ABCS RCM billing services, Uber medical service, Medical transportation services
In August, one of the staff members at ABCS RMS noticed that journalist at the Atlantic Magazine reported on an unlikely partnership appearing between ride-sharing companies like Uber and local hospitals. These very different companies are forming business relationships in order to deliver quality door-to-door care to patients. Both Lyft and Uber have started teaming up with healthcare providers and are offering medical transportation services.
Now with the complexity of medical reimbursement costs, patients’ fees for these transportation services will vary based on location and type of coverage. For example, if a ride-sharing service is offered for Medicaid patients, transportation for non-emergency medical visits are covered, although the extent of reimbursement depends on state rules.
Traditional Medicare does not cover non-emergency medical transportation, but some private Medicare Advantage plans may offer limited benefits. Also, if a patient resides in a geographical region not serviced by a ride-sharing company, like a rural area, they will have to rely on more traditional medical transportation methods.
In the future, will ride-sharing companies like Uber or Lyft continue to partner with medical providers in order to meet the growing demands of healthcare?
So who is next? Google has already made some potential advances in this area (self-driving cars and Calico). Will Facebook and Apple follow these trends and partner with an Ohio Health or Blue Shield type organization?
By 2016, there are no odd couples in the healthcare marketplace. It appears that one must adapt or become obsolete.
Naturally, the staff at Advanced Billing and Consulting Services can help medical practitioners explore these various transportation questions. Our goal is to assist healthcare professionals and allow them to deliver the best possible service to their patients.
For more information on this topic: Hospitals Are Partnering With Uber to Get Patients to Checkups
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ABCS RCM billing services, Uber medical service, Medical transportation services