Since 2016, Lyft has worked with healthcare organizations across the country to help communities in need — including low-income individuals, the elderly, and people with disabilities — travel to health services, such as dialysis treatment, chemotherapy, and prenatal care. This work is critically important to the health and well-being of individuals day in and day out.
In light of the COVID-19 crisis, we’re using the expertise of Lyft’s healthcare team to do more to serve urgent public health needs, including helping more patients access life-sustaining medical care, healthcare workers access reliable rides, and hospitals access critical medical supplies.
We recently outlined Lyft’s initial efforts to support drivers and connect people with essential services and goods. Today, we’re sharing an update on the steps we’re taking to address public health needs during the COVID-19 crisis.
Expanding access to non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT)
We recently worked with three Medicaid agencies and our partners to launch rideshare in NEMT programs in Florida, Indiana, and South Carolina. This expansion builds on years of Lyft unlocking access to rideshare for eligible Medicaid patients. Lyft now provides access to rides for eligible Medicaid patients in 10 states plus the District of Columbia, supporting up to 22 million people as they get to and from their health services.
"With the continued need to provide access to essential care for Florida's most vulnerable citizens, we must do everything we can to find innovative, affordable solutions. I'm proud to have sponsored legislation to make it easier for eligible Medicaid patients to have access to essential health services through rideshare. I'm pleased to see that as a result of this bill, Lyft rides are now taking place for eligible patients across the state."
- Representative Daniel Perez, Florida 116th District
The American healthcare system is under immense strain and spread thin, but many non-COVID patients still need access to routine medical care — and if they go without care, their long term health may suffer and require costly interventions. Lyft can play an important role in helping people get to essential health services — especially Medicaid members, who often cannot afford transportation.
Providing access to transportation for essential healthcare workers
Healthcare workers on the front lines are heroes, and we want to make sure they have access to safe and reliable transportation. In the last week, Lyft has secured new partnerships with over a dozen health systems in the U.S., helping more than 10,000 essential workers across more than 160 hospitals and clinics get to and from work.
Our new and expanded partnerships include CommonSpirit Health, Henry Ford Health System, University of Maryland Medical Center, AMITA Health, and many more. We’re also providing free access to scooter trips and bikeshare across 10 cities for essential healthcare workers at hospitals and health systems, including Rush Medical Center and Mount Sinai Health System.
“As the COVID-19 crisis persists, we are doing everything we can to protect the health and safety of our essential employees. We’re proud to partner with Lyft on a commute program that both supports public health and meets the transportation needs of our healthcare workers on the front lines each day."
- Evan Rothenberg, Director of Recreation at Mount Sinai Health System
Connecting drivers with additional sources of income through healthcare deliveries
We’re actively expanding our platform services to include delivery partnerships with healthcare organizations to create new opportunities for drivers and facilitate much needed services.
We’re launching partnerships with organizations daily to deliver food and medical supplies to those in need, including organizations like Army of Angels, as well as Amerigroup Tennessee (Anthem) and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, where Lyft drivers will be delivering meals to Amerigroup’s members.
Lyft can play an essential role supporting public health and helping keep our communities safe during this crisis. Today more than ever, we have a shared responsibility to support each other, and we’ll continue to do everything we can to help make reliable transportation available to patients and healthcare workers during these challenging times.