Needham Community Council Rides to Health Care

Needham Community Council – Needham, MA
In 2017, the Needham Community Council began supplementing its volunteer driver medical transportation program with trips provided through the ridehailing company, Lyft. Lyft rides were funded through the Needham Community Council operating budget and a donation from Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital – Needham.

• Community Engagement
• Cross-Sector Coordination
• health care
• Ride-Hailing
• Social determinants of health
• Volunteer Drivers

Using Disability Waivers to pay for Ridehailing Trips

Dakota County, Minnesota
Dakota County residents with disabilities and older adults have long experienced a mismatch between their transportation needs and what’s been available to fill those needs. That mismatch has been characterized by limited days, hours, and areas of service, various eligibility requirements, and the necessity for significant pre-planning of trips.

In March 2019, the County began offering Lyft as an option for individuals getting to and from employment, and later that year, to other destinations.

Under Medicaid’s Home and Community Based Service Waivers (HCBS), transportation is provided as a billable service under specific waivers, such as for those with brain injury developmental disabilities, Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) waivers, and Alternative Care/Elderly waivers. Under the Lyft program, the County bills the person’s Medicaid Waiver directly for the total monthly amount the individual used Lyft under HCPC T2003 UC.

• People with Disabilities
• Ride-Hailing