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VHA-Uber Health Connect Initiative

Expanding Health Care Access for Veterans
A rideshare driver taking a military veteran to the hospital

Our Mission

Transportation is one of the greatest barriers to increasing health care access for Veterans. Within VA, 1.8 million appointments are missed every year due to transportation barriers. Missed appointments alone reduce Veterans' overall health outcomes and cost VA nearly $4.4 billion annually.

To address this issue, the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Veterans Health Administration Innovation Ecosystem, partnered with the Veteran Transportation Program (VTP) and Uber Health to establish the VHA-Uber Health Connect Initiative (VUHC) to offer rideshare as a supplemental transportation option for Veterans and their caregivers to get to and from their medical appointments using the Uber rideshare platform.

The main goals of the VUHC Initiative are to 1) Reduce No-Shows and Missed Appointments, 2) Improve Veterans health care transportation experience, and 3) Achieve cost savings for VA medical centers.

Initiative Announcements

VHA-Uber Health Connect Initiative Expanding Enterprise Wide across VA as the Veteran Transportation Program (VTP) Beneficiary Travel (BT) Rideshare Services

  • Beginning May 1, 2024, the Veterans Transportation Program (VTP) Office is expanding this program enterprise wide and the program going forward will be called VTP Beneficiary Travel (BT) Rideshare Services.
  • For more information about rideshare services, please contact your local VAMC transportation office.
  • Access the VTP SharePoint page here. Please note this link is only accessible to VA employees.
View and Download Brochure
Cover of the VUHC Initiative FAQ

Current VHA-Uber Health Connect Initiative Sites

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VA Assisted Ridership Policy and Disclaimer
  1. VA Assisted Rideshare services under Beneficiary Travel (BT) program are limited to Veterans who meet BT eligibility criteria as authorized under 38 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 70, Subpart A.
  2. VA Assisted Rideshare services are not guarantee and its approval is subject, but not limited to, rider's inability to drive personal owned vehicle (POV) due to medical condition, physical limitations, access to public transportation, or local Veterans Transportation Services (VTS) availability.
  3. VA Assisted Rideshare providers' fleet availability is limited in some rural areas.
  4. All VA Assisted rideshare services requests are evaluated for approval and process by the local VA Medical Center Beneficiary Travel program office.

Click your facility above to find contact information.
For more information, call your facility and request to speak to your local facility's travel team.

Program Eligibility

Veterans must be beneficiary travel (BT) eligible to receive Uber Health rides.

BT eligibility criteria:

  • Service connected (SC) rating of 30 percent or more, or
  • Traveling to / from treatment of an SC condition, or
  • Receive VA pension, or
  • Income does not exceed the maximum annual VA pension rate
Physician assisting a military veteran in an office
Direction sign of the VA Hospital. Showing where different departments are located

Program Requirements

  • Veteran must be BT eligible
  • Veteran must be ambulatory and able to get in/out of vehicle unassisted
  • Veteran must be traveling for a VA scheduled appointment for examination, care, or treatment
  • An approved VA common carrier consult must be in the Veteran's medical record identifying that the Veteran has a valid need for common carrier or lacks a privately owned vehicle.
  • A VA employee should enter the Uber Health ride request for tracking and monitoring purposes

Program Benefits

  • Improved Veterans' access to VHA healthcare outcomes and improved quality of life
  • No cost to Veterans and no need to file a claim
  • Simple and quick process to request a ride
  • Cost-effective third-party alternative
  • Cost savings from fewer no-shows and quicker discharges
Military veterans sitting at a computer and learning how to use a piece of software

Publications

Stay up-to-date with the latest VUHC Initiative news and communications.

Multimedia and Other Resources

Veterans Corner
Radio Podcast

Seals from every USA military branch

iEX 2022: Transportation as a Social Determinant of Health

Man presenting on state at iEX 2022

VA Uber Health Connect
VISN 8 Roadshow

Flickr logo

VHA-Uber Health
Connect Initiative

Photo of Indra Sandal speaking with Timothy J. Cooke

VHA-Uber Health Connect Initiative Playbook

VHA Playbook

VHA-Uber Health Connect Initiative Final Report

VHA Final Report

Our Team

Indra Sandal - National Lead, VUHC Initiative Chief of Innovation, Tampa VAMC

Indra Sandal

National Lead, VUHC Initiative Chief of Innovation, Tampa VAMC

Ben Williams - Co-Lead, VUHC Initiative Director, VTP

Ben Williams

Co-Lead, VUHC Initiative Director, VTP

Kristopher Teague - Executive Director, VHA Innovation Ecosystem

Kristopher Teague

Executive Director, VHA Innovation Ecosystem

Garth Miller - Executive Director Member Services

Garth Miller

Executive Director Member Services

Greg Goins - VISN 9 Network Director

Greg Goins

VISN 9
Network Director

Anthony Stazzone - VISN 9 Chief Medical Officer

Anthony Stazzone

VISN 9
Chief Medical Officer

David Dunning - Executive Director, Tampa VAMC

David Dunning

Executive Director, Tampa VAMC

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