With Lyft Business, quality care for patients and healthcare members doesn't have to end at the hospital doors. Learn more about Lyft Business healthcare in this article.
In this article, we'll cover:
What is Lyft Business for healthcare?
Transportation should not be an obstacle for taking care of healthcare needs. Lyft Business enables your organization to provide transportation alternatives to help get patients to and from their destinations.
-
Better patient flow and adherence to appointments
Help your patients get to their appointments on time with Lyft, with or without a smartphone. Our Concierge platform allows you to request rides on behalf of riders. -
Increase access to care for all
For those who previously didn't have access to a stable means of transportation, Lyft has a 95% coverage area in the United States. Patients and members can rely on Lyft's driver network to get to and from their appointments. -
Improve elderly mobility
Lyft is a curb-to-curb transportation option that can help elderly members get back out into the community — whether it be a doctor's appointment, a trip to the grocery store, or the gym. -
Reduce costs around your transportation programs
Lyft Business as a transportation solution is 20-30% cheaper than taxis. -
Transparency into patient transportation usage and reporting
Keep track of current patient rides with online, real-time GPS tracking. Lyft Business reporting tools will also help your organization gain clearer visibility into transportation trends for better management of your transportation programs.
Frequently asked questions about Lyft Business for healthcare
Can Lyft accommodate wheelchairs?
Lyft can accommodate wheelchairs and walkers that can safely and securely fit in the trunk or backseat of the car without obstructing the driver's view. Some cities offer wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV), but this is only supported through the consumer app and not through our Concierge platform. Learn more about Lyft's wheelchair policy.
Do drivers assist riders in and out of their car?
Some drivers may help a rider in and out of their vehicle, but it is not mandatory for the driver. If your rider needs assistance in and out of the car, we recommend calling the driver once the ride has been matched to ask if they are willing to help, or write instructions for assisting your rider in the “Driver Notes” section in Concierge.
Do you have a tool that allows for multi-stop rides for picking up prescriptions after healthcare visits?
If a rider is looking to make multiple stops, you can send them multiple flexible rides to get to all the stops they need to make after a healthcare visit. Flexible rides allow riders to call a Lyft ride when it's convenient for them using a link sent to them via SMS text. Learn more about flexible rides.
At this time, regularly scheduled rides in Concierge do not accommodate multi-stop rides.
I’ve noticed drivers sometimes accept then cancel the ride when they realize the rider is a senior. What are your policies around this sort of behavior and what does Lyft do to prevent this?
At Lyft, we're committed to ensuring transportation options are available to all. Our Anti-Discrimination policies state that discrimination against riders or drivers on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, age, or sexual orientation is not allowed, and can result in deactivation from the platform. Learn more about our Anti-Discrimination Policies.
Do your drivers wait more than 5 minutes for seniors?
Drivers are instructed to wait 5-minutes and call all riders prior to canceling a ride. We do not have separate rules for seniors. It is encouraged to give the driver a call if you think it may take longer than 5-minutes for the senior to make it to the vehicle.
Most of our riders don’t have cell phones. How do they communicate with drivers?
You can use our Concierge platform to request a ride for a rider who does not have a mobile phone. In this case, we highly recommend ensuring that the Concierge coordinator has a way to convey the details of the ride to the rider, such as the license plate number, car type, and driver name since the rider won't be able to receive the SMS texts that would normally convey this information. When the ride is matched with a driver, the Concierge coordinator will be able to view the ride details live in Concierge.
Are drivers specifically trained to transport patients and/or healthcare members?
There is currently no specialized training that our drivers go through that is tailored to transporting patients and healthcare members, but all of our drivers must pass a background check and complete the onboarding process prior to driving for Lyft.
Are drivers notified that they are transporting a patient or healthcare member when they are matched with the ride?
No, drivers are not informed through the app that the ride is for a healthcare partner or requested by a Concierge coordinator. However, when the driver receives a "Driver Note" via SMS text, it is usually an indicator to the driver that it is a special type of ride.
What do I do if my patient leaves their prescriptions in the car and they need them returned immediately?
Please refer to the Lyft Business lost and found article that instructs who to contact for lost and found items, depending on the type of ride that was taken.
Why did I receive a Standard HIPAA BAA in an email?
If you are a healthcare provider who serves patients and orders transportation for them via Lyft's platform and do not have a BAA with Lyft, we email a copy of a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (“BAA”) to you. The purpose is to ensure that both Lyft and our healthcare customers are complying with HIPAA requirements when we use “Protected Health Information” (“PHI”) of patients in the course of ordering and matching rides on our transportation platform. Lyft follows HIPAA regulations as required to ensure that patient PHI is used and disclosed in a compliant manner.
Additionally, if you are a healthcare provider entity but use Lyft only for employee travel, or if you have a BAA with Lyft in place or in process, please disregard the standard BAA you are sent via Lyft’s automated email system.