Not sure who is paying for this… but it is a great service.
I am with Kaiser. Most of the Specialties are available at the 2 Kaiser locations I am comfortable driving to in N ATL.
When I needed a test, only available South of the Airport, I really did not want to drive through town. I tried Ride Health. They asked my Kaiser Number and they set up a ride and return.
I called back and could change the return to “Call when I was ready”.
I used it again yesterday for a mid range location. The staff is most pleasant and accommodating. I still drive but avoid the Interstates in Atlanta.
Not sure who pays for this, I get the idea from above link that in some areas Ride Health has its own vehicles. So far all of my rides have been called in to Lyft.
They ask if you can walk to the car yourself… it is not a Medical Service, just Transportation.
As for Kaiser, here it is a bit different in Hawaii.
I live on the Big Island where we have a clinic; however, many procedures are performed on Oahu. Kaiser will book you a round-trip airplane ticket (45 minutes each way). When you get to Honolulu airport (the interisland side) it is a short walk down the stairway to the shuttle bus area outside baggage claim. You have bypassed lots of people and hassles. You wait and the shuttle bus picks you up and takes you to their hospital. You check in and are sent to wait for your appointment. Because some people get delayed, I think they may sometimes just usher you in early. Your return ticket is changeable for date and time because you may have to stay.
After a procedure which requires anesthesia, they will give you a cab voucher so that you can return to the airport in a bit more comfort and privacy. If they know in advance that it is a same-day procedure, Kaiser pays the round-trip for a companion for you. If you went for a test but then had anesthesia or whatever, then a companion can be flown there and accompany you back. I am sure that if you have no body they have someone that will take the flights to get you where you need to be. I have also heard that if you have no transportation to the airport they can arrange that too.
Our rates are probably higher here in Hawaii because of transportation costs, however Kaisers costs can be lower by having all their MRI machines on one island and also having one large facility and many smaller ones. This also allows them to use their own facilities rather than have to rely often on local hospitals. This Kaiser has 300 beds.
I have had 2 major operations here, one being a quadruple bypass which required a 1 week stay over there. The floor (and perhaps the whole hospital) was open to visitors 24 hours a day as I remember, as some family may travel from the mainland. You order your meals by phone from a menu (the kitchen knowing what diet you have and can nix some things). They even call you 1 hour before the close to ensure that you get your order in. Yes, I think I remember fish and Teriyaki chicken (although a healthy version) on the menu! https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2012/08/09/kaiser-permanente-to-offer.html
This central location (hub and spoke) system works well here and I guess mirrors FedEx and UPS. It allows for concentrated care and eliminates many of the other issues like having to have food or expensive equipment and personnel al over the islands. That is not to say that specialists do not have visits to the clincs, they just don’t stay there in certain fields.