Charities That Help with Medical Travel Expenses

Several charitable organizations—both national and regional—offer financial aid, free flights, or lodging to help patients cover medical travel expenses. Eligibility typically depends on financial need, the specific medical condition, and the distance to the treatment center.

Below, major charitable organizations are grouped according to the type of assistance they provide:

Free Long-Distance Air Travel

Air Charity Network

The Air Charity Network is the country’s largest network of volunteer pilots; it offers completely free, non-emergency air transportation to financially struggling patients who need to travel to consult with medical specialists located in distant areas.

To successfully obtain travel assistance, passengers must meet specific medical and financial criteria.

Passenger Eligibility Requirements

Since flights are conducted by volunteer pilots in private aircraft—typically small, unpressurized general aviation planes—the organization enforces strict safety guidelines:

Medical Stability: You must be able to travel without requiring medical attention, specialized equipment, or any active intervention during the flight. Pilots do not possess medical training.

Mobility: You must be able to walk, step onto the aircraft’s wing, and board a small plane with minimal to no assistance.

Upright Seating: You must be able to remain seated in an upright position in a standard aircraft seat—with your seatbelt fastened—for the entire duration of the flight.

Financial Need: You must demonstrate a legitimate financial reason why public or commercial transportation is unaffordable for you. During the application process, you are required to submit financial information, including income verification.

Medical Approval: Your local physician must sign and submit an official medical clearance form certifying that it is medically safe for you to fly in a small, unpressurized aircraft.

Regional Coverage

The network operates through independent regional organizations, and your application is processed based on your place of residence:

Angel Flight West: Western U.S., AK, HI, MT, WY, CO. Angel Flight South Central: South-Central U.S. states.

Angel Flight Central: Central U.S., including MN, WI, IA, MO.

Angel Flight Southeast / Mercy Flight Southeast: FL, GA, AL, MS, PR, and the Caribbean.

Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic: Mid-Atlantic states, plus MI and OH.

Angel Flight NE: Northeastern U.S. and parts of PA. Airlift Hope: NC, TN.

Application Steps

Apply: Call (877) 621-7177 or submit an online application through your regional member organization.

Verify Information: Submit medical (treatment), financial, and physician information for eligibility review.

Medical Authorization: Ask your physician to return the Medical Authorization Form.

Pilot Assignment: Coordinators secure a volunteer pilot for your trip.

Note: Please submit applications 7 to 14 days in advance for planning and safety purposes. Please indicate your state of residence, appointment date, and whether you are traveling with a companion to ensure that weight restrictions are met.

Corporate Angel Network

The Corporate Angel Network (CAN) provides free air transportation for cancer patients, bone marrow donors, and stem cell recipients by assigning them empty seats on corporate aircraft and private business jets. As of 2026, the organization has coordinated over 70,000 flights for patients.

Unlike most medical flight charities, eligibility is not based on financial need, and patients may utilize the service as often as necessary.

Patient Eligibility Requirements

Since flights are conducted on private corporate aircraft rather than specialized medical transport planes, patients must meet specific criteria:

• Medical Diagnosis: You must be traveling for a consultation, follow-up, clinical trial, or cancer-related treatment, or be a bone marrow or stem cell donor or recipient.
• Approved Medical Center: You must be traveling to a recognized treatment facility listed by the National Cancer Institute, the Commission on Cancer, or the American College of Surgeons.
• Mobility Status: You must be fully mobile and physically capable of boarding and deplaning a small corporate aircraft without requiring any assistance.
• No Medical Support: You may not require an oxygen tank, IV medication, or specialized medical assistance of any kind while on board the aircraft. Geography: Travel must take place within the continental United States.

Traveling with Companions

Adult Patients: You are permitted to travel with one companion on the flight, subject to seat availability.

Pediatric Patients: Patients aged 21 or younger are permitted to travel with two companions. Note: CAN cannot transport friends or family members separately to visit a patient; companions must travel together with the patient.

How the Process Works

Submit a Request: Complete CAN’s online patient inquiry form or call their main office directly at (914) 328-1313. Please submit your request at least two weeks prior to your appointment.

Verification: CAN staff will contact your physician and treatment facility to verify your medical clearance and scheduling details.

Flight Assignment: Corporations share their private flight itineraries with CAN between 7 and 10 business days prior to departure. Staff will work to match your travel route and dates with an available corporate flight.

Crucial Backup Rule: Since corporate flight itineraries frequently change due to business needs, you must have an alternative commercial travel plan (backup plan) in place in the event that your assigned private flight is cancelled.

Angel Flight West and Angel Flight NE

Angel Flight West and Angel Flight NE are independent, non-profit regional organizations that arrange free, non-emergency air transportation for patients who need to travel to receive medical treatment.

These organizations utilize a network comprising thousands of volunteer private pilots who donate their time, aircraft, and fuel to transport patients to and from their medical appointments, at no cost to the passenger.

Regional Service Areas

Your location or destination determines which organization you should contact:

Angel Flight West (AFW): Serves the 13 western states of the United States: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Angel Flight NE (AFNE): Serves the northeastern states of the United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Note: If your trip extends beyond these boundaries, they will coordinate with neighboring regional Angel Flight groups to transfer the flight.

