App-Based Platforms are Finding New Ways to Bring Wellness to People Across the Country, Says New Flex Association Issue Brief

The Second in Flex’s Three-Part “Scaling for Good” series, the Health Issue Brief Highlights How App-Based Platforms are Providing New Solutions and Closing Gaps to Make the Building Block of Health More Accessible.

WASHINGTON - The Flex Association today released a new issue brief today, “Scaling for Good: How the App-Based Platform Industry Supports Health and Wellness Across the Country.” Given the industry’s scale and expertise in rideshare logistics and food delivery, app-based platforms have quickly become an essential component of health and wellness. The report details the data-driven initiatives implemented by rideshare and food delivery platforms to make health better, faster, and more affordable, focusing on three key approaches:

• Connecting people to quality nutrition through meaningful partnerships with local organizations, thoughtful app designs, and supporting programs and research that study and scale “Food as Medicine.”
• Overcoming transportation barriers to healthcare access through targeted programs and features that prioritize accessibility.
• Boosting medication access, so healthcare providers and patients alike can reach wellness goals and maintain sustainable, healthy habits.

“The app-based industry is transforming health by putting nutrition guidance, healthcare services, and medication access directly into people’s hands,” said Flex CEO Kristin Sharp. “From combatting food insecurity, to connecting people to care, to delivering essential medicines, I'm excited to highlight the impactful initiatives our members are already driving and look forward to continuing to showcase how app-based platforms are innovating to advance health and wellness.”

Highlights include:

• Lyft’ Grocery Access program, which has provided over 60,000 rides to and from grocery stores.
• DoorDash’s Project Dash, which has powered more than 6 million deliveries for food banks, food pantries, and other community organizations since 2018.
• Instacart’s public-private partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support and scale “food as medicine” interventions.
• Shipt’s LadderUp program, an eight-week small business accelerator that invests in local grocers, food co-ops, and farmers markets.
• Uber’s collaboration with the Veterans Health Administration to provide rides to over 38,000 veterans.
• Grubhub’s Community Fund’s $12 million investment in community driven organizations across the country who are working to close the hunger gap.

The issue brief’s launch will coincide with a June 10 event, hosted by Axios and sponsored by Flex, that will convene policymakers and Flex members to discuss the latest advancements in healthcare and nutrition access.

Visit the Flex website to read the full report and learn about Flex members’ efforts to advance health and wellness.

About Flex. Flex is the voice of the app-based economy, representing America's leading app-based rideshare and delivery platforms and the people who count on them. Our member companies — DoorDash, Grubhub, HopSkipDrive, Instacart, Lyft, Shipt and Uber— help provide access to crucial goods and services to customers safely and efficiently, offer flexible earning opportunities to workers and support economic growth in communities across the country.