SURPRISE, AZ — A Surprise woman is raising concerns after she says her elderly father had a bad experience with a ride to a medical appointment booked through United Healthcare’s SafeRide benefit. She says it left her dad unwilling to use medical transport again.
Gerry Greiner emailed ABC15, saying a Lyft ride was arranged through the insurance-covered program to take her dad, Bill, to a routine wound care appointment. When two drivers cancelled, she says he was left sitting outside in the heat for half an hour.
"He was exhausted, and it was horrifying,” Greiner said.
Bill Greiner is diabetic.
"The whole time my dad was sitting outside, it was about 80 degrees or so. He was extremely hot and flustered,” Greiner said.
It didn’t end there. The return ride was a lifted truck, too high for the 80-year-old to climb into. Greiner says what should have been a short trip home took two hours.
"My dad had to sit in a wheelchair, off of his foot, by himself,” she said. "He could barely even speak. He was dehydrated. He hadn't eaten.”
United Healthcare responded with a statement, telling ABC15:
“We are very sorry to hear about Mr. Greiner’s experience and understand why it is concerning for the member and his family, and we take these concerns seriously. We’ve reviewed the situation internally to help safeguard from this happening again.
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We remain committed to supporting our members' access to transportation, which can be a significant barrier to health and well‑being. As with any service as complex as transportation, there are rare instances where an issue arises. However, this does not reflect the broader performance of our transportation benefit that so many members depend on and trust.”
The company says the rideshare option is designed for patients who can walk to a car, and that professional medical transport like NEMT is available for those who need more assistance.
Lyft says that while they cannot comment on Greiner’s trip, no one should be left waiting in the heat.
Regarding healthcare rides, Lyft says drivers are not told when a ride is for a healthcare patient to protect privacy, a policy rooted in HIPAA laws.
Valley physician Dr. Uzma Jafri specializes in family medicine and geriatrics. She says the stakes are high.
"The average American is going to spend the last 10 years of their life unable to transport themselves independently,” Dr. Jafri said. "The onus is on that insurance company to find out what that patient's needs are and then provide the appropriate transport.”
She raises the question about rideshare drivers’ medical training.
"They may not even be CPR certified. Can you imagine if somebody had a medical crisis or an emergency?” Dr. Jafri said.
Bill Greiner has since been approved for medical transport only, according to his daughter, but Gerry Greiner says the damage is done.
“We promised him we wouldn't do this to him again,” she said. "Now he's afraid. He doesn't want to use medical transport or any of these services again."
Now she is calling for change.
"These are patients that need assistance,” Greiner said. "At the very least, some regulations, some systems and protocols need to be put in place to protect these people.”
Last year, 28,000 patients utilized SafeRide, with a satisfaction score of 4.8 out of 5, according to United Healthcare data. The company reports nearly 4,000 rides have been completed this year to date, with the same satisfaction score.
