SPLT and Lyft partner to provide medical transportation in Detroit this fall

With all the talk of what could happen with public transportation in the region right now, two companies are working to address a big need for its residents. Starting this fall, patients around Detroit will now have a new way to get to and from the doctors’ office.

SPLT, a carpooling app, has announced they’re partnering with Lyft to provide Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) to underserved markets. While rideshare apps are mostly dependent on smart phones, this one is not. SPLT is building a back-end system that supports four modes of communication: Web, text messaging, smartphone, and phone calls. The SPLT platform was used to help customers arrive to work on-time. The same technology will now be used to help patients arrive to their appointments on time.

Lyft will supply the rides in this program. SPLT will take care of:

• Insurance reimbursement for the rides
• Verifying Medicaid of patients
• Marketing the NEMT service
• Dispatching rides to the patient
• Customer service
• Reporting to the authorities on ride utilization rate.

SPLT is also working with major ambulance companies to build the team, which will include dispatch personnel, customer service, and training for drivers.

Current programs require patients to book transportation at least four days prior to their appointment. Following the appointment, patients are often left stranded several hours before their driver arrives. SPLT and Lyft are focused on the reduction of pre-booking times to a matter of hours and patient wait time to minutes.

SPLT is a startup that moved to Detroit about a year ago to be a part of Techstars Mobility, the #1 startup program in the auto industry.

The Detroit program is one of a number of Midwestern pilots planned for this fall.