VHA-Uber Health Connect (VUHC) Initiative
Transportation fragmentation is one of the greatest barriers to increasing access to healthcare for Veterans. The VHA Innovation Ecosystem (VHA IE), Veteran Transportation Program (VTP), and Uber Health have partnered to help address this issue by offering a supplemental transportation option for Veterans travelling to and from their medical care appointments in a pilot program called the VHA-Uber Health Connect (VUHC) Initiative.
The Program
Under the Beneficiary Travel program, ridesharing entities are covered as a common carrier alongside bus, train, taxi, and airplane modes of transportation. Through this initiative, Uber Health will offer supplemental rideshare transportation in addition to existing options, to increase access to care and improve patient experience for eligible Veterans. This initiative will provide a seamless experience for both patients and clinics: Uber’s HIPAA-compliant ride-sourcing platform allows clinics and VA Medical Centers to book rides directly for patients from a centralized dashboard. Patients can track the ride via text message or phone call, and the transportation is reimbursed by the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center (VAMC) directly, so the Veteran does not have to submit a claim separately.
For more information contact the West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System Beneficiary Travel Office by phone at 561-422-6905 or 561-422-8783.