travel grant for medical appointments

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Northern Health Travel Grant Program

Learn about financial assistance for Northern Ontario residents who travel long distances for medical specialist services

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The Northern Health Travel Grant ( NHTG ) program offers financial assistance to Northern Ontario residents who need to travel long-distances for specialized medical services or procedures at a ministry-funded health care facility.

For eligible applicants, travel grants are based on the distance you need to travel to reach the nearest medical specialist or ministry-funded health care facility that can provide the required health care services without delay.

To qualify, you need to:

• have traveled at least 100 kilometers ( km ) one-way to access the nearest medical specialist or ministry-funded health care facility services that are not available locally
• submit your NHTG application to the Ministry of Health ( MOH ) within 12 months of the date of treatment

Note: The NHTG program helps you pay for some medical travel-related expenses but does not cover all expenses (such as meals or taxi).

Telemedicine

Telemedicine supports almost every clinical specialty and offers a cost-effective alternative for Northern Ontario residents who need to travel for specialized medical services or procedures at a ministry-funded health care facility.

A telemedicine appointment with the Ontario Telemedicine Network ( OTN ) is like an in-person visit, but the physician uses a monitor. Ask your health care provider if telemedicine is a suitable option for your needs.

Please consider telemedicine instead of travel.

Eligibility

Below are the following eligibility conditions for the Northern Health Travel Grant ( NHTG ) program:

• You are an OHIP -insured Ontario resident on the date of treatment.
• Your primary place of residence is in the districts of Algoma, Cochrane, Kenora, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, or Timiskaming.
• You have obtained a referral from a Northern Ontario health care provider (such as a physician, dentist, optometrist, chiropractor, midwife or nurse practitioner).
• A Winnipeg (Manitoba) physician enrolled on the Manitoba Health Specialist Register and permitted to bill as a specialist.
• A physician who holds a specialist certificate of registration issued by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario ( CPSO ) in a recognized medical or surgical specialty other than family or general practice.
• a cleft lip and palate clinic
• a clinic that tests for low vision
• a clinic that can fit artificial limbs and walking aids and is approved by the ministry's Assistive Devices program
• the Speech Foundation of Ontario, Toronto Children's Centre
• chemotherapy at a regional cancer center
• MRI or dialysis services performed in a hospital
• ultrasound or Pulmonary Function Testing services performed in a hospital
• The nearest medical specialist or ministry-funded health care facility able to provide the type of care or procedure you require in Ontario or Winnipeg (Manitoba) is at least 100 kilometers from your area of residence.

When you are not eligible

You do not qualify for the Northern Health Travel Grant ( NHTG ) program if:

• the health care service is not an OHIP -insured benefit
• the care is related to a Workplace Safety and Insurance Board claim
• your employer pays for your medical services or travel costs
• another government program or organization pays for your travel (such as a First Nations Band or the federal government)
• the health care services have to do with a private insurance company (for example, if there is third-party liability for medical travel costs, such as medical services related to a motor vehicle accident)
• you travel round trip by ambulance
• non-Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada ( RCPSC ) certified medical specialist
• non- RCPSC certified physician in Winnipeg (Manitoba) who is not enrolled on the Manitoba Health Specialist Register
• physician who does not hold a specialist certificate of registration issued by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario ( CPSO ) in a recognized medical or surgical specialty other than family or general practice
• ministry-funded health care facility
• the nearest specialist or ministry-funded health care facility is within 100 kilometers of your area of residence
• your trip is for something other than health care
• you are travelling to visit a sick relative in hospital
• your travel is not within Ontario or Winnipeg (Manitoba)

Note: If you travel one way by ambulance and the other way by car or public transportation, you may qualify for a partial grant.

If you do not have a northern referring provider, you may still qualify for a travel grant under the NHTG program. For information, you can contact the Ministry of Health ( MOH ), Claims Services Branch by phone at: 1-800-262-6524 .

Assisted costs

You may visit any medical specialist, hospital or ministry-funded health care facility in Ontario or Winnipeg (Manitoba) that qualifies.

Whether you are traveling by car, air, bus or rail, travel grants are always paid at a rate of 41 cents per kilometer (based on the round-trip distance) between your home and the nearest medical specialist or ministry-funded health care facility able to provide the required OHIP -insured services. Please note there is a 100-kilometer deductible on your trip , meaning 100 kilometers will be deducted from the total distance of the trip when calculating the amount of the travel grant.

The Northern Health Travel Grant ( NHTG ) program does not cover expenses for meals or taxi services . However, receipts for gas and meals should be kept for 12 months if we require proof of travel for audit purposes.

Accommodation allowance

The NHTG program offers an accommodation allowance for patients who:

• meet the travel grant eligibility criteria
• travel a one-way distance of at least 200 kilometers to reach the nearest medical specialist or ministry-funded health care facility able to provide the required services
• submit original accommodation receipts in their name or as a guest to prove accommodation expenses (for patients under the age of 18, an accommodation receipt can be in the name of their parent or guardian)

You may be eligible for additional accommodation allowance if it is necessary to spend more than 1 night out-of-town to access medical specialist services or ministry-funded health care facility-based procedures.

Additional accommodation allowance for each treatment trip will be determined as follows:

• $100 per night up to 2 nights
• $250 for 3 nights
• $500 for 4-7 nights
• $550 for 8 or more nights

If you and other patients travel together in the same car, only 1 travel grant will be provided for the round trip. However, if you both meet the NHTG program eligibility requirements and your one-way trip to the nearest medical specialist or ministry-funded health care facility is at least 200 kilometers, you both may qualify for the $100.00 accommodation allowance.

Note: You will not be eligible for an accommodation allowance if you have not paid an official accommodation expense (for example, staying with a friend or family member).

