Video: Innovative ride-share program aims to help members keep medical appointments

Each year 3.6 million Americans miss a doctor’s appointment or follow-up care because of a lack of transportation. A missed appointment can become a barrier to better health and lead to avoidable hospital and emergency room visits that cost $150 billion a year.*

Blue Shield of California (Blue Shield) is helping its members get to important care appointments with a new, innovative 12-month pilot program called rideQ℠. Launched in September, the program provides non-emergency medical rides to the doctor’s office, medical lab or pharmacy at no additional cost to its members. The program is a collaboration between Blue Shield, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Institute and ride-share company Lyft®

The rideQ℠ program is available to more than 1,000 Blue Shield members in Sacramento who are part of a health maintenance organization (HMO) or preferred provider organization (PPO) through their Sacramento-area employers. The rideQ℠ program allows members to use a smart phone to arrange their own Lyft rides to and from medical appointments.

Watch this video to see how rideQ℠ works and why doctors are excited about this transportation program for their patients.

Learn how other Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are addressing social determinants of health for their members and communities. 

Blue Shield of California is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, an association of independent, locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. Click here for more news about Blue Shield California.

 *”Cost benefit analysis of providing non-emergency medical transportation.” Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2006.

rideQ℠ is a trademark of BlueCross BlueShield Association. Terms and conditions for rideQ℠ are found at https://www.bcbs.com/institute/member-terms-conditions.  Lyft® is a registered trademark of Lyft, Inc., a ridesharing company.