Access to effective treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) is often complicated by many obstacles. While stigma, insufficient clinician training, and fragmented care continuums are well-known challenges, a critical yet less discussed issue is the transportation barrier opioid treatment. Without reliable transportation options, many patients face rescheduled or missed appointments, delayed access to care, and ultimately poorer health outcomes.
Recognizing this crucial gap, Acadia Healthcare (Nasdaq: ACHC), one of the largest behavioral healthcare providers in the U.S., has forged a strategic partnership with Uber Health (NYSE: UBER), the healthcare-focused division of the ride-share giant Uber. This collaboration is designed to provide safe, reliable rides for patients receiving treatment for OUD at Acadia’s Comprehensive Treatment Centers (CTCs). This innovative approach aims to reduce transportation barriers and enhance patient engagement and retention in care.
The scope of the opioid epidemic and treatment gaps
In the United States, approximately 2.7 million people report living with opioid use disorder. Despite the high prevalence, a staggering 70% of these individuals do not receive any form of treatment. Numerous factors contribute to this treatment gap, and among them, transportation issues are a significant but under-recognized barrier.
Dr. Nasser Khan, operations group president for Acadia’s CTC business, highlights the simple yet profound question many patients face: “Can I get to the appointment?” For patients struggling with addiction, challenges like unreliable transportation often mean missing crucial treatment sessions, which can result in relapse or escalation to emergency care.
Transportation difficulties disproportionately affect certain populations, particularly those with chronic diseases like OUD, Medicaid enrollees, and economically disadvantaged groups. Acadia’s CTC business predominantly serves Medicaid beneficiaries, amplifying the need for accessible transportation solutions.
This partnership directly tackles the transportation barrier opioid treatment faces by offering patients dependable rides to their appointments.
Acadia Healthcare’s network and commitment
Headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, Acadia Healthcare operates a network of 253 behavioral healthcare facilities with approximately 11,200 beds across 38 states and Puerto Rico. Recently, the company expanded its footprint with the acquisition of three new locations in North Carolina, further growing its capacity to treat patients with OUD and other behavioral health needs.
Acadia is known for delivering comprehensive care, spanning inpatient, outpatient, and specialized treatment programs. The partnership with Uber Health aligns with Acadia’s broader mission to remove barriers and improve treatment accessibility for patients struggling with substance use disorders.
By addressing the transportation barrier opioid treatment patients experience, Acadia takes a crucial step toward improving health equity and treatment outcomes.
Uber Health: A specialized solution for healthcare transportation
Uber Health is the healthcare arm of Uber, offering a HIPAA-compliant platform that facilitates non-emergency medical transportation and other health-related delivery services such as prescription medication and groceries. Unlike the standard Uber app, Uber Health is designed specifically for healthcare providers, allowing care coordinators to arrange rides for patients without requiring them to have smartphones, the Uber app, or even credit cards.
Patients receive a text or phone call notifying them when their ride is arriving, removing technological and financial barriers to accessing transportation. This model has already been adopted by leading healthcare organizations including Boston Medical Center and ModivCare, proving its effectiveness and scalability.
This approach directly addresses the transportation barrier opioid treatment programs have long struggled with, helping ensure patients arrive on time and prepared for care.
The mechanics of the partnership
Under the new agreement, Acadia’s care coordinators and providers use Uber Health’s desktop dashboard to schedule rides for patients attending opioid treatment programs at Acadia’s CTC clinics. This streamlined process ensures patients can get to their appointments reliably, whether they face ongoing transportation challenges or immediate crises.
Caitlin Donovan, global head of Uber Health, explains, “Acadia turned to us because their team identified transportation as a major barrier for patients seeking behavioral health care and addiction treatment. For their addiction treatment programs in particular, consistent attendance is essential, and difficulty accessing transportation may result in patients delaying treatment or experiencing disruptions to their program.”
This targeted response helps alleviate the transportation barrier opioid treatment patients face, improving consistent engagement in recovery.
Why transportation matters: Clinical and economic implications
Transportation barriers not only affect patient outcomes but also carry significant clinical and economic consequences. Missed appointments—commonly referred to as “no-shows”—are often viewed through a financial lens by healthcare providers. However, Acadia approaches this issue with a focus on patient health rather than revenue.
Dr. Khan explains, “No show refers … to a lost appointment as a lost piece of revenue. That’s not what’s relevant here. What’s relevant here is that somebody missing a scheduled appointment creates a substantial risk that the patient could relapse.”
Keeping patients engaged in longitudinal treatment reduces the likelihood of emergency department (ED) visits or inpatient hospitalizations. Data from PINC AI highlights that patients diagnosed with OUD have a 32% higher cost per ED visit and an 8% higher cost per inpatient stay compared to the general population. Nationally, the total annual cost of ED and inpatient visits related to OUD is estimated at $95.4 billion.
By providing transportation that helps patients maintain consistent access to care, Acadia and Uber Health are investing in long-term improvements in patient retention and health outcomes. This approach can also reduce costly emergency interventions and hospitalizations, easing the burden on the healthcare system.
These efforts illustrate how tackling the transportation barrier opioid treatment programs face can produce wide-ranging benefits beyond the individual patient.
Broader impact: Transportation as a healthcare access issue
Transportation is a fundamental social determinant of health, affecting patients beyond just those with opioid use disorder. Lack of transportation can impede access to care for many chronic conditions, creating a ripple effect of worsening health and increased healthcare costs.
Acadia’s partnership with Uber Health is initially focused on its CTC clinics but is planned to expand across the entire Acadia network. This expansion will extend transportation support to patients in various behavioral health treatment settings, improving overall healthcare access and equity.
Addressing the transportation barrier opioid treatment patients encounter is an important part of improving behavioral healthcare delivery nationwide.
Looking ahead: Scaling and innovation
This partnership represents a national, enterprise-level agreement, signaling Acadia’s commitment to integrating innovative solutions to tackle systemic barriers in addiction treatment. While Acadia had previously leveraged Uber Health on a smaller scale, this expanded collaboration reflects a long-term strategy to scale transportation assistance and improve patient outcomes nationwide.
As transportation remains a challenge across all areas of healthcare, programs like this could serve as models for other providers aiming to improve treatment engagement and reduce healthcare disparities.
By directly confronting the transportation barrier opioid treatment patients face, Acadia and Uber Health are setting a new standard for patient-centered care.
Conclusion
Reliable transportation is a critical yet often overlooked component of successful opioid use disorder treatment. Through their partnership with Uber Health, Acadia Healthcare is addressing a key obstacle that prevents many patients from accessing consistent, high-quality care.
By removing transportation barriers, the collaboration enhances patient retention, improves clinical outcomes, and helps mitigate the enormous economic costs associated with untreated OUD. More importantly, it represents a compassionate, practical step toward ensuring that those seeking recovery are supported at every stage of their journey.
Dr. Khan encapsulates the vision best: “For society, there’s an enormous economic impact incentive to keep people engaged in longitudinal treatment.”
