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Empowering Thousands of U.S. Veterans with Seamless Access to Care

At Uber Health, we believe that everyone should be able to get to the care they need. This is especially true for veterans, who often face unique challenges due to increased social isolation, chronic health issues, and the need for frequent medical visits.

Expanding veterans’ access to healthcare services by addressing transportation barriers is an important step toward reducing health disparities and providing timely access to necessary healthcare. In fact, a recent analysis found that around 1.8 million medical appointments are missed every year at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) due to lack of transportation. Those canceled or missed appointments have led to higher pain scores, readmission rates, mortality rates, and ER visits, among other adverse effects. Not to mention the impact on the VA’s operations and budget; it’s been estimated that missed appointments cost the VA nearly $4.4 billion annually.

It’s why Uber Health is proud to team up with the VA on the Veterans Health Administration (VHA)–Uber Health Connect (VUHC) Initiative—a public–private collaboration designed to provide rideshare options to help as many veterans as possible access seamless transportation to and from critical medical appointments.

The Program’s Impact


The initiative began as a pilot program in January 2022 at 10 VA medical centers including in Tennessee, Kentucky, Kansas, and Missouri. It simplified travel for eligible veterans by allowing VHA coordinators to request rides and pay for rides through Uber Health on behalf of veterans. That meant veterans didn’t need a smartphone, credit card, or the Uber app to get to their appointments. The success and traction of the pilot led to the program’s expansion to an additional 58 medical centers in 2023 and now includes approximately 100 locations. Ultimately, the program has provided more than 263,000 rides to over 38,000 unique veterans. These rides were crucial for ensuring veterans could access specialty care, dialysis treatments, and primary care, for example—appointments that are often vital for managing chronic conditions.

Veterans have shared overwhelmingly positive feedback:

  • 89% of veterans have expressed satisfaction with the program
  • 90% say they would recommend Uber Health to another veteran
  • 83% say they would have missed their appointment without Uber Health.

It’s clear that this initiative is making a tangible difference in veterans' lives, and the positive response confirms its potential for additional scalability.

A Model for Health Equity


A Model for Health Equity The program’s data-driven approach to tracking outcomes—coupled with the seamless integration of Uber Health’s HIPAA-compliant platform within VA systems—helped lead veterans to receive the right care at the right time.
As the program continues to expand, the VHA and Uber Health are working to refine processes and enhance the user experience for both veterans and healthcare providers. The ultimate goal is to create a sustainable model that can be replicated in other healthcare systems, helping not just veterans but also individuals from all walks of life who face challenges when trying to access care.

Read more on Uber Health’s collaboration with the VA in the New England Journal of Medicine.