WOW! UBER NOW OFFERING FREE TRIPS TO DOCTOR VISITS!
From first dates, to girls nights and trips to our favorite restaurants, we have all used Uber for everything under the sun. Every year, 3.6 million Americans miss doctor appointments due to a lack of reliable transportation.* No-show rates are as high as 30% nationwide.** And while transportation barriers are common across the general population, these barriers are greatest for vulnerable populations, including patients with the highest burden of chronic disease.
According to Uber, the service allows healthcare professionals to order rides for patients going to and from the care they need. Once the ride is completed, the organization (meaning the doctor's office or the hospital) will be billed, not the patient. To get a ride via Uber Health, patients don't need to have the Uber app (or even an iPhone): Everything is arranged through text messages and is also HIPAA Compliant, which means there is no risk of private patient information leak at risk.
Uber health is touted as a way to partner with healthcare organizations to provide reliable, comfortable transportation for patients and it offers:
- Flexible ride scheduling for patients, caregivers and staff. Coordinators can schedule rides on behalf of patients, caregivers and staff to take place immediately, within a few hours, or up to 30 days in advance. This allows for transportation to be scheduled for follow-up appointments while still at the healthcare facility. Multiple rides can be scheduled and managed at the same time, all from a single dashboard.
- Access for patients without a smartphone. Riders don’t need the Uber app, or even a smartphone, to get a ride with Uber Health because it’s all done through text message. There will also be an option for riders to receive a call with trip details to their mobile phone or landline instead.
- Simple billing, reporting, and management. Organizations can easily keep track of what they’re spending on rides. Reporting on requested rides and viewing monthly billing statements, appointments, and scheduling reports is simple.