Unfortunately, many people with healthcare needs can’t make it to each doctor’s appointment.
Over 3.5 million Americans miss their doctor’s appointments or delay getting medical care each year because they can’t secure transportation.
Uber launched a program called Uber Health to help fix this problem.
It’s a system that helps solve all the problems facing doctors and their patients who struggle to obtain quality transport to and from each appointment.
Doctors get a simple way to order rides for patients.
Their patients don’t need to do anything but get in and out of each Uber ride their doctor sends out to them.
Uber drivers benefit as well because Uber Health creates more demand for Uber rides.
If you’re interested in learning more, below is a complete guide to everything you need to know about Uber Health.
What Is Uber Health?
Uber Health is a service that focuses on helping people get to and from their doctor appointments or other medical procedures.
Uber drivers provide the rides, but the patients getting picked up and dropped off aren’t the people who schedule the rides in advance.
Healthcare organizations sign up for the program and initiate each required ride for their patients.
They’re also the entity paying for each ride.
It’s an extra service they can offer to their patients.
The doctors’ offices schedule rides for patients and they are picked up by regular Uber drivers.
This is not medical transport like an ambulance, it is like Veyo, basic transportation to and from scheduled medical appointments.
How Does Uber Health Work?
Since Uber Health works fundamentally different from regular Uber services such as UberX or Uber Eats, let’s further clarify how it all works.
Overall Concept
Uber realized that many patients couldn’t receive necessary healthcare for the simple reason that they don’t have reliable transportation to their doctor’s office.
It’s a problem that Uber already knows how to solve.
With that, a new concept was born.
Uber decided to start offering a reliable option that benefits doctors and their patients.
Patients aren’t the only people negatively affected when they need to cancel appointments.
The doctors can’t efficiently run their practices when several patients per week fail to show when scheduled.
Once Uber recognized these two significant issues, it realized that its service was already uniquely positioned to solve both problems.
From there, Uber simply needed to solve the tech involved with connecting a doctor’s office to the Uber app.
The company launched the program as one of its new features in March of 2018.
Key Features
Several features make Uber Health attractive to doctors and patients.
Patients don’t need to install the Uber Health app on their smartphones.
They can even use the service if they don’t own a smartphone.
Uber will notify them about each ride using a regular cell phone text message or a landline call.
Everyone involved can use flexible ride scheduling features.
As a doctor, you can either order an on-demand ride or schedule a future ride for a patient.
You can schedule an Uber Health ride up to 30 days into the future.
The portal used by health providers lets them book, reschedule, and view rides on behalf of patients from one single dashboard.
Uber solved HIPAA issues by ensuring that all Uber Health information about rides gets stored only on the client-side.
Data doesn’t get stored on Uber’s side at all.
All data sits on HIPAA-compliant servers as well.
This process happens because Uber signs a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with each healthcare provider.
Doctors can take care of billing from the Uber Health dashboard.
All reporting shows up in one place, and bills get paid once per month inside the billing portal.
Uber even offers its own API technology so that health providers can connect the Uber Health app’s functionality into existing CRM (contact relationship management) software used by doctors.
The Difference Between Uber and Uber Health
A significant difference exists between Uber Health and all other Uber services.
Passengers order UberX or Uber Black rides themselves through the Uber app.
Hungry people order the food they want via the Uber Eats app.
The patients who need rides to and from a doctor’s office don’t order the rides.
Instead, the doctor signs up for Uber Health.
Each doctor can order and pay for rides that help their patients avoid missing important office visits using the service.
Who Can Use Uber Health?
Anyone can use Uber Health as long as it’s available at your doctor’s office.
Doctors concerned with helping patients get rides to and from office visits can use Uber Health.
Doctors sign up for the service (not patients), which gives them access to the Uber Health Dashboard.
This is how they will schedule Uber rides for their patients.
Many benefits exist if you’re a healthcare practitioner interested in using Uber Health.
- Experience loss reduction due to fewer appointment cancellations and higher patient show rates.
- Use a convenient scheduler inside the ridesharing dashboard. You and your employees or coordinators can monitor all Uber trips provided for patients. It’s also simple to update trip schedules.
- Solve a problem for patients that they don’t know how to solve for themselves.
- Uber Health and its ridesharing solution provide a less expensive option when compared to using ambulances or other traditional means of transportation.
- Use Uber Health’s API functionality to integrate it into your existing healthcare systems easily.
So if you are in regular need for transportation to and from your medical appointments, ask your doctor if they offer Uber Health.
Doctors offices may ask patients to refrain from using the service if they already have their transportation, however, this is entirely at their discretion.
Where Is Uber Health Available?
Uber doesn’t list specific cities where Uber Health is available.
You need to create an account at health.uber.com.
The most significant difference between the two sign-in portals is that Uber Central lets you add a second rider to each trip to or from your office.
Once you have an account set up with Uber Health, you’ll see the availability for the service show up.
Uber Health For Riders
Let’s explore everything you need to know about using Uber Health as a doctor or patient.
Benefits of Using Uber Medical Transport
As a patient, two main benefits exist for you when using Uber Health’s medical transport feature.
You don’t need to pay for these rides.
Also, you don’t need to experience the stress that comes from never knowing if you can get a friend or family member to take you to a doctor’s visit.
Your doctor takes care of it all for you.
The problem of getting to medical appointments is permanently solved!
If you’re a doctor using Uber Health, then you gain the ability to run a smoother practice without unnecessary patient cancellations.
How Much Does Uber Health Cost?
It’s challenging to provide a specific Uber Health cost projection for you.
It all depends on how many patients you use the service for, how far away they live from your office, and how many total trips you order on the app each month.
