Government

Legislation authorizes expansion of nonemergency medical transportation options

Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed into law new legislation enabling Lyft to provide transportation services to Medicaid beneficiaries in Florida. The law, HB 411, takes effect July 1 and will authorize transportation network companies, under state and federal Medicaid requirements, to provide nonemergency medical transportation services to Medicaid recipients. It also requires the state Agency for Health Care Administration to update its policies to reflect the authorization. 

“I was honored to sponsor this legislation, which will bring much-needed relief to thousands of Floridians struggling with the high costs of transportation and health care,” said Senator Jeff Brandes. “Bold ideas are the key to providing affordable solutions to our health care challenges, and the transparency and convenience offered by ridesharing companies will make a meaningful difference in the lives of many Floridians.”

In the past, Medicaid patients had to rely on nonemergency medical transportation that didn’t always assure them a ride or on-demand scheduling. The introduction of ridesharing into the process will benefit millions of Americans by offering exactly what the patients need in transportation. The use of Lyft and similar services could also dramatically increase cost savings in the taxpayer-funded program. In fact, based on the findings of an American Journal of Public Health study published in March 2019, modernizing non-emergency medical transportation through rideshare could generate cost-savings of $537 million a year when scaled nationally. 

“Floridians deserve access to affordable, convenient transportation services, which is why I sponsored this legislation that our state has now chosen to embrace,” said Representative Daniel Perez. “With rising costs for health care, we must do everything we can to find innovative, affordable solutions, especially for our state’s most vulnerable citizens.”

Lyft is already an enrolled Medicaid provider in Arizona, following all new state regulations for nonemergency medical transportation. Lyft’s VP of Healthcare, Megan Callahan, said the company sees a natural connection between Medicaid patients looking for affordable and convenient rides and states trying to save money on the cost of nonemergency medical transportation. 

“As Lyft continues to grow in the healthcare market, we welcome the opportunity to serve all Medicaid beneficiaries,” said Callahan, “Senator Brandes and Representative Perez have led the way in making it possible for more Floridians to reach their healthcare providers affordably and conveniently, and we thank Governor DeSantis for signing this important legislation into law. In the end, the people of Florida will benefit from this forward-thinking reform.”

To learn more about Lyft’s role in patient transportation, visit lyftbusiness.com/industries/healthcare.