Provides accessible healthcare to over 55,000 black car and rideshare drivers
DENVER and NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CirrusMD, creator of Physician-first Care & Guidance, a new model for virtual primary care delivery, has announced their solution is now available to over 55,000 eligible drivers enrolled in the Drivers Benefits Program paid for by The Black Car Fund (NYBCF), a not-for-profit organization that provides workers’ compensation, safety and education classes and health and wellness benefits at no-cost to tens of thousands of For-Hire-Vehicle drivers in New York State. This partnership makes high-quality, physician-first, on-demand healthcare accessible for free to these drivers, delivering care that is immediate, convenient, and available 24/7/365.
CirrusMD, known for its model of physician-led care and navigation, allows drivers to connect with a licensed, credentialed physician via secure chat in under 60 seconds, regardless of their current location. With always-on healthcare, drivers can receive care and manage their health on their schedule, even from their own car while between fares, eliminating the need for in-person visits that often conflict with busy work hours.
“Partnering with CirrusMD underscores our commitment to providing critical health-related benefits to our Covered Drivers,” said Ira Goldstein, Executive Director of The Black Car Fund. “Drivers work long hours and as independent contractors, their time is their money. This can be a significant barrier to accessing healthcare. With CirrusMD, they have immediate access to a qualified doctor, whether they need primary care, urgent care, or support for chronic conditions and mental health. It’s a flexible, driver-friendly solution that empowers them to take control of their health without sacrificing work hours. Most importantly, it’s provided at absolutely no-cost to them.”
The virtual primary care model is designed to overcome many of the challenges that drivers face when trying to access healthcare. Traditional barriers such as cost, extended wait times for appointments and the inconvenience of taking time away from work for care are avoided with CirrusMD. Drivers can simply and securely chat with a doctor anytime, from anywhere in the US, and address their health concerns without missing work.
“The Black Car Fund’s mission of providing their drivers with equitable benefits and help with wellness aligns with CirrusMD’s belief that there’s a more effective way to deliver care,” said Jamie Hall, President & CEO, CirrusMD. “CirrusMD is transforming healthcare by closing gaps that traditionally delay or prevent access to care. By connecting eligible enrolled drivers to a physician in less than 60 seconds, CirrusMD makes getting care convenient, accessible and affordable. Immediate access to physicians translates to more proactive health management and better outcomes, no matter where drivers are or how busy their schedules may be.”
The CirrusMD virtual front door is always open, ensuring drivers have continuous access to care 24/7/365, from physicians empowered by AI tools that help to streamline every encounter with patient- and benefit plan-specific information, from the very first point of care.
About CirrusMD
CirrusMD is a virtual healthcare company delivering care that is instantly accessible, always informed, and directly connected to the patient’s longitudinal health record. We are solving three of healthcare’s most pervasive problems directly at the point of care: lack of access, lack of relevant information, and lack of care continuity. With a simple chat, our network of high-quality physicians is instantly accessible (<60 seconds), anytime (24/7/365), anywhere in the U.S. CirrusMD doctors are supported by our proprietary Clinical Intelligence Engine, which uses AI-based technology to mine the care encounter for underlying health risks, surface relevant benefit resources and update patient records via integration with a Quality Health Information Network (QHIN). To learn more, visit cirrusmd.com.
About The Black Car Fund
The New York Black Car Operators’ Injury Compensation Fund, Inc. — otherwise known as The Black Car Fund, The Fund, or BCF — was created for the purpose of providing workers’ compensation coverage to Black Car Operators in the State of New York. The BCF was formed by state statute in 1999, and began issuing coverage in 2000. It is the nation’s only fully self-funded, self-insured and self-administered non-profit workers’ compensation provider. The BCF has more than 500 Member Bases throughout the State of New York and provides coverage to approximately 125,000 Drivers. The Black Car Fund is funded entirely by riders in the form of a passenger-paid surcharge assessed on every ride.
The Drivers Benefits program — a collaboration between The Black Car Fund and the Independent Drivers Guild — provides an accident disability insurance plan, personal accident insurance, critical illness insurance, and a $100,000 accidental death benefit. Those who enroll in the program also have access to dental, vision and telemedicine coverage, a mental health and wellness program, plus deep discounts on prescriptions, urgent care and diagnostic testing. Enrolling in the program is free and all the benefits are provided to qualified drivers throughout the state at no cost to them. For more information, visit www.nybcf.org and https://ny.driversbenefits.org.
CONTACT: Media Inquiries For CirrusMD contact: Cheryl Flury • 303.564.2158 • cheryl-flury@cirrusmd.com For The Black Car Fund contact: Evan Theis • 917.715.9265 • evan@pythiapublic.com Lionel Morales • 347.886.9340 • lmorales@nybcf.org