How to submit for additional accommodation allowance

To request additional accommodation allowance, please specify the number of medically-necessary lodging nights in Section 1 of the NHTG application form.

The medical specialist or ministry-funded health care facility provider must also indicate the number of nights in Section 3 of the application form, or they can submit a letter to the NHTG program.

When writing a letter to the NHTG program the medical provider should use the phrasing:

“In their professional judgement, the accommodation allowance of greater than one night’s stay is necessary to access an out-of-town medical specialist health care service or ministry-funded health care facility based procedure.”

This letter must be submitted along with the application form to qualify for an additional accommodation allowance.

Assisted cost examples

Example 1 - eligible grant from point a to point b.

The one-way distance in this example is 160  km .

The grant is the two-way distance minus 100  km multiplied by 41 cents per km .

160  km (the one-way distance) x 2 (the two-way distance) - 100 ( km ) x 0.41 (cents per km travelled) = $90.20

Example 2 - Eligible grant from Point C to Point D

The one-way distance in this example is 300 km .

It was necessary for 1 night out-of-town in this example.

• Travel grant calculation is 300  km (the one-way distance) x 2 (the two-way distance) - 100  ( km ) x 0.41 (cents per km travelled) = $205.00
• Accommodation allowance is $100.00 (for 1 night)

Total payment to the patient for the trip is $205 (for the calculated travel grant) + $100 (for the accommodation allowance of 1 night) = $305.00

Example 3 - Eligible grant from Point C to Point D

The one-way distance in this example is 300  km .

In this example, a specialist/ministry-funded health care facility provider determines that 3 nights out-of-town are medically necessary.

• Travel grant calculation is 300  km (the one-way distance) x 2 (the two-way distance) - 100 ( km ) x 0.41 (cents per km travelled) = $205.00
• Accommodation allowance is $250.00 (for 3 nights)

Total payment to the patient for the trip is $205 (for the calculated travel grant) + $250 (for the accommodation allowance of 3 lodging nights) = $455.00

Receipts are required for proof and audit purposes to ensure appropriate spending of public funds.

Only original receipts will be accepted and applications will not be processed unless an original receipt is provided as proof of payment for an accommodation or commercial transportation expense.

Official itemized receipts must be submitted along with your application for the accommodation allowance. “Itemized receipt” refers to a receipt that lists the item(s) purchased and the individual price(s) for each item. This could include a hotel, motel or bed and breakfast. The accommodation receipt must include:

• the name of the patient
• the date(s) of stay
• a fee paid for the stay

Note: The authorization receipt for a credit or debit card transaction is not considered an itemized receipt.

If traveling by air, bus, or rail, you must submit the original ticket, receipt or itinerary showing:

• a fare paid
• who travelled
• the date of travel
• the destination

Application

Download the Northern Health Travel Grant ( NHTG ) program application form .

The NHTG program application forms are also available from various northern health care providers, such as:

• optometrists
• nurse practitioners
• chiropractors

Note: Please ensure you are using a current version of the NHTG program application form by referring to the new Section 4 Payment Preference.

Application submission

All applications must be received by the Ministry of Health ( MOH ) within 12 months from the date of service or treatment. We are not responsible for lost or delayed applications or those sent after 12 months from the date of treatment.

For each round treatment trip, you must complete a separate application form. Only 1 application can be submitted for each round trip regardless of the number of medical specialists or ministry-funded health care facilities visited during that round trip.

The NHTG program only accepts application forms and original receipts for accommodation allowance by mail. Do not submit photocopies. Please include your receipts or itinerary for accommodation, bus, rail and air travel, along with those of your travel companion (if applicable).

Submit your application and original receipts to:

Ministry of Health - Claims Services Branch Northern Health Travel Grant, Sudbury office 159 Cedar Street, 7 th  Floor Sudbury, Ontario P3E 6A5

Note: If your application is incomplete or filled out incorrectly, it will be returned to you, which could lead to payment delays.

Section 1: Patient information

If the patient is a child under 16 years of age, a parent or guardian with custody, a children’s aid society worker or other lawfully entitled person may complete and sign the form on behalf of the patient.

If the patient is 16 years of age or older but is unable to provide consent themselves, a Substitute Decision Maker ( SDM ) may complete and sign the form on the patient’s behalf. A SDM can be a patient’s:

• guardian who has authority to make a decision on behalf of patient
• attorney for personal care who has authority to make a decision on behalf of patient
• representative appointed by the Consent and Capacity Board with authority to give consent
• spouse or partner
• child/parent or children’s aid society or other person legally entitled to give/refuse consent
• parent with only right of access
• brother or sister
• other relative

Note: For more specific information on SDMs , please contact the Northern Health Travel Grant ( NHTG ) program directly.

Section 2: Northern referring provider information

The referral section of the NHTG program application only needs to be filled out once every 12 months if you are making a follow-up trip to the same medical specialist or ministry-funded health care facility. If follow-up visits are made to a different specialist or ministry-funded health care facility, a new referral is required.

Note: People aged 30 to 69 travelling to an Ontario Breast Screening program do not need to complete the referral section on the NHTG program application form.

Section 3: Specialist or health care facility service provider information

This section of the NHTG program application form must be signed and completed by the medical specialist or ministry-funded health care facility provider. In this section, they will specify the date on which the visit or procedure was performed.

Make sure the medical specialist or ministry-funded health care facility provider you are travelling to fills out all the information under this section of the application form, including the number of medically necessary nights for each treatment trip.

Section 4: Payment preference

It is mandatory to fill out Section 4 of the NHTG program application to determine the payment preference of patients, third parties and companions (if applicable).

If you select the direct deposit option, please provide a completed bank-issued payroll direct deposit form or void cheque along with your