The Massachusetts Driver Portable Health Fund for Uber and Lyft Drivers

Frequently Asked Questions

Program FAQs

What is the Massachusetts Driver Portable Health Fund?

• The Massachusetts Driver Portable Health Fund will pay eligible Massachusetts Uber and/or Lyft drivers a health care stipend up to four times annually. The Massachusetts Driver Portable Health Fund is administered by Stride.
• Starting April 1, 2025, as a Massachusetts Uber and/or Lyft driver, you will accrue driving hours that count toward your eligibility.  After each calendar quarter, if you meet the program requirements, Stride will pay you a cash stipend to put towards the cost of a qualifying health insurance plan.
• Your active hours will be evaluated after each calendar quarter – allowing you to receive up to four stipends per year. The next calendar quarter of eligibility will be Q2 2026 (April 1-June 30, 2026). 

How do I qualify for the stipend?

• You must be an active driver for Uber and/or Lyft in Massachusetts.
• You need to average at least 15 "Engaged Hours" per week during a 3-month qualification period. Engaged Hours are the time from accepting a trip until dropping off the rider, including driving to the pickup. Hours worked for both Uber and Lyft are combined.
• You must enroll in a qualifying health plan.

What is a Qualifying Health Plan?

• A plan on which you are the primary subscriber.
• A plan that is neither affiliated with Medicare or Medicaid (e.g., MassHealth), nor an employer sponsored plan.

Learn more about qualifying health plans.

How much is the stipend?

• The stipend amount is based on the average cost of the lowest-cost Bronze tier plans available on the Massachusetts Health Connector for that period.
• The amount depends on your average pooled Engaged Hours during the qualification period:
  • Partial Stipend (50%) $537 quarterly: Average 15 to 24.99 hours per week (195 hours for current quarter)
  • Full Stipend (100%) $1,074 quarterly: Average 25 or more hours per week (325) hours for current stipend)

When are the Qualification Periods?

• Qualification is checked over 3-month periods. The 2026 qualification periods are
  • January-March
  • April-June
  • July-September
  • October-December

When will I get paid?

• Drivers who qualify are invited the following month after the quarter ends, so for the quarter ending in June for example, the invitations will be sent around the second week of July.
• Drivers who receive an invitation have until the end of said month to complete all the steps required (bring approved for the account and submitting proof of insurance).
• Drivers receive either a full or partial stipend into their accounts usually 2-3 weeks after that end-of-the-month deadline.

Health Insurance Verification Process

How do I claim my stipend if I qualify?

• After each qualification period ends, if you're eligible, Stride will notify you the month following the qualification period, e.g., July 1-31 for the April-June qualification period. After this, if you have enough hours between July and September we will notify you beginning in October.
• You'll need to create an account or log in to Stride and confirm you have health insurance or intend to buy health insurance.

 What is health plan verification?

• Stride is required to confirm you are enrolled in a qualifying health plan. This verification needs to happen when you first receive the stipend and then once per calendar year.

How does verification work?

• When you claim your stipend, you'll need to choose one of two options. This needs to be completed on your Stride Save dashboard before the end of the month of the invitation.
  • "I have insurance": You already have a qualifying health plan. Stride will attempt to automatically verify your enrollment using information like your name, date of birth, and your subscriber/member ID. You must
  • "I will buy insurance": You commit to purchasing a qualifying health plan by the end of the deadline shown on your Stride dashboard.
• If automatic verification isn't possible, you'll need to upload a picture of your insurance card (front and back) for manual review. Manual review will take about 2 business days.

What information might I need for verification?

• Your insurance carrier name (e.g., Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA, Tufts Health Plan Direct).
• Your subscriber ID number from your insurance card.
• Your legal name and date of birth.
• If manual upload is needed, clear pictures of the front and back of your insurance card or other accepted insurance documents. Learn more about manual upload.

What happens if I choose "I will buy insurance"?

• You are making a commitment to enroll in a qualifying health plan.
• You will receive the stipend for the current quarter.
• You have until the end of the month showing on your Stride dashboard to purchase the plan AND provide proof of enrollment to Stride.

What happens if I do not provide proof of enrollment to Stride by the deadline?

• Your account will be restricted and future stipends will be withheld or reduced until proof is provided and the prior stipend is accounted for.
• You cannot use this Statement of Intent option again until proof is submitted.

How often do I need to verify my plan?

• Verification is required when you first successfully claim a stipend and then once per calendar year afterwards.
• You should keep your health insurance plan active throughout the year.

*Stride Savings LLC is a financial technology company and is not a bank. Banking services are provided by i3 Bank, Member FDIC. The Stride Mastercard Debit Card is issued by i3 Bank pursuant to a license from Mastercard, Inc. and may be used anywhere Mastercard cards are accepted.