Travel assistance for cancer patients

Travel assistance for cancer patients – Cancer treatment can pose a significant burden on low-income individuals and families especially when patients are required to seek specialized care and treatment outside of their local communities. It is not common for the overall cost to become astronomical taking into account the medical procedure as well as essential elements like accommodation, transportation, medical support, medications, food and so on during this challenging phase.

Fortunately, there are countless generous organizations and empathetic charities that are committed to assisting people in accessing critical healthcare services and overcoming financial and transportation hurdles.

What Are The Eligibility Criteria And Documents Required To Get Help With Travel For Cancer Patients?

The eligibility criteria to get help with travel for cancer patients are as follows:

• Be a citizen of the United States, a legal/ permanent resident or an eligible non-citizen
• Be in active treatment
• Have a Social Security card
• Must meet the age and cancer-type requirements set by the program
• Must meet the income criteria of the program and have income less than 300% to 500% of the federal poverty level to get assistance.
• Meet the age or medical condition rules set by the program
• Must demonstrate a strong financial need and an inability to cover the travel cost.

Following is the list of documents that cancer patients are required to submit to the organization to qualify for transportation assistance.

• Personal identification documents for instance government-issued photo ID, driver’s license, passport
• Citizenship and residency documents
• List of government grants or assistance programs that you’re already receiving through other programs
• A cover letter and a recommendation letter
• Inspection report by authorized clinics
• A signed and dated letter for verifying your cancer diagnosis and treatment from an oncologist, a licensed social worker, nurse navigator and patient navigator
• Financial disclosure form and federal tax return
• Proof of your leave status or current employment by are dated and signed letter from your employer
• Medical information form and contact details of your medical treatment team.

Recommended: Stranded Travelers Assistance Programs

What Are The Available Programs That Provide Travel Assistance For Cancer Patients?

Cancer Care Can Help

CancerCare offers a little amount of financial support to cancer patients for travel linked to their treatments. As a charity, financial stability is based on the sources of assistance they are currently receiving. Expert oncology social workers will always try to direct you to other financial support services if they do not currently have the funding to help you.

Eligibility: –

• If you want to be eligible for financial aid, you have to:
• validate a cancer diagnosis with an oncology medical professional.
• Be actively receiving cancer therapy.
• Live in Puerto Rico or the United States
• Satisfy the 250% Federal Poverty Limit requirement for qualifying

Visit www.CancerCare.org to learn more about this program and to view a list of nearby nonprofits.

Good Days

Good Days provides transportation assistance for people with chronic medical issues who are struggling financially. 877-968-7233

Mercy Medical Angels

Financially disadvantaged patients can get non-emergency, long-distance ground transportation for treatment in the form of petrol cards, bus tickets, and train tickets from Mercy Medical Angels. Veterans of the U.S. military can also receive special help for transportation to clinical care.

National Volunteer Transportation Center

The National Volunteer Transportation Center supports and promotes the idea of volunteer transportation, which includes initiatives for ride-sharing, shared vehicle use, and volunteer driver programs.

Medicaid

Few transportation costs are covered under the state-funded partnership program Medicaid that helps to cover the health services on behalf of low-income individuals. For instance the Washington Medicaid program contracts with few transportation brokers in every county to cover the medically required transportation cost.

Patients covered by the Medicaid program in Montana or Idaho can pay for their transportation services and submit receipts to get partial reimbursement. To learn whether you can cover your travel through the Medicaid program you can contact your local Medicaid office.

National Aging And Disability Transportation Center

The National Aging And Disability Transportation Center offers training and resources on accessible transportation to help empower low-income individuals and communities including those who are battling cancer.

The organization promotes accessibility and availability of suitable transportation options to meet the needs of disabled individuals, older adults and caregivers.

The center was established by the United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration in 2015 and helped in improving and implementing innovative transportation programs at the local level. Disabled individuals or older adults battling cancer can contact this resource to get help with transportation.

Temporary Assistance For Needy Families Program

A popular grant program known as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program assists people with low income and provides them monthly payments so that they can cover expenses like food, housing, clothing, transportation, utilities, medical and phone supplies.

The program covers all the expenses that are not covered by Medicaid. Cancer-affected patients who are looking for ways to cover their transportation expenses can get time-limited financial assistance through this program to fulfill their basic needs. You can contact your local social or health service department and learn about the eligibility criteria of the program.

Air Care Alliance

A nonprofit organization known as Air Care Alliance supports volunteer-based organizations and charities through its referral system.

The referral system connects cancer patients to volunteer pilot organizations that provide free air travel assistance for cancer patients to medical treatment facilities. Cancer patients who require air travel for their medical treatment can contact Air Care Alliance.

Recommended: Churches That Help With Free Bus Tickets

Along Comes Hope

A nonprofit organization known as Along Comes Hope supports the cancer journey of a child through financial support. Along Come Hope strives to assist families and make them feel safe and comfortable by providing airfare, gas, groceries and lodging assistance.

