Uber & Lyft Enter The Health Care Market

Transportation has always been a health care issue. In 2013, Medicare spent $1.2 billion for non-emergency health care transportation (NEMT), and Medicaid spent $1.5 billion. Most states report that utilization and cost of NEMT services are increasing (see the 2016 Government Accountability Office report, Nonemergency Medical Transportation: Updated Medicaid Guidance Could Help States). In addition to increasing costs, lack of transportation is a documented access barrier to health care services, particularly in rural areas (see Nonemergency Medical Transportation And Health Care Visits Among Chronically Ill Urban And Rural Medicaid Beneficiaries).

But the ride hailing services that have . . .