Travel Expenses
What Kinds of Travel Expenses Programs are Offered?
There are various private- and government-funded organizations offering programs that help with the
costs associated with transportation for individuals with specific diagnoses or condition that have
no other means to pay. These programs provide direct financial assistance, reimbursement services
and vouchers to help pay for trips to and from scheduled medical appointments, return trips from
hospital emergency rooms, transfers between hospitals, state-to-state air and ground travel costs,
trips to the pharmacy, rides to your local grocery store, family events, etc. Besides helping with
costs these programs also remove transportation barriers, prevents missed medical appointments,
provides stretcher, wheelchair, walk-on and door-to-door transportation assistance. Some services
are free of charge. Others are covered by your medical insurance or accept private pay. Most
programs have some type of eligibility requirements, usually financial ones. Some cover one specific
diagnosis, while others cover an entire category (such as all types of cancers) or even all chronic
medical illnesses.
Additionally, some of these programs may offer other types of assistance, for example, access to lodging, medications and medical supplies, insurance co-payment and premiums assistance, child or respite care, etc.
How to Search for Travel Expenses Programs
The programs are sorted in three ways:
Tips for Searching for Travel Expenses Programs
In most cases, it's best to search by the type of diagnosis. Because programs are listed in several
ways, it's important to know how to find all the programs that can help you:
- First, look for your specific diagnosis (e.g. "Breast Cancer"). If your specific diagnosis isn't listed then:
- Look under the general category for your diagnosis (e.g. Cancer All).
- Look also under the most general category (e.g. "Chronic, Serious or Life-Threatening Illness").
- When you click on a diagnosis, you may also notice other suggestions of categories to look under at the top of the program listings.
If your organization helps people with the costs of a Travel Expenses expenses, we will add it to the website. Please fill out and submit the online Program Information form below:
Complete the Add a Program Information Form.
