Transportation and Lodging Assistance for People Who MustTravel to Receive Medical Care

Air Care Alliance

1515 East 71st Street, Suite 312
Tulsa, OK 74136
Telephone: (888) 260-9707 or (918) 745-0384
Fax: (918) 745-0879
Home page: www.aircareall.org

The Air Care Alliance is a nationwide group of flying organizations dedicated to community service. Their Web site lists several groups whose volunteers perform public benefit flying for health care, patient transport, and other needs.

AirLifeLine

5775 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 700
Minneapolis, MN 55416
Telephone: (877) 727-7728
Or
50 Fullerton Court, Suite 200
Sacramento, CA 95825
Telephone: (877) AIRLIFE (877-247-5433)
Home page: www.airlifeline.org

AirLifeLine is a national nonprofit charitable organization of over 1,500 private pilots who fly ambulatory patients who cannot afford the cost of travel to medical facilities for diagnosis and treatment. All pilots donate their time, aircraft, and fuel to make this air transportation service totally free of charge for patients who qualify.

Angel Flight America

4620 Haygood Road, Suite 1
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Telephone: (800) 296-1217 or (757) 318-9145
Fax: (757) 318-9107
Home page: www.angel-flight.org

Angel Flight provides free transportation to medical treatment for people who cannot afford it or who cannot tolerate public transportation for health reasons.

Children’s Angel Flight

4620 Haygood Road, Suite 1
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Telephone: (757) 318-9174
Fax: (757) 318-9107
Home page: www.childtransport.org

Children’s Angel Flight (CAF) ensures that no needy child patient is denied access to distant specialized medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment for lack of long-distance medical air transportation. CAF provides no-cost or reduced-rate patient travel services for needy child patients and their families. CAF works in cooperation with the National Patient Travel Center and Angel Flight regional flight operations.

Corporate Angel Network

1 Loop Road
White Plains, NY 10604
Telephone: (914) 328-1313
Fax: (800) 328-4226
Home page: www.corpangelnetwork.org

This organization provides free air transportation for cancer patients traveling to and from recognized treatment centers in the United States, regardless of the patients’ financial resources. The Corporate Angel Network arranges for patients to use empty seats on corporate aircraft during business flights.

Delta Airlines SkyWish Program

Telephone: (703) 519-0092
Fax: (703) 519-0097
Home page: www.uwint.org/services/delta.html

This program uses donated frequent flyer miles to help children and adults with life-threatening illnesses and injuries travel to get the help they need.

DreamLine, Inc.

117 North Merril Street
Park Ridge, IL 60068
Telephone: (847) 910-3940 (urgent calls only, please)
Fax: (520) 563-6437 (primary fax) or (847) 384-0690 (home fax)
Home page: www.bobiverson.com

DreamLine, Inc., recognizes that a child’s health depends not just on proper medical treatment but on overall wellness; the organization also recognizes that a child’s illness often creates an enormous financial burden for the family. DreamLine seeks to help seriously ill children and their families by providing transportation so that children can go on vacation, visit friends or family, or travel for emergency medical treatment. A parent or guardian must accompany the child, who must be 17 or younger; the child must be currently receiving treatment for (or recovering from) cancer, a brain tumor, or leukemia and be physically able to travel. While only the child is eligible for free travel, DreamLine makes every possible effort to provide for the transport of accompanying parents as well, or, at the very least, to find them the lowest airfares possible. The child’s family must have a legitimate financial need for this assistance; this is accepted on the honor system.

Miracle Flights for Kids

2756 North Green Valley Parkway, #115
Green Valley, NV 89014-2120
Telephone: (702) 261-0494
Fax: (702) 261-0497
Home page: www.miracleflights.org

National Association of Hospital Hospitality Houses, Inc.

P.O. Box 18087
Asheville, NC 28814
Telephone: (800) 542-9730
Fax: (828) 253-8082
Home page: http://nahhh.org

The National Association of Hospital Hospitality Houses (NAHHH) is a nonprofit corporation established to serve facilities that provide lodging and other supportive services to patients and their families when medical care requires out-of-town travel. Each facility ensures that a homelike environment is provided to people who must travel to be with a patient or to receive necessary outpatient care.
NAHHH members/houses offer inexpensive accommodations during hospitalizations, before and after surgery, and during repeated visits; the cost is usually $5 to $15 (or sometimes free). The NAHHH maintains information on all known facilities offering accommodations to people during medical treatment away from home. A directory is updated regularly and published annually. Call the toll-free hospitality hotline or log on to the Web site for free information on NAHHH members.

National Patient Travel Center

c/o Mercy Medical Airlift
4620 Haygood Road, Suite 1
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Telephone: (757) 318-9174 (main number) or (800) 296-1217 (National Patient Travel HELPLINE) or (800) 325-8908 (National Patient Ticket HELPLINE) or (888) 675-1405 (Special-Lift and Child-Lift programs)
Fax: (757) 318-9107
Home page: www.patienttravel.org

The National Patient Travel Center (NPTC) facilitates patient access to appropriate charitable medical air transportation resources in the United States. The National Patient Travel HELPLINE provides information about all forms of charitable, long-distance medical air transportation and provides referrals to all appropriate sources of help available through the Angel Flight America Network. For patients who are able to travel in light aircraft and who are traveling less than 1,000 miles, a private or corporate aircraft flown by a volunteer pilot will be the likely source of travel. Longer travel may be accommodated through one or more of the many donated airline ticket or reduced-rate airline ticket programs. The NPTC administers these programs, most of which are not available by contacting the airline directly, and may also consolidate donated miles/tickets if necessary to meet travel needs. The NPTC operates a variety of Special-Lift and Child-Lift programs on behalf of special disease organizations and/or clinical research centers in the United States. In addition, the NPTC has the means for bringing ambulatory outpatients from many overseas locations to the United States.

Northwest Airlines KidCares

Telephone: (612) 726-4206
Home page: www.nwa.com/corpinfo/aircares/about/kidcares.shtml

Northwest Airlines uses donated frequent flyer miles to provide free air travel to children age 18 and younger who must travel to receive medical treatment.

Ronald McDonald House Charities

One Kroc Drive
Oak Brook, IL 60523
Home page: www.rmhc.com

Ronald McDonald Houses provide a home-away-from-home for the families of seriously ill children who are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. Families staying at Ronald McDonald Houses are asked to make a donation ranging from $5 to $20 per day; if that is not possible, their stay is free.