The Apex Times
Above the Noise
Business Wire
BusinessUnitedHealth’s steep swings inside the Dow’s tracking ETF reflect the index math, not just stock tradingThe Apex TimesBusinessTech futures slip on Anthropic valuation doubts as Tesla’s Roadster event draws attentionThe Apex TimesBusinessRetailers under pressure as shoplifting concerns intensify at Walmart, Target, and KrogerThe Apex TimesBusinessJim Cramer tells viewers Starbucks can grow without expanding data-center exposure, Apple’s audience is ‘worth paying for,’ and Intel shareholders should stay patientThe Apex TimesBusinessDow posts best session in more than a month as hotter producer prices cool AI-spending hopes; Meta among names in focusThe Apex TimesBusinessMeta rolls out new ad tools aimed at boosting campaign visibility across Facebook and InstagramThe Apex TimesBusinessNetflix faces renewed scrutiny as analysts question whether subscriber retention is weakeningThe Apex TimesBusinessBoeing moves toward talks with Cathay Pacific on potential wide-body order of up to 50 jetsThe Apex TimesBusinessArista Networks emerges as the quiet “AI networking” alternative as data-center demand risesThe Apex TimesBusinessMastercard shares face a valuation debate after push into stablecoin-linked paymentsThe Apex TimesBusinessDow Jones futures slipped as Disney and Salesforce shares led a rebound; Tesla’s Roadster remained a market talking pointThe Apex TimesBusinessKFC’s Pepsi switch lands a symbolic blow to PepsiCo, analysts sayThe Apex TimesBusinessUnitedHealth’s steep swings inside the Dow’s tracking ETF reflect the index math, not just stock tradingThe Apex TimesBusinessTech futures slip on Anthropic valuation doubts as Tesla’s Roadster event draws attentionThe Apex TimesBusinessRetailers under pressure as shoplifting concerns intensify at Walmart, Target, and KrogerThe Apex TimesBusinessJim Cramer tells viewers Starbucks can grow without expanding data-center exposure, Apple’s audience is ‘worth paying for,’ and Intel shareholders should stay patientThe Apex TimesBusinessDow posts best session in more than a month as hotter producer prices cool AI-spending hopes; Meta among names in focusThe Apex TimesBusinessMeta rolls out new ad tools aimed at boosting campaign visibility across Facebook and InstagramThe Apex TimesBusinessNetflix faces renewed scrutiny as analysts question whether subscriber retention is weakeningThe Apex TimesBusinessBoeing moves toward talks with Cathay Pacific on potential wide-body order of up to 50 jetsThe Apex TimesBusinessArista Networks emerges as the quiet “AI networking” alternative as data-center demand risesThe Apex TimesBusinessMastercard shares face a valuation debate after push into stablecoin-linked paymentsThe Apex TimesBusinessDow Jones futures slipped as Disney and Salesforce shares led a rebound; Tesla’s Roadster remained a market talking pointThe Apex TimesBusinessKFC’s Pepsi switch lands a symbolic blow to PepsiCo, analysts sayThe Apex TimesBusinessUnitedHealth’s steep swings inside the Dow’s tracking ETF reflect the index math, not just stock tradingThe Apex TimesBusinessTech futures slip on Anthropic valuation doubts as Tesla’s Roadster event draws attentionThe Apex TimesBusinessRetailers under pressure as shoplifting concerns intensify at Walmart, Target, and KrogerThe Apex TimesBusinessJim Cramer tells viewers Starbucks can grow without expanding data-center exposure, Apple’s audience is ‘worth paying for,’ and Intel shareholders should stay patientThe Apex TimesBusinessDow posts best session in more than a month as hotter producer prices cool AI-spending hopes; Meta among names in focusThe Apex TimesBusinessMeta rolls out new ad tools aimed at boosting campaign visibility across Facebook and InstagramThe Apex TimesBusinessNetflix faces renewed scrutiny as analysts question whether subscriber retention is weakeningThe Apex TimesBusinessBoeing moves toward talks with Cathay Pacific on potential wide-body order of up to 50 jetsThe Apex TimesBusinessArista Networks emerges as the quiet “AI networking” alternative as data-center demand risesThe Apex TimesBusinessMastercard shares face a valuation debate after push into stablecoin-linked paymentsThe Apex TimesBusinessDow Jones futures slipped as Disney and Salesforce shares led a rebound; Tesla’s Roadster remained a market talking pointThe Apex TimesBusinessKFC’s Pepsi switch lands a symbolic blow to PepsiCo, analysts sayThe Apex TimesBusinessUnitedHealth’s steep swings inside the Dow’s tracking ETF reflect the index math, not just stock tradingThe Apex TimesBusinessTech futures slip on Anthropic valuation doubts as Tesla’s Roadster event draws attentionThe Apex TimesBusinessRetailers under pressure as shoplifting concerns intensify at Walmart, Target, and KrogerThe Apex TimesBusinessJim Cramer tells viewers Starbucks can grow without expanding data-center exposure, Apple’s audience is ‘worth paying for,’ and Intel shareholders should stay patientThe Apex TimesBusinessDow posts best session in more than a month as hotter producer prices cool AI-spending hopes; Meta among names in focusThe Apex TimesBusinessMeta rolls out new ad tools aimed at boosting campaign visibility across Facebook and InstagramThe Apex TimesBusinessNetflix faces renewed scrutiny as analysts question whether subscriber retention is weakeningThe Apex TimesBusinessBoeing moves toward talks with Cathay Pacific on potential wide-body order of up to 50 jetsThe Apex TimesBusinessArista Networks emerges as the quiet “AI networking” alternative as data-center demand risesThe Apex TimesBusinessMastercard shares face a valuation debate after push into stablecoin-linked paymentsThe Apex TimesBusinessDow Jones futures slipped as Disney and Salesforce shares led a rebound; Tesla’s Roadster remained a market talking pointThe Apex TimesBusinessKFC’s Pepsi switch lands a symbolic blow to PepsiCo, analysts sayThe Apex Times
Back to front
Uber and LISC open new grant applications for Health Access Fund to fund rides to health care for low-income patients
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Business/The Apex Times/Jun 7, 9:39 PM EDT

Uber and LISC open new grant applications for Health Access Fund to fund rides to health care for low-income patients

Nonprofit hospitals and clinics in nine markets can apply for up to $750,000 in new awards through a partnership that uses Uber Health to coordinate free transportation to medical appointments.

