Ford Debuts Medical Transport Service

Ford Motor Co. is launching a nonemergency medical transport business in southeast Michigan.

Patients can schedule a ride as far as 30 days in advance. The average round-trip service is expected to cost less than $60—a large part of which likely will be covered by a patient’s health insurance.

The program builds on a pilot project that Ford launched late last year with five vans. Ford has since added 10 more Transit vans to the program and expects to have 60 in the fleet by year-end.

The GoRide vans are equipped with flexible seats that can be flipped up to accommodate two wheelchair positions. Some of the vehicles use folding bus-type doors, running boards and/or grab handles to make entry easier. Other special features include a wider wheelchair lift that can accommodate non-standard-size wheelchairs so patients who require them don’t need to be transported by stretcher.

Drivers are trained to care for and transport patients requiring non-emergency medical support. They can assist patients to and from their doorstep at private residences, entering and exiting the vehicle, and making their way to and from appointments.

Ford cites a report by SCI Solutions that says missed appointments and scheduling inefficiencies cost the U.S. healthcare industry $150 billion per year. During the pilot program, GoRide had a 92% on-time patient pick-up and delivery rate for pre-scheduled appointments. The average wait for last-minute booking was less than 30 minutes.