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Travel and Lodging Assistance

  

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Clinical Trials or Support  > Travel and Lodging Assistance

Last update: 04/18/2008

Air Travel | Local Travel | Lodging | Tips

There are many organizations that can assist cancer patients with free transportation, and many may refer you to another when they cannot help.

Note: Costs associated with travel on a regular basis can be enormous and can easily be underestimated. So it's important to understand both your financial and physical limitations.  Seek help from others, and the many organizations that are in place to assist you.

Resources
Air Travel services
AirLifeLine | Angel Flights | Air Care Alliance | Corporate Angels Network  | Joe's House
Mercy Medical Airlift | Mission Air Transportation Network | National Patient Air
Continental We-Care | Wings of Freedom | Call the airlines | Discount Commercial | Private
Local travel
“Road to Recovery.”   ACS 

Where available, volunteer drivers take qualified patients to and from treatment.
Phone: 1-800-ACS-2345
Lodging
Hope Lodging  ACS 

Temporary residential facility that provides free accommodations 
to cancer patients undergoing treatment. 
There are currently 15 Hope Lodges across the US. Another four Hope Lodges are under construction.  Phone: 1-800-ACS-2345 
Joe's House
Traveling with Cancer: Tips  CancerWise.org
AirLifeLine Transportation 

Special thanks to Sue Gallant for this compilation work on travel resources. 

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AirLifeLine Transportation 50 Fullerton Court, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95825. Voice (877) AIR-LIFE / (877) 247-5433 or (916) 641-0600 or (800) 446-1231 and Fax (916) 641-0600. 

An organization of over 1,100 volunteer pilots nationwide who has flown more than 19,000 missions surpassing 9 million flying miles at no charge to the patient or referring agencies. 

Compassionate individual pilots donating their entire expense of fuel, landing fees, and other miscellaneous expenses to fly you for medical care. Very small single engine planes are used, only 4 or 6 seats without bathrooms. 

Patient and caregiver eligible. Assists ambulatory patients needing life-sustaining treatments at a medical facility far from home and who cannot afford the cost of travel. Able to fulfill "standby" missions critical in nature such as for donor organs. Patient should be ambulatory and medically stable. 

Patient must demonstrate financial need and be unable to afford other means of commercial transportation (this is done by a simple letter from employer, pastor, etc.) The medical destination must be within 1,000 miles from his or her home. Substantial paperwork including a financial approval, liability waiver, and physician report must be completed before any flight.

Oncologists and volunteer pilots interested in benefit flying are encouraged to call 877-AIR-LIFE for more information.

Patient Criteria 

Should be ambulatory and physically able to get on and off a plane with minimal assistance or travel with a companion who can help.
 

Must be able to sit upright in the seat with a seatbelt.
 

Should be comfortable in small spaces and not need a bathroom or medical equipment (as the plane size limits facilities and space).
 

Must have a demonstrated financial or time-critical medical need to fly.

Angel Flights
Note: This is a separate and distinct organization from Corporate Angel Network listed below.

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Helps cancer patients travel to distant health centers for care. 
Phone: (800) 989-2602 
Angel Flights
Angel Flight West
Angel Flight for Vetarans
Angel Flight Hospice (for financially needy seniors or hospice patients)

 

Air Care Alliance  

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Helps cancer patients travel to distant health centers for care.  
Air Care Alliance
Phone: (888) 260-9707 toll free in the U.S. 
or call the direct number at (757) 318-9145
Corporate Angel
Network
 
This is a separate and distinct organization from Angel Flights listed above.

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Helps cancer patients travel to distant health centers for care. 
Note: Corporate Angel Network need at least one week advance notice.
Phone: (914) 328-1313 Toll Free (866) 328-1313
www.corpangelnetwork.org 
Joe's House
 

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The mission of Joe's House is to be a housing resource for cancer patients and their families who must travel away from home for medical treatment. Our site lists hundreds of cancer treatment centers and nearby lodging facilities.
 

 

Mercy Medical Airlift

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Helps cancer patients travel to distant health centers for care. 
Phone: (800) 296-1191 
www.mercymedical.org
Mission Air Transportation Network

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Provides free air transportation on corporate aircraft. 
Mission Air
(Canada) 77 Bloor St West, Ste 1711, Toronto, Ont. M5S 3A1 
Phone: (416) 924-9333 
National Patient Air 

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Transportation for patients 
www.patienttravel.org
Phone (800) 296-1217
Continental WeCare2

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MD Anderson (Houston) And Continental Airlines: MD Anderson has arranged a contract with Continental Airlines to assist their patients traveling for care. You must first obtain a patient identification number from MD Anderson, but this can be done in advance of your first appointment.
For example, the Continental fares from New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Houston was quoted to me today to be $252 each R/T if purchased 21 days in advance and including a Saturday overnight. This ticket would be nonrefundable, and changes in dates would incur $75 penalties. Continental fares not including the Saturday overnight or purchased closer to flying date ranged upwards to $1,828 per person round trip for the same flight!
You may speak with your MD Anderson social worker for information on Continental's reduced fares for their patients, or with your MD Anderson patient identification number in hand, call Continental Airlines department, We Care Two, (800) 932-2732. Currently, their round trip fare from New York’s LaGuardia is $388 per person at any time and fully refundable. Not great, but livable.
Wings of Freedom  

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Help negotiate the lowest airfares.
Phone: (407) 363-1991
Call the airlines . . .

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You can call direct and try to arrange a compassionate air fare. I just wrote to American Airlines, Delta, US Air, and United Airlines requesting that they consider allowing cancer patients to travel free in unused seats. ~ Sue.
Discount Commercial 
Airline Tickets
. . .

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Contact Wholesalers on regular commercial airline flights. Anyone can use these sources at any time:   
Fly 4 Less (800) 359-4537 
Travel Bargains (800) 247-3273 
Cheap Tickets (800) 377-1000 
Preferred Member Services (800) 800-9359 
American Travel Associates (800) 243-2724
Local private or 
military flying club. 

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Many pilots rent small planes for pleasure flights. They might be able to fly you to your destination by rearranging their schedules.
 
 
Disclaimer:  The information presented on Lymphomation.org is not intended to be a substitute for 
professional medical advice or to replace your relationship with a physician.
For all medical concerns,  you should always consult your doctor. 
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