In a normal year, more than 5.8M Americans delay or miss medical care due to a lack of transportation. As we all know, this is not a normal year. COVID-19 has amplified transportation insecurity, especially for seniors and vulnerable communities.
That’s why Lyft, our corporate partner, is mobilizing a coalition of partners with a goal to provide 60 million rides to and from vaccination sites for low-income, uninsured, and at-risk communities, when the vaccine becomes available.
At Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC) we understand our important role to support community health. With the highly anticipated vaccine now rolling out across the country, we are pleased to be joining our partner Lyft and to ensure our most vulnerable communities will have the opportunity to receive the vaccine,”said Jaime di Paulo, IHCC President & CEO.
Lyft’s on-demand transportation network provides critical access to healthcare services for at-risk communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19, including non-emergency medical transport for home-bound seniors, people living with disabilities, and dialysis patients.
Many of these patients belong to vulnerable populations who will be prioritized for early vaccine distribution, and Lyft’s healthcare transportation services will play a critical role in transporting them to and from vaccination sites.
The universal vaccine access campaign is part of the company’s LyftUp initiative, a partnership of companies, community organizations and individuals working together to make sure everyone has access to affordable, reliable transportation to get where they need to go.
Working together using Lyft’s transportation platform, companies and social impact organizations will help underserved communities access vaccination appointments by providing subsidized rides for employees and members, and free or discounted rides for those in need.