Passenger Requirements

Since flights are conducted in small, private general aviation aircraft (typically 4- to 6-seat planes), both networks enforce strict safety regulations:

• Medical Stability: You must not require medical attention, monitoring, or specialized equipment during the flight.
• Full Mobility: You must be able to walk, step onto the aircraft wing, and board the small aircraft with minimal to no assistance.
• Upright Seating: You must be physically capable of sitting upright in a standard seat for the entire duration of the trip.
• Financial or Compelling Need: You must demonstrate a financial hardship that makes commercial travel impossible, or a compelling need (such as a compromised immune system that prevents travel via commercial public transportation).
• Medical Clearance: Your treating physician must sign an official medical clearance form stating that you are fit to fly in a non-pressurized aircraft.

Baggage and Companions

One Companion: Generally, you are permitted to bring one companion for support, provided that their weight allows for it.

Strict Weight Limits: Small aircraft are highly sensitive to weight. You, your companion, and your baggage will be weighed. Baggage is typically limited to 25 pounds (approx. 11 kg) per person and must consist of soft-sided bags (no hard-shell suitcases).

How to Request a Flight

Step	Angel Flight West (AFW)	Angel Flight NE (AFNE)
1. Timeline	Request at least 7-14 days in advance.	Request at least 7-10 days in advance.
2. Contact	Call (888) 4-AN-ANGEL or apply at angelflightwest.org.	Call (800) 549-9980 or apply at angelflightne.org.
3. Forms	Submit online application and wait for the Medical Release form.	Submit request; staff will send paperwork to you and your doctor.
4. Matching	Mission coordinators post your trip to a portal where private pilots volunteer for it.	Coordinators match your flight with available private pilots or commercial airline partners.

Mandatory Backup Plan: Private general aviation flights are highly dependent on weather conditions. In the event of heavy rain, fog, or icing, the flight will be canceled. You must always have a backup commercial ticket, an alternative ground route, or the flexibility to reschedule your appointment.

Miracle Flights

Miracle Flights is a national non-profit organization that provides commercial airline tickets—completely free of charge—to patients who must travel long distances to receive specialized medical care. Unlike volunteer pilot organizations that fly small private aircraft, Miracle Flights books families’ travel on major commercial airlines, making it ideal for longer, cross-country journeys.

While their primary focus centers largely on pediatric patients under the age of 18, they also evaluate cases involving adult patients on an individualized basis, subject to the availability of funds.

Patient Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for free commercial air transportation, the applicant must meet several strict medical, logistical, and financial criteria:

Age Profile: They primarily serve children up to 17 years of age, who may fly accompanied by one or both parents or legal guardians. Adults (over 18) may qualify alongside an essential medical caregiver, provided this is explicitly documented by a physician.

Authorization for Commercial Flights: The patient must have medical clearance from a physician to safely fly on a standard public commercial aircraft.

No Active Life Support: Patients cannot be dependent on active life support systems. Any portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) or specialized equipment must be provided by the family and be fully approved in accordance with specific airline guidelines.

Confirmed Appointment: The applicant must have a confirmed medical appointment at a recognized, licensed treatment facility or with a medical specialist.

Income Guidelines: Financial eligibility is calculated based on household size. Their threshold is generally set at three times the annual Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Flight Conditions to Note

Since tickets are purchased using charitable program funds, passengers must keep certain specific scheduling restrictions in mind:

Flight Routes: Free tickets are strictly limited to domestic travel within the United States. Off-Peak Bookings: Flights may be booked during periods of lower travel demand (off-peak hours) and are very likely to include layovers, intermediate stops, or aircraft changes.

Exclusion of Ground Costs: The charity covers only the cost of airline tickets. Families are entirely responsible for arranging and covering the cost of their own ground transportation to and from airports, baggage fees, and hotel accommodations.

Application Deadlines and Required Documents

You must submit a complete application at least 14 days (or 10 business days) prior to your scheduled departure date.

When applying through the Miracle Flights Application Portal, you will be required to upload the following documentation:

• Identification: A copy of the patient’s birth certificate (for minors).
• Proof of Income: The first two pages of your household’s most recent IRS Form 1040, or official SSI/SSDI benefit statements.
• Written Referral: An official appointment confirmation letter or a referral written directly by the treating physician (MD, DO, or PA-C).

Contact Information

If you have unique financial circumstances or require direct assistance with paperwork, you may speak directly with a Flight Specialist:

Toll-free Phone: (800) 359-1711

Business Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Pacific Time / PDT)

Email for General Inquiries: info@miracleflights.org

Grants for Ground Transportation and Commercial Travel

Mercy Medical Angels

Mercy Medical Angels offers comprehensive travel assistance. They issue commercial airline tickets for long-distance travel, as well as gas cards, bus tickets, and train tickets for ground travel.

PAN Foundation

Pan Foundation offers specific transportation grants for individuals with chronic, rare, or life-threatening diseases to cover expenses for airfare, car rentals, public transportation, and lodging.

HealthWell Foundation

HealthWell Foundation provides financial assistance through a General Travel Fund to cover costs for transportation, parking, gas, and lodging related to specific treatments for chronic diseases.

American Cancer Society: Road to Recovery

Offers free ground transportation and local rides to and from medical appointments related to cancer treatment.

Free or Low-Cost Lodging

American Cancer Society: Hope Lodge

The American Cancer Society offers cancer patients and their caregivers completely free lodging when traveling to a different city to receive outpatient treatment.

Joe’s House

A nationwide online lodging search and booking tool that helps medical patients find heavily discounted hotels and accommodations near hospitals. A Useful

Tip for Quick Approval

Before submitting an application directly on your own, consult the hospital’s social worker or nurse navigator. Major treatment centers often have private allocations of commercial airline travel vouchers (such as the Southwest Airlines Medical Transportation Grant Program) that they can assign to you immediately, without the need to submit an external application.