The organization offers financial assistance with travel for treatment, advocacy work for policy changes, emotional support programs, awareness and education to hundreds of needy children and their families.

American Cancer Society Road To Recovery Program

The Road to Recovery program by the American Cancer Society transports needy cancer patients to and from treatment with volunteer drivers at American Cancer Society. In some cases, a caregiver can also join the patients who are below 18 years of age and need a caregiver get free transportation assistance.

Cancer patients who are facing transportation barriers or those who cannot drive themselves can seek transportation assistance from this resource. The trained volunteer drivers of the organization pick up cancer patients and take them to the medical appointment centers.

Corporate Angel Network

A lot of airfare resources are facilitated through private planes which can be costly for cancer-affected patients to access. Fortunately, the Corporate Angel Network helps cancer patients who reach their treatment facilities on both corporate and private planes completely free of cost.

The organization has been assisting more than 60,000 cancer-affected patients since 1981. You can visit the official website of the organization to learn about the eligibility criteria and how to avail of the financial support. The network covers children as well as adults battling cancer.

Recommended: Free Government Grants for Breast Cancer Patients

Angel Flight East

A non-profit organization known as Angel Flight East provides free air travel assistance to children and adults battling cancer who are far from their homes.

The nonprofit organization serves cancer-affected individuals and families in the northeast United States and can enable them to connect to other volunteer pilot organizations situated outside the northeast region.

The volunteer pilots use personal aircraft and also cover air transportation expenses on behalf of eligible families.

Lifeline Pilots

A viable resource for cancer-affected patients who are looking for travel assistance to reach their medical appointment destination is Lifeline Pilots. Founded in 1981 this nonprofit organization provides free air transport help to those in need.

The organization runs with volunteer pilots who are willing to donate the charitable flight on behalf of eligible families in need. Cancer-affected individuals living in the Midwestern region of the United States of America can use this resource. The organization covers people with humanitarian and medical needs.

Mercy Medical Angels

Mercy Medical Angels is a nonprofit organization that provides transportation assistance for ambulatory patients. They help people with commercial and private flights, train tickets and free gas cards.

The organization executes approximately 20,000 free trips nationwide annually. The organization is an amazing resource for cancer-affected ambulatory patients.

Leukemia And Lymphoma Society

The Susan Lang Pay It Forward Patient Travel Assistance program by the Leukemia And Lymphoma Society offers financial assistance of up to $500 to cancer-affected patients that they can pay towards travel-related expenses.

Few approved expenses include gas, air and ground transportation, baggage fees combined bullet services and parking fees. The organization does not cover international travel.

To qualify for travel assistance from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society cancer affected patients must prove they are at or below the 500th percentile of the U.S. federal poverty level. There is a copay assistance program featured by the organization for those who fail to qualify for free transportation assistance.

Recommended: Grants for Parents With a Disabled Child

National Patient Travel Helpline

The National Patient Travel Helpline number 800-296-1217 lists around 48 transportation options designed for patients across the nation. The helpline provides non-emergency long-distance ground transportation for ambulatory patients who are facing financial crises and need to travel for their medical treatment.

The transportation options available through this helpline comprise commercial airline programs and organizations such as Angel Flight, Corporate Angel Network And Air Lifeline.

NeedyMeds

A comprehensive list of programs for medical transportation services or assistance with travel expenses is maintained by an organization known as Needy Meds. There are medical transportation programs that assist people and help them to cover costs associated with a particular medical condition or diagnosis.

While some are nationwide programs some are limited to specific regions or states with different eligibility criteria. The Travel Expense Program by Needy Meds helps people to cover transportation costs for medical reasons either by providing reimbursement, vouchers or direct financial assistance.

Miracle Flights

A charity organization known as Miracle Fights is committed to providing financial support for needy patients who need to travel to get specialized medical treatment.

Even though insurance can cover the treatment cost it may not cover the travel expenses and so to bridge this gap the organization provides free commercial plane tickets to US-based treatment facilities for needy families. The flights cover travel costs for the legal guardians accompanying the minors who were 18 years old.

Recommended: Financial Assistance For Medical Bills Payment

Resources For Veterans

Fisher House Foundation

The Fisher House Foundation assists veteran military families with more than $500 million in out-of-pocket costs for transportation and lodging per purchase.

The foundation offers free housing and transportation help for eligible veteran military families in case a family member is hospitalized. The organization creates a space where veteran and military families can lean on one another during a shared experience like cancer.

Luke’s Wings

Founded in 2008 the medical charity organization known as Luke’s Wings is committed to providing emergency travel planning services as well as airplane tickets for families of all veterans, military members and fallen officers during their hospital recovery and rehabilitation.

There are a variety of programs designed by the organization such as Veterans and Hospice Care Transportation Assistance Program, Wounded Warrior Transportation Assistance Program, Fallen Officers Transportation Assistance Program, Special Operation Transportation Assistance Program, Major Illness Transportation Assistance Program etc. tailored to specific situations of families.

