Ridesharing and substance use disorder treatment

The authors examine whether ridesharing provides a meaningful transportation alternative for those who require ongoing healthcare. Specifically, the authors combine variation in UberX entry across the U.S. with the Treatment Episode Data Set to estimate the effect of ridesharing on admissions to substance use disorder treatment. People needing such treatment report transportation as a barrier to receiving care. The authors find that UberX entry into a Core Based Statistical Area has no effect on the overall number of treatment admissions. However, the authors find a decline in non-intensive outpatient treatment which is fully offset by an increase in intensive outpatient treatment. Given the required relative frequency of non-intensive and intensive outpatient treatment in terms of visits per week, the findings indicate that UberX helps to reduce transportation barriers to accessing healthcare. Event-studies show parallel trends in outcomes before UberX entry and results are robust to numerous sensitivity checks.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2024.102941
• Record URL:
  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167629624000869
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/01676296
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Lennon, Conor
  • Maclean, Johanna Catherine
  • Teltser, Keith
• Publication Date: 2025-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Pagination: 102941
• Serial:
  • Journal of Health Economics
  • Volume: 99
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0167-6296
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01676296

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Drug addiction; Medical treatment; Patients; Ridesharing; Ridesourcing; Transportation equity
• Identifier Terms: Uber
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01943746
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 27 2025 3:11PM