In other news, shaking things up is Uber Health.

The issue of missed medical appointments is one we don’t think about on a daily basis even though it is a more common experience for a large portion of the population. Yet, the associated costs of the roughly 3.6 million missed appointments total roughly $150 billion annually. The reason? A lack of access to adequate transportation options.

Although the barrier to transportation is a common experience for the general population, this barrier is highest for vulnerable populations. When transportation options are inadequate, those with lower incomes, chronic diseases or disabilities face the greatest disadvantages. These missed appointments result in costlier healthcare bills down the line.

Uber Health works to provide patients who qualify, free transportation to and from a given healthcare clinic for their medical appointments.

Even more amazing, it is available for people without smartphones. This is how Uber Health works: clinics schedule patients’ rides on a dashboard by entering their name, phone number and pick-up and drop-off locations. Next, they are able to select the vehicle options. The patient then receives a text with the driver’s information and their pick-up time. Like with the consumer version of Uber, a live map of the driver’s current location is available to the patient.

How does this work, for those with landlines and seemingly no access to the Uber platform?

In all cases, the Uber Health cab requests are handled by the healthcare providers. This further simplifies the process for the patient. When ordering an Uber Health cab, those with landlines are given specific information: the driver’s name, car, estimated arrival time, and pick-up location. The driver is provided with this patient’s landline number in case they must be contacted.

When the cab is ordered for a patient without a smartphone at a healthcare facility, they are given a printout with the same information. This is a revolutionary step for an online platform, in an attempt to ensure everyone can use their service.

There are still three challenges that exist for Uber Health.

First is a similar service offered by Uber’s director competitor Lyft, called Lyft Concierge. Although their direct competitor offers the same service, I think there would have been noticeable change if it had been effective on its own. Therefore, I think it would be wise for the two companies to work together to provide fast, reliable transportation to healthcare facilities for those who need it the most.

Second is a lack of awareness of ride-hailing apps and a general reluctance to use such services by an older generation. A Pew study from 2015 found only 15% of Americans used ride-hailing apps while a third of the population had never heard of this service. Moreover, this study found these apps were most popular amongst higher-income, college-educated people. Thus, Uber Health will not only provide a service for those who need it but increase the number of people using the consumer service.

Along with a skepticism of ride-hailing services, issues of privacy become important. Uber Health ensures 100% compliance with HIPAA regulations, protecting patient information.

Uber Health comes at a critical time when pressing issues affecting populations largely overlooked, are being noticed. I think this move will revolutionize how companies and non-governmental forces are able to bring about change without waiting for legislation to be passed.