What You Should Know:
Healthify, a social determinants of health company (SDOH), announced a national partnership with Ride Health to offer transportation to medical and non-medical services for people faced with transportation barriers.
– Each year, an estimated 3.6 million Americans do not obtain medical care due to transportation issues such as cost, lack of access to vehicles and inadequate public transportation. These barriers are particularly prevalent among poor communities, people with disabilities and other disadvantaged populations.
– The new partnership will allow managed care, provider, and social service organizations to easily request transportation for individuals to and from medical and social services appointments through Heathify’s SDOH platform at no cost to patients.
Healthify, a company that works with payers and providers to create social determinants of health (SDoH) infrastructures, today announced a national partnership with Ride Health to offer transportation to medical and non-medical services for people faced with transportation barriers. The collaboration will enable managed care, provider and social service organizations to easily request rides for patients to doctor’s appointments, screenings, lab visits and other non-acute medical services, as well as transportation to support social needs, such as transportation to food banks, job training programs, childcare facilities and mental health providers, via the Healthify SDoH platform.
New Transportation Offering
Through this new offering, managed care, provider, and social service organizations will be able to easily request transportation for individuals to and from medical and social services appointments via the Healthify SDoH platform. The platform automatically matches a patient’s needs to select the best driver and vehicle, monitoring each ride in real-time to prevent potential ride disruptions and ensure a seamless ride experience. Ride Health’s comprehensive network of transportation providers include standard curbside services such as taxis and ride-hailing services as well as specialized medical transportation including COVID-19 transportation, wheelchair-accessible vehicles, stretcher vans and non-emergency ambulances. The service is available at no cost to patients.
“Maintaining access to care – both medical and social – is more important than ever as growing numbers of people struggle to stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Imran Cronk, CEO and Founder of Ride Health. “We are proud to collaborate with Healthify to help healthcare organizations improve care for at-risk populations by providing safe, dependable transportation for patients who might not otherwise have the means or ability to access healthcare and social services.”
Safe, Reliable Transportation Is Fundamental to Social Determinants of Health
Each year, an estimated 3.6 million Americans do not obtain medical care due to transportation issues such as cost, lack of access to vehicles and inadequate public transportation.[1] Transportation barriers are particularly prevalent among poor communities, people with disabilities and other disadvantaged populations, and can result in missed or delayed healthcare appointments, poor management of illnesses and adverse health outcomes.[2],[3] Transportation barriers also impact the ability to access much-need non-clinical social service programs, which puts vulnerable populations at increased risk.
“Safe, reliable transportation is one of the most fundamental social determinants of health, yet many of the most vulnerable people in our communities struggle to find rides to take advantage of social services and to access routine medical care,” said Manik Bhat, Chief Executive Officer of Healthify. “At Healthify, our mission is to build a world where no one’s health is hindered by their need. Together with Ride Health we can address the transportation barrier at the national level and make a real difference in the lives of people across the country.”
