured claims unless the Receiver determines that there will be a prospect of payment to such creditors after payment of the costs and expenses of the Receivership and all claims secured by assets of the receivership estate.”  

Management of the Ride to Care program is being taken over by CareOregon, which has selected several new partners to fulfill various functions provided by the program.  These partners are:

• Ride Connection, which will provide network contracting and management services;
• ComTrans, which will provide dispatch services and the NEMT same-day and after hours call center; and
• First Transit, which will provide the NEMT daytime call center.

The transition of services to the new partners will take place over the coming months and will be completed in March.  For an overview of the transition plan, please refer to HEALTH SHARE’S COMMUNICATION OF JANUARY 6, 2020.

General inquiries about GridWorks and the receivership can be directed by email to gridworksreceiver@hamstreet.netor to receiver@gridworks-ic.org or by phone to (971) 279-5546.

For questions about provider network operations and payments in December and January please contact Charles Hodge at charles.hodge@gridworks-ic.org.

For questions about new provider contracts, provider network operations, and payments in February and beyond, please contact providersupport@rideconnection.org.

For general questions about the Ride to Care program, please contact medicaltransportation@careoregon.org.  

For questions directed to Health Share of Oregon, please email Jeremy Koehler at koehlerj@healthshareoregon.org.