Lyft Healthcare Now in 21 States, Bringing New Medicaid Transportation Option to Millions
Lyft Healthcare is proud to announce that our transportation network now serves eligible Medicaid patients in New Mexico and Tennessee. Access to Lyft rides is now available to these Medicaid patients through their non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) manager. Additionally, Lyft Assisted is now an approved ride mode for Medicaid beneficiaries in Delaware and Florida who want a little extra help.
Lyft Healthcare now provides access to Medicaid NEMT services in 21 states, covering > 62% Medicaid beneficiaries.
Driving transportation innovation in new Medicaid markets
Our national rideshare platform seamlessly plugs into the existing Medicaid NEMT ecosystem. This enables our partners to request rides via the Lyft network for ambulatory patients, can relieve partners’ operational stresses, and helps ensure supply-constrained ambulances can focus on those who need emergency medical attention.
As the largest funder of NEMT services, Medicaid plays a crucial role in providing transportation access to healthcare services for millions of Americans. According to a recently published study by Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, more than one in five US adults did not get necessary healthcare over the 12 months studied due to the difficulty of finding transportation.
Lyft Healthcare is committed to bridging the transportation gap with convenient and cost-effective solutions. That’s why we’re excited to collaborate with forward-thinking state Medicaid agencies as an approved Medicaid NEMT transportation provider in New Mexico and Tennessee.
New Mexico
On April 5, 2023, New Mexico’s Governor Lujan Grisham signed into law a bill that enables the Medicaid Agency (New Mexico Human Services Department) to authorize Lyft Healthcare as an NEMT provider. This lays the groundwork to fill gaps in the NEMT transportation provider network that affects New Mexicans’ ability to access necessary healthcare services.
Tennessee’s pilot-to-permanent authorization
To address the growing needs in the Tennessee Medicaid NEMT network, the Tennessee State Medicaid Agency (TennCare) authorized a rideshare pilot leveraging Lyft Healthcare as the sole rideshare provider in 2019. After launching in one county, the program soon expanded statewide. Given the success of the pilot program, TennCare permanently authorized the use of Lyft Healthcare for Medicaid NEMT in January 2023.
Expanding our service offerings to meet riders where they are
In addition to our traditional curb-to-curb offering, Lyft Healthcare offers Lyft Assisted for riders who want a little extra assistance getting from their door to their destination. For a Lyft Assisted ride, drivers meet riders at the front door of the home or facility and offer light assistance to and from the car. This may include providing an arm, elbow, or hand to assist with stability. Drivers can also open and close doors and store small personal belongings. Through existing partnerships, Lyft Assisted rides have reduced no-show rates and boosted rider satisfaction.
In 2023, the Medicaid Agencies in Florida and Delaware expanded Lyft Healthcare’s existing curb-to-curb NEMT authorization to include Lyft Assisted, in order to better serve members’ needs with more tailored transportation options.
Building a healthier future through transportation
In light of supply-constrained transportation provider networks, regulators are working to modernize policies to include a network-based approach to healthcare transportation. Together, Lyft Healthcare and Medicaid Agencies are reimagining Medicaid NEMT programs by putting the patient experience front and center and delivering innovative, healthcare-specific solutions.
As demand for cost-effective and reliable transportation continues to grow, Lyft Healthcare is excited to collaborate with state Agencies, health plans, and transportation managers to reduce transportation insecurity and improve access to care. We look forward to building a healthier future by improving transportation options for Medicaid members. Stay tuned for more exciting news in the coming months.