Uber Health Broadens Its Reach: Adds Grocery and OTC Item Delivery

Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), globally recognized for its ride-hailing, food delivery, package delivery and freight transport services, has announced an extension of its healthcare division, Uber Health. This new addition will allow patients to get groceries and over-the-counter (OTC) items delivered directly to their homes, utilizing the infrastructure of Uber Eats.

Set to launch in 2024, payers and providers nationwide will benefit from the integration of this new service into Uber Health’s already established platform they use for non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) and prescription delivery. Uber Health aims to streamline the patient journey, covering all aspects from transporting patients to primary care appointments to helping them obtain essential prescriptions and groceries.

“Our platform streamlines coordination across multiple benefits — NEMT, prescription delivery and food and OTC medication delivery, empowering payers and providers to support patients beyond the four walls of a medical office. And, because our platform is built on the largest mobility network in the world, we’re uniquely capable of meeting these needs and unlocking the potential of value-based care at scale,” said Caitlin Donovan, global head of Uber Health, in the company’s press release.

This technological advancement enhances convenience and accessibility for patients and members, ensuring essential services and resources are delivered directly to their homes.

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Uber Health Enhances Value-Based Care Programs

Uber Health was initially launched in 2018, primarily focusing on streamlining NEMT to aid patients in reaching their medical appointments efficiently. This successful initiative paved the way for Uber Health’s expansion into medication delivery in partnership with NimbleRx in August 2020. The robust logistical support and benefits coordination offered by Uber Health have been instrumental in its ongoing success.

Uber Health’s platform functions as a centralized system optimizing coordination among various benefits, including NEMT, prescription delivery and food and OTC medication delivery. This comprehensive approach enables payers and providers to better support their patients. The platform also grants healthcare providers access to patient benefit data and eligibility files from payers, enabling them to leverage existing benefit structures. As a result, they can confidently deploy services covered by insurance, increasing patient convenience.

Since 2018, Uber Health has formed extensive partnerships with health insurers, healthcare provider systems and companies, serving over 3,000 healthcare customers, including hospitals, academic medical centers, health insurers and government health programs. Through its platform, Uber Health facilitates seamless coordination between health insurers and medical care providers, streamlining the delivery of new benefits to patients.

Uber Health Advocates for Food as Medicine Nationwide

Research shows that access to nutritious meals can lead to a 16 percent reduction in healthcare costs. Uber Health, capitalizing on its vast network, has demonstrated its capacity to manage preventative and chronic care effectively, resulting in fewer acute incidents and cost savings throughout the healthcare system. This enhances the patient experience and improves health outcomes.

Healthcare coordinators play a vital role in helping patients navigate the healthcare system and advising on nutritionally suitable grocery, retail and convenience stores. The Uber Health platform allows coordinators to customize programs to fit each patient’s unique health needs. They can provide recommendations and make arrangements for the patients, ensuring they have access to appropriate food options. This personalization equips patients with the necessary tools for healthier lifestyles, enhancing their overall healthcare experience.

By using Uber Health, patients will receive updates and details about their grocery or OTC product deliveries via convenient communication methods such as text messages or phone calls, ensuring a smooth and informed delivery process.

Lyft Healthcare’s Lyft Assisted

Lyft Healthcare, a leading provider of NEMT and non-medical transportation (NMT) services in the US, is committed to providing reliable rides for millions of eligible patients without access to transportation.

Last year, Lyft Healthcare launched Lyft Assisted, an innovative feature of its Lyft Concierge, a business-to-business (B2B) platform. This new service aims to offer flexible NEMT services, reducing missed connections and enhancing the overall rider experience. Lyft Assisted is designed to cater to individuals who may need additional time to reach the vehicle, those who may have difficulty locating a rideshare vehicle, people with visual or hearing impairments and those requiring assistance when traveling to and from medical appointments.