In 2018, Uber Technologies noticed that while transportation barriers were frequent across the general population, these barriers were greatest for vulnerable populations, including patients with the highest burden of chronic disease. Healthcare organizations were feeling the impact too. At the time, 3.6 million Americans missed doctor’s appointments annually due to a lack of reliable transportation, and no-show rates were as high as 30% nationwide.
The company launched Uber Health that year to partner with healthcare organizations to provide seamless transportation solutions for their patients and reimagine care logistics. Umbrellaed under Uber for Business’s suite of enterprise solutions, Uber Health- a HIPAA-secure platform that allowed healthcare organizations to request rides for patients, caregivers, and staff- was born.
Caitlin Donovan is the Global Head of Uber Health and Uber Technologies’ “Women @ Uber” employee resource group leader. Below she summarizes the success of Uber Health and what sets the brand apart:
“We have invested in a backend infrastructure that meets the requirements of the healthcare ecosystem—balancing the considerations of both who pay for a service with who request a service—which makes us uniquely capable of addressing healthcare access issues at scale.”
In June 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. was experiencing a maternal health crisis and that the administration was committed to cutting the rates of maternal mortality and morbidity, reducing the disparities in maternal health outcomes, and improving the overall experience of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum for people across the country.
Related, the lack of affordable and accessible transportation impacts the overall care experience for many expectant or new parents, particularly for lower-income people and women of color. Research shows that timely and adequate prenatal care can improve outcomes for both mothers and babies. Practically speaking, that means attending at least seven appointments in six months—and more for mothers with high-risk pregnancies.
In 2021, Uber Health and Surgo Ventures partnered with two federally qualified Washington, D.C. health centers to launch the Rides for Moms program. This month, Donovan spoke at the Black Maternal Mental Health Caucus on Capitol Hill about how Uber Health is being leveraged as a tool to improve maternal health outcomes:
“Even if someone is eligible for supplemental benefits, that patient may be forced to coordinate their own transportation to and from appointments,” Donovan explains. “Uber Health has seen strong results when health plans and providers work directly with them to eliminate any sort of ‘homework’ or burden on the mother. For example, the data in our Rides for Moms study showed that participants in the program saved, on average, one hour per appointment, an equivalent to a full workday throughout their pregnancy. The study also indicated that solving transportation barriers with Uber Health increased in-person attendance rates by up to 5% for some patient populations.”
Uber Health has driven meaningful growth for the corporation in just five years. In a 2020 product update, Uber Technologies reported that Uber Health grew 300% in two years. In 2023, demand remains strong, with over 3,000 organizations across the continuum of care working directly with Uber Health. The corporation self-reported 75% in gross bookings growth from 2022 to 2023. Today, Uber Health has evolved into a comprehensive platform across multiple benefits, including non-emergency medical transportation, prescription delivery, and grocery and over-the-counter medication delivery.
This month, Uber Technologies reported year-over-year revenue has grown 14% to $9.2 billion.
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