Lyft launched a program that will let health care organizations send patients prepaid passes that they can use to schedule rides to doctor's appointments.
Lyft's health care transportation program
Megan Callahan, the vice president of Lyft Healthcare, stated that they have automated an important piece of health access that allows patients to be self-sufficient and in control, while allowing their partners to focus on the services that they provide, instead of administrative processes.
The program is called Lyft Pass for Healthcare.
It lets health care organizations or social services agencies create a budget and set approved pickup and drop off locations for patients. They can share the pass with the patients, who can later apply it to their rides to doctor's appointments.
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Non-emergency medical transportation is estimated to be a $3 billion market.
Transportation is a major barrier to health care, and millions of people each year put off medical appointments because they do not have a way to get to them.
Lyft already partners with numerous health care organizations to schedule trips for patients, but the new program aims to make it easier for patients to request trips themselves in the app, instead of waiting for the health system to schedule them.
Meanwhile, Lyft's competitor, Uber, has a similar medical transportation program called Uber Health. The program was launched in 2018, and it also lets health care providers book rides for patients, according to The Verge.
Lyft and Uber's health care expansion
Ride share giants Lyft and Uber started rolling out an array of new products and services last year as medical care providers and health insurers look to improve health outcomes and increase patient satisfaction by addressing social determinants of health.
In 2020, Lyft stated that it was partnering with the fast-growing social care coordination platform called Unite Us that uses its technology to connect healthcare and providers of social services, as per Forbes.
Financial terms of the partnership between Lyft and Unite Us have not been discussed. But the company had other high-profile deals include on that was formed in 2020 with CVS Health and its Aetna health insurance unit.
During the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, health care organizations and insurers moved beyond simply treating medical care to addressing isolation, loneliness, food insecurity, housing and other social determinants.
Health care providers thought outside of the box and improved access to social care services under a value-based approach that delivers care at the right time and the right amount, according to Business Insider.
Coordinators and service providers who use Unite Us to make social care referrals can order or schedule a Lyft ride on-demand to help patients access the care that they need to live better lives, Lyft's statement noted.
Lyft added that the national partnership will help meet the increasing demand for health and social care services in communities across the country. Now, with Lyft's new program, health care organizations can cater to more patients and help them with their rides.
Meanwhile, Uber Health rolled out several new patient-centric product features over the past few months. The features include direct driver messaging that allows healthcare providers to message drivers directly on their driver app in what Uber hopes will make pickup easier and faster.
Last month, Uber launched Uber Green in London to back up its clean air plan and to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide.
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Written by Sieeka Khan
