Grand County plans free medical rides, backed by a $757,000 federal grant

Grand County is preparing a free medical transportation service for older adults and others without reliable rides, the Times-Independent reported. Commissioners voted unanimously Oct. 20 to accept about $757,000 in federal Rural Health Transformation Program money through the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, and the grant requires no county match. ^[1]

Plans call for rides within Grand County and to providers in Price, Salt Lake City and Grand Junction, Colorado. The program is meant for older adults, people with disabilities, low-income residents and others without dependable transportation. The county's plan targets an April 2027 launch, though it would like to start sooner, county official Melisa Jeffers said. Eligibility rules and booking procedures still must be set, and no partner agreements have been finalized. ^[1]

Moab Regional Hospital already offers free rides in town and occasional out-of-town trips, but CEO Jen Sadoff said each out-of-town trip takes a driver and van for a full day and the hospital is not reimbursed. "There are people going without care because they don't have a ride," Sadoff said. In a county survey on older adults' needs, about 61% of the 343 respondents who answered a transportation question said getting to medical appointments was somewhat difficult, very difficult or impossible for themselves or older adults they know. ^[1]

The operating plan names Via Transportation, which runs the Moab-Arches shuttle, as the proposed operations partner and calls for leasing four wheelchair-accessible vehicles and hiring a full-time transportation care coordinator based at the hospital. Of the initial award, $546,355 is budgeted for transportation and $79,200 for the coordinator. The agreement runs through Sept. 30, 2028, and the initial funds must be committed through signed agreements by Dec. 31, 2026. ^[1]