Transporting work comp patients to and from medical visits, PT, IMEs, hearings and the like is a big business - big for workers comp that is. At first blush, it looks like a perfect opportunity for Lyft and Uber (L/U)- theyve got a gazillion drivers everywhere, a great service model, and they are much less expensive than the traditional work comp transportation services.
In fact, OneCall and Lyft announced a partnership over two years ago.
Heres why I dont think theyll replace work comp-specific transportation companies.
The big one - being late for or missing an IME is really, really expensive - the payer has to pay the IME doc the $1000 - $2000 anyway, rescheduling an IME incurs more indemnity, attorney, and other expense, and it makes adjusters nuts. The same is true for PT or other medical treatment - although not quite as bad.