By The Apex Times Newsroom4 min readAI-assisted Apex article

Uber and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) have opened a new round of grant applications for their Health Access Fund, seeking to reduce transportation barriers that can keep low-income patients from reaching medical care. The partners said the fund is offering up to $750,000 in new grants, with awards averaging about $50,000 per recipient, for nonprofit organizations that provide health services.

The Health Access Fund supports free rides coordinated through Uber Health, Uber’s HIPAA-enabled dashboard and API solution. Because the rides are managed via Uber Health, the program is designed so patients do not need a smartphone or the Uber app to benefit. The announcement said the rides are intended to help patients get to appointments and related services including geriatric and maternal care, as well as treatment for cancer and chronic diseases such as diabetes. Riders under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult, according to the release.

LISC will manage the grants and Uber will fund the initiative, the partners said. Eligible applicants include hospitals, health centers, and community health organizations in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The new awards are meant to support work during the 2026 to 2027 grant period, and the application deadline is June 22, 2026.

LISC and Uber framed the latest round as an expansion of a program launched in 2021. The release said Uber has contributed more than $9 million to the Health Access Fund since then, supporting transportation access for “tens of thousands of patients.” LISC President and CEO Michael Pugh said in the announcement that transportation-linked obstacles can be addressed, even if some health challenges are harder to solve. Uber’s Cher Braden, head of social impact, said getting to an appointment is often treated as routine, but for patients who lack cars, cannot drive, or cannot use public transit, the trip can become an expensive and complicated roadblock.

The partners also highlighted examples from existing grant recipients. In Los Angeles, Venice Family Clinic described rides helping a woman living with rheumatoid arthritis and limited mobility reach medical appointments, with staff saying the rides allow her to maintain her health and independence. In the Atlanta area, Mercy Care said it connected a client who had missed 15 appointments due to homelessness and transportation challenges, enabling him to keep nearly every appointment. In Indiana, HealthLinc described how access to transportation for a newborn needing urgent care helped the family reach a specialist outside their immediate area.

In addition to individual stories, the release pointed to program evaluation findings from earlier awards. It said analysis found that three-quarters of patients reported that lack of transportation hindered their ability to access health and social services in the prior year, while more than half said they missed medical appointments or did not obtain services due to transportation challenges. The partners said most rides were used for primary care, with a significant portion for women earning less than $20,000 annually, and that overall demand exceeded what community health partners could support.

Health Access Fund fits within a broader shift toward funding solutions for social determinants of health, the non-medical factors that shape health outcomes. Uber has previously described the fund as an evolution of a Vaccine Access Fund created during the COVID-19 era, expanding support for community organizations beyond vaccination rides to broader healthcare access needs. Uber’s own blog post about the Health Access Fund said grants can support work through Uber Health and may also include approaches to deliver health-related services in places with limited rideshare options, such as mobile clinics or community health hubs.

What is not specified in the announcement includes the number of individual awards that will be made in this round, the selection criteria beyond eligibility and market coverage, and how funds may be distributed across the nine regions. The partners also do not disclose the total amount Uber will contribute specifically for the 2026 to 2027 period, beyond stating that Uber has contributed more than $9 million since the fund launched. The next step for applicants is to submit their proposals by June 22, 2026, and watch for the next set of grantees and their reported ride and appointment outcomes.

Why It Matters

  • The announcement shows how Uber and LISC are using technology-enabled transportation coordination as a targeted, grant-funded approach to health equity, not just as an app feature for consumers.
  • By limiting eligibility to nine markets and setting a near-term deadline, the new round could affect near-term capacity at community health providers that manage patient outreach and care navigation.
  • The cited evaluation findings, including high reported rates of missed appointments tied to transportation, may strengthen the case for continued private and philanthropic investment in non-medical access barriers.
  • For Uber, the partnership reinforces a healthcare-focused use case for Uber Health that may support relationships with health providers, even as the company does not disclose detailed metrics for this specific round.
  • For LISC, the grant process offers another channel to help address social determinants of health, potentially complementing other community development and health initiatives it runs.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Uber and LISC are accepting applications for the Health Access Fund, offering up to $750,000 in new grants with an average award size of about $50,000.
  • The program uses Uber Health, described as a HIPAA-enabled dashboard and API solution, to coordinate free rides to healthcare appointments.
  • The announcement says patients do not need a smartphone or the Uber app to use the service because rides are managed through Uber Health.
  • Eligible applicants include nonprofit hospitals, health centers, and community health organizations in nine markets: California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
  • The application deadline for this grant round is June 22, 2026, and the work is intended to support the 2026 to 2027 grant period.
  • The release says Uber has contributed more than $9 million to the fund since its 2021 launch, supporting transportation access for tens of thousands of patients.
  • Evaluation results cited in the release found that three-quarters of patients said transportation barriers hindered access to health and social services, and more than half said they missed appointments due to transportation challenges.

Autos & Transport Related

Uber and LISC open new grant applications for Health Access Fund to fund rides to health care for low-income patients | The Apex Times