Uber bases each trip fare on total miles, time involved, traffic congestion, and driver availability.
Can You Access Uber Health Via the Uber App?
No, the Uber Health option isn’t available inside the regular Uber app.
Instead, you need to access Uber Health at health.uber.com.
That’s the HIPPA-compliant website set up by Uber for doctors to use when scheduling Uber trips for patients.
What Type of Vehicle Is Available For Uber Health Riders?
As a doctor, you can access any type of vehicle available in your specific area at the time of requesting a ride.
The only service that you can’t use is UberPool.
This means you can request cars that Uber features on its UberX, Uber Comfort, Uber Green, Uber Black, and other Uber vehicle classes.
How To Sign Up To Ride with Uber Health
Uber makes it easy for you to get your practice signed up for Uber Health.
You or a staff member can visit business.uber.com to enable what Uber calls its healthcare rides program.
How Do I Register an Uber Health Account
You or your chosen admin person must accept Uber’s email invite to join your practice’s Uber for Business account.
You’ll then use health.uber.com to log in and arrange rides for patients after the account gets set up.
Uber Health For Drivers
Using Uber Health as an Uber driver provides more opportunities to accept rides and earn money.
Uber Health Driver Requirements
The requirements aren’t any different from the standard Uber driver requirements.
These driver requirements state that you:
- Must be 21 years or older
- Need access to a 4-door truck, car, or minivan
- Have auto insurance in place
- Have a valid driver’s license
- Have a clean driving record
- Have three or more years of driving experience
- Can successfully pass the Uber background check
If you have all of the above and think you’ll pass the background check, then you’ll send Uber your auto insurance proof and a copy of your driver’s license.
Once you pass the background check, Uber will notify you that you can begin driving for the rideshare app.
How Much Do Uber Health Drivers Make?
There isn’t any specific pay that all Uber Health drivers make.
It depends on the number of rides you give each week.
The payment for each Uber ride depends on the distance and time involved per trip.
Some Uber drivers earn $100 or $200 part-time each week.
Other drivers work full time and can make $1,000 or more per week.
However, if you live in a busy city, then chances are you will still be able to make a decent amount of money driving for Uber.
But we must never forget the best part about doing these types of jobs: You decide how much or how little you want to work.
When it comes to Uber Health, though, things are even more complicated to estimate.
This is due to the number of medical practices and healthcare organizations that use Uber Health in your area.
You will naturally get fewer rides, however, working exclusively for Uber Health, as it’s more of a niche service than general rideshare.
But, again, this will depend on the area where you’re working.
How To Sign Up To Drive with Uber Health
Simply tell Uber inside the driver app that you want to stay available for Uber Health rides.
You’ll receive a notification inside the app when an Uber Health rider needs you.
Accept the ping and head to the pickup location.
Pick up your rider and take them to or from an office visit.
It’s unlikely that you’ll do only Uber Health rides.
You’ll also have the option of doing other types of rides, such as the regular UberX option.
You could even deliver for Uber Eats as an Uber driver.
The key is to add Uber Health into the mix to give yourself the opportunity to pick up more rides.
You can work as much as you want as an Uber driver.
If you’re looking for additional chances to make money, then Uber Health is an excellent addition.
Keep in mind that you may need to help patients who have trouble getting into or out of your vehicle.
How To Contact Uber Health
Doctors or employees inside the practice can contact Uber Health by sending an email to [email protected].
Doing so will get the attention of a customer service representative who can help you with any support-related inquiries.
Uber Health’s Impact on Healthcare
Uber Health makes a positive impact on healthcare.
Consider the millions of doctor’s appointments that patients cancel each year simply because they can’t secure transportation to the office visit.
Patients who can’t receive care when they need it only see their health decline over time.
Uber Health makes a significant impact on helping those people get the medical assistance they need to live improved lives.
As a practitioner, you can use Uber Health to help patients safely visit your office and return home afterward.
As an Uber Health driver, you make a big difference to those you give these rides to.
Without you, they might remain stuck at home, unable to get their doctor’s help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are two questions that often come up when discussing Uber Health.
Will Uber pick you up from the hospital?
Yes, Uber Health will pick you up at the hospital.
An Uber Health driver can pick you from any location where a taxi or other type of conventional transportation can pick you up.
These locations include hospitals, doctor’s offices, large medical complexes, and any different kind of medical facility you need to get to.
Who pays for Uber Health?
A doctor pays for Uber Health.
Again, patients never need to worry about paying for a ride to and from the doctor’s office.
Everything gets handled via the practitioner’s Uber Health account.
Each bill gets paid once per month for all rides provided for patients in the previous 30 days.
Before You Go
Now that you know everything about Uber Health, it’s time to put it to good use.
As a doctor, open your Uber Health account and start helping your patients with rides.
If you’re a patient who has trouble getting to office visits, then ask your doctor about using Uber Health.
Are you a driver already?
Tell Uber you’re ready to accept Uber Health rides and earn even more money.
How does this pay ?
How much a mile?
I am a health rider . Uber has messed up my rides 99 percent of the time. If my insurance offered another company choice, I’d use it. Last week, Uber sent a driver to the wrong addresses (both pickup and drop-off). The Uber driver wouldn’t even answer his phone for me to give him the correct address! I had to go through my insurance’s transportation company (at least a 5 minute que time wait before I get to a live person). They said it wasn’t them because they did have my addresses correct. I waited over a 1/2 hour for another ride, in the heat, with vertigo and a bad back. Plus the Dr. Appointment time, this made an unecessecarily long, draining and painful day! It was very hard to find, but I’m not even sure if the complaint I reached was correct. I have Agoraphobia, fear of the unknown, and next week’s appointments are stressing me out already.