To date, the organization has helped with 14,000 free airline tickets for veteran and military families with an average cost of $350 per flight.

Coast Guard Mutual Assistance

The Coast Guard Mutual Assistance is another nonprofit charitable organization that is designed to support the United States Coast Guard and their family members. The organization has plenty of programs and supportive services to assist needy families for instance family support and education support programs.

Besides they also provide affordable loans, and financial grants that can help people cover their transport-related costs including lodging and transportation.

Operation Homefront

A national nonprofit organization working throughout the United States of America known as Operation Homefront is committed to building strong veteran military families. The critical financial assistance program of the organization helps families get financial support to cover bills like food, utility, rent and transportation.

The financial aid is available to the eligible members of the military community. By becoming eligible for the financial assistance program provided by this organization you can curtail your transportation expenses required for cancer treatment.

PALs Patient Airlift Services

A nonprofit organization that provides free air transportation for eligible cancer patients who are unable to fly commercially due to financial constraints is PALs. Similar to other relevant travel aid resources the volunteer pilots of the organization donate their effort, time and aircraft for cancer-affected patients who need to travel to medical treatment locations.

The organization supports wounded veterans and military families with free flights. When you contact the organization they can arrange free flights for you provided you show you are unable to afford or fly commercially because of medical diagnosis, treatment or follow-up.

Army Emergency Relief

A tax-exempt nonprofit organization that offers zero-interest loans educational scholarships and grants to veterans of the U.S. Army is known as the Army Emergency Relief.

The grants and loans provided by the organization can help to fund lodging, travel, rent, utilities, healthcare and many more areas. The organization assists veterans irrespective of their cancer type.

Recommended: Government Financial Assistance For People With Cancer

Additional Resources To Get Help

Hill-Burton Act

Hill-Burton Act This federal program gives hospitals money for construction and improvements, but there are requirements attached, including that the hospitals provide certain care for free to individuals who cannot afford it. Visit www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/hill-burton/index.html for more details.

Partnership for Prescription Assistance

Partnership for Prescription Assistance connects qualified individuals without prescription drug coverage to any one of hundreds of programs designed for various needs and ailments, assisting them in obtaining the medications they require. Visit their website at www.pparx.org for more details and to find out whether you qualify.

Catholic Charities

The website of Catholic Charities, www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/find-help, provides a searchable listing of its member organizations around the country, including organizations that provide services to assist families in paying for medical expenses.

United Way

United Way, www.unitedway.org/our-impact/focus/health/, offers support across the country and promotes health-related causes. The United Way campaign office in your area is the best place to look for assistance. For more information, visit www.unitedway.org/find-your-united-way.

Cancer Finances

An online resource is available through Cancer Finances, a collaboration between Triage Cancer and the Samfund, to help cancer patients and survivors make wise financial decisions before, during, and after treatment. Visit cancerfinances.org.

Uber free rides for cancer patients

• With a new alliance with Uber Health, CVS Health is advancing along the road to health equity.
• The partnership will provide free transportation to medical care, employment, or education for residents of impoverished neighborhoods.
• In order to lower access hurdles to care, those rides, which will be organized by Uber’s healthcare division, will be made available to high-risk communities in Atlanta, Columbus, and Hartford, Connecticut.
• Lack of transportation can make it difficult for patients to get to appointments on time or at all, which can have a negative impact on their health.
• In order to overcome these obstacles, Uber Health debuted in 2018. The company claims that more than 2,000 health organizations use its HIPAA-compliant product.

Conclusion

Getting diagnosed with cancer can inflict a definition burden on a household, particularly for families belonging to the low-income category. Transportation is a common cause associated with cancer treatment that can be a huge financial burden for low-income patients and their families. Fortunately there are a number of resources and programs that enable them to cover the travel costs for families while patients receive the treatment. You can take the help of the aforementioned resources that can provide you direct financial help for living, medical and transportation costs.

Learn more about government programs for cancer patients at the Get Government Grants blog section today. Our resources will help you to learn financial need resources and programs that will improve your living and reduce your financial burden.

Frequently asked Questions

Is there any financial assistance for cancer patients?

Yes, financial assistance is available to cancer patients. Everything from free wigs, grants, viatical settlements, assistance with power bills, assistance with pharmaceutical costs, and much more is available.

How can i get financial assistance for cancer patients?

You can also seek cash for cancer treatment through grants, crowdfunding, and disability benefits, among other options. A fantastic alternative for obtaining funds for cancer treatment is viatical or life settlements (where you sell your life insurance policy for a large sum of cash).

Where to get financial assistance for cancer patients?

You can call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345. Through its Patient Aid programme, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society can also assist some families with the expense of gas and parking for outpatient therapy.

How does the American Cancer Care Society help with transportation assistance?

A leading organization that is committed to fighting cancer and improving the lives of needy people is the American Cancer Society. Even though it isn’t well known for providing research initiatives the organization offers transportation assistance to cancer-affected patients and families in need. The mission is to make sure transportation is not a barrier to receiving vital cancer care for patients.