Travel and Lodging Support for chILD Families

You Shouldn’t Have to Do This Alone

Caring for a child with chILD often means traveling far for specialist care, procedures, or second opinions. Travel, lodging, and meals on top of medical costs can feel overwhelming. A range of programs exist to help — and most families don’t know about them until someone tells them.

Ronald McDonald Houses (RMHC)

Ronald McDonald Houses provide a comfortable place to stay — close to the hospital — for little or no cost.

• Located near major children’s hospitals across the country and worldwide
• Nightly fees are typically $0–$25. No family is turned away for inability to pay.
• Most houses provide full kitchens, laundry, private bedrooms, and common areas
• Some hospitals have Ronald McDonald Family Rooms right inside the building — a quiet space to rest without leaving
• You do not have to be from out of town — local families can stay too if their child is hospitalized

Find an RMHC house near your hospital: rmhc.org/find-a-local-chapter

Tip: Ask your hospital social worker or case manager to help you get into the RMHC program — they often have direct contacts and can speed up the referral process.

Free or Low-Cost Flights

Program	Who It Serves	Contact
Angel Flight	Free private flights for patients who cannot afford commercial air travel. Especially helpful for rural and remote families.	AngelFlight.com
Corporate Angel Network	Empty seats on corporate jets for patients with serious illness and one companion.	CorpAngelNetwork.org
Air Charity Network	Coordinates multiple volunteer pilot organizations. Serves a wide range of diagnoses.	AirCharityNetwork.org
Major Airlines (AA, United, Delta)	Medical compassion fares — discounted tickets for families traveling for a child’s medical care. Ask when booking.	Call the airline directly

Help from Your Hospital

Many large children’s hospitals have their own programs. Ask your hospital social worker or patient financial services team about:

• Travel reimbursement funds — some hospitals directly reimburse mileage, gas, or airfare for families traveling more than a set distance
• Gas cards and transit passes — for families making frequent local trips
• Reduced-cost or free parking — especially for long stays
• On-site family housing — some hospitals have rooms or apartments on campus
• Meal vouchers — for families with hospitalized children
• Hotel lodging partnerships — hospitals often have negotiated rates at nearby hotels

Hotel Discounts for Medical Travel

Many hotel chains offer a medical rate — typically 10–30% off — when you are traveling for a child’s medical care. These discounts are usually not advertised. You have to ask.

When booking, say: “Do you offer a medical or hospital rate for families traveling for a child’s care?”

National Financial Assistance Programs

• National Children’s Cancer Society (thenccs.org) — financial aid for travel, lodging, and other medical needs
• Patient Advocate Foundation (patientadvocate.org) — case management and financial assistance for co-pays and travel
• HealthWell Foundation (healthwellfoundation.org) — help with out-of-pocket medical costs including travel
• NeedyMeds (needymeds.org) — free searchable database of financial assistance programs
• NORD (rarediseases.org) — maintains a database of patient assistance programs organized by disease, including travel grants
• State Medicaid / CHIP programs — some cover non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) for beneficiaries who need to travel to appointments

Ask Your Social Worker First: Your hospital social worker knows most of these programs and can often make referrals directly. If you don’t have a social worker on your care team, ask your nurse how to connect with one.

Practical Tips

• Keep receipts for everything — gas, meals, tolls, parking, lodging. Many programs reimburse documented expenses.
• Apply early — some programs have waitlists or limited funding. Contact them as soon as travel is anticipated.
• Hotel tip: Always ask at check-in whether a medical rate is available, even if you forgot to ask when booking. Some hotels will apply it retroactively.
• Request a financial assistance assessment — even if your family is not low-income, you may qualify for specific programs.

Glossary

Angel Flight — A volunteer pilot program providing free private air transportation for patients and families who cannot afford commercial travel.

Medical Compassion Fare — A discounted airline ticket offered by major commercial airlines to patients and families traveling for medical care. Must be requested when booking.

Medical Rate (Hotel) — A reduced room rate (typically 10–30% off) offered by many hotels to patients and families traveling for medical purposes.

NEMT (Non-Emergency Medical Transportation) — Transportation services covered by some state Medicaid programs for beneficiaries who need to travel to medical appointments.

NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders) — A nonprofit that advocates for rare disease patients and maintains a database of patient assistance programs organized by disease.

RMHC (Ronald McDonald House Charities) — A nonprofit providing free or very low-cost lodging near children’s hospitals. No family is turned away for inability to pay.

Social Worker — A healthcare professional who helps families navigate resources, insurance issues, and financial assistance.

Travel Reimbursement Fund — A hospital-based program that reimburses families for documented transportation costs when traveling for medical care.

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This information is for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a substitute for the medical advice of your child’s healthcare provider.