Lyft, the transportation firm has now received acceptance to register as a non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) service provider for Medicaid users across Arizona.
Lyft is entering into the Medicaid field; the company revealed the development news on Wednesday. The ride-sharing platform has received acceptance as a Medicaid service provider in Arizona State. The approval indicates that Medicaid users of Arizona will have the choice to use the ride-sharing service of Lyft to drive to and from medical appointments.
Arizona is the first state in the US to allow rideshare companies to register as NEMT providers.
Families with low income and who don’t need special help and with no vehicle or license can use the program that allows them to easily book a Lyft and travel to their yearly checkup or monthly exam.
Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) director, Jami Synder said,
We are proud to be the first Medicaid program in the country to establish an innovative regulatory approach that seamlessly offers rideshare as a non-emergency medical transportation option for Medicaid beneficiaries.
This initiative should benefit more people to get medical appointments without relying on public transportation.
The transportation company is also looking to expand this kind of healthcare services to other parts of the states namely, Texas and Florida because these states have recently passed regulations that allow the ride-sharing platform as an option for Medicaid transportation.
As per the statement, the program will significantly affect 23 percent of Arizona State’s population; they have registered for Medicaid. The development news will allow new people to access Lyft for medical appointments.
In May, Arizona finalized a new policy that allows the ride-sharing firms to offer non-emergency transportation services for Medicaid patients who cannot afford having their own vehicle to travel to doctors, and because of this policy change, Lyft received the status of Medicaid provider in Arizona.
Synder mentioned in a statement, this is an important move in the field of medical transportation, and we look ahead to see its progress.
Qualified Medicaid patients can ask for transportation services via their health policy or through transportation agents and not through Lyft directly.
Vice President of Healthcare at Lyft, Megan Callahan mentioned in an interview,
What we’re starting to see is a lot of interest because Medicaid wants to offer a great experience and a cost-effective solution for their beneficiary and Lyft factors very nicely into that plan.
Lyft created its healthcare sector back in 2016 and entered into several partnerships in order to mark its presence in the healthcare sector. The firm has signed an agreement with nine leading healthcare system in the US such as Ascension-health system, Allscripts, Blue Cross, and Blue Shield Association and also with leading NEMT agents.
Lyft blog post mentioned, most Americans are facing difficulties at the time they want to consult a doctor. And without proper access, this is making them miss appointments or postpone checkups, and sometimes their health conditions get deteriorating.
Now states throughout the country, starting from Arizona are opening ways by offering ridesharing as a solution for their ‘Medicaid programs’.
The transportation firm further said,
We are optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead to meaningfully reduce transportation as a barrier to care and promote health equity across populations.
The company is also looking to collaborate with other states so as to enhance the lives of millions of peoples by offering good transportation services.
