• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
HealthUber Technologies

Uber Hopes Discounted Health Care Services Will Appeal to Drivers

By
Kia Kokalitcheva
Kia Kokalitcheva
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kia Kokalitcheva
Kia Kokalitcheva
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 19, 2016, 3:51 PM ET
Uber logo on a vehicle near Union Square in San Francisco, California
The Uber logo is seen on a vehicle near Union Square in San Francisco, California, U.S. May 7, 2015. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith/File Photo - RTX2C0YVRobert Galbraith — Reuters

Uber’s latest strategy to make its service appealing to drivers: Health care.

The ride-hailing company said on Wednesday that it’s teaming up with Dignity Health and GoHealth, two chains of health care clinics and emergency care centers, to provide access to resources like health classes and discounted health care services to drivers in San Francisco and their immediate family members. For a limited time, they’ll also be able to get free flu shots at those clinics.

“When we think about drivers, they’re really our customers,” Wayne Ting, Uber’s Bay Area general manager, told Fortune. Other perks the company has recently rolled out for drivers include the ability to withdraw their earnings whenever they want instead of weekly, as well as a partnership with Betterment, a so-called “robo-advisor” that uses algorithms to manage customer investments.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Dignity and GoHealth plan to offer classes to drivers that are specific to health concerns related to their jobs, such as ergonomics to help them better manage sitting in a car all day. The health care companies’ mobile apps include features that let let drivers sign up for an appointment or queue up remotely so they don’t have to wait at the clinic.

The companies also say that they’ll provide discounts for services at the clinics, though it’s unclear exactly how steep the discounts are. An Uber spokesman declined to share more specifics on the prices drivers will be charged for services.

To access the special services and prices, drivers must simply show their active Uber app on their smartphone at the front desk, while family members can provide the drivers’ phone number associated with their Uber account. Drivers who have health insurance through another employer or source can use their insurance to pay for services as they would at other health care providers. With that said, Ting says the company does not know which drivers have insurance.

“We’re trying to find solutions that make our driver’s lives better regardless of their access” to health insurance, he added.

This latest “perk” for drivers is especially interesting given the company’s ongoing battle over classifying drivers as contractors instead of employees, who would be eligible for benefits like heath insurance. Uber is still working to settle a three-year-old lawsuit filed by former drivers who claim the company owes them for unpaid expenses, as it would for employees.

While this new service doesn’t change drivers’ employment status, it does show that Uber is hoping that these types of extra perks can change the common perception that the company doesn’t view drivers as part of its workforce. Whether that ultimately does temper drivers’ concerns remains to be seen, however.

Uber’s main rival in the U.S., Lyft, which also classifies its drivers as contractors, has been offering perks to its drivers for quite some time, including the ability to withdraw earnings whenever they want to, and gas discounts at Shell stations.

For now, the new health care resources are only available to drivers in San Francisco, but the companies plan to roll them out in other cities soon, such as Portland and New York City.

About the Author
By Kia Kokalitcheva
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Health

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Health

HealthHealth
Forest ‘bathing’ can reduce stress, improve mood, lower blood pressure and boost the immune system. Here’s how it’s done
By Allen Breed and The Associated PressMarch 22, 2026
10 hours ago
HealthHealth
It’s not just vaccines. Parents are refusing other routine preventive care for newborns—even protection from severe bleeding and blindness
By Laura Ungar and The Associated PressMarch 21, 2026
2 days ago
Healthmeal delivery
The 6 Best Gluten-Free Meal Delivery Services of 2026: Nutritionist Approved
By Emily PharesMarch 20, 2026
3 days ago
Healthmeal delivery
Home Chef Meal Delivery Review (2026): Taste Tester Approved
By Christina SnyderMarch 20, 2026
3 days ago
Healthmeal delivery
The 4 Best Frozen Meal Delivery Services (2026): Personally Taste Tested
By Christina SnyderMarch 20, 2026
3 days ago
A podium with a sign reading "save healthcare" stands in front of the U.S. Capitol building.
Healthaffordability
‘Sometimes I don’t even take my medicine’: Americans are choosing between insulin and buying gas following Trump’s ACA cuts
By Ali Swenson and The Associated PressMarch 19, 2026
4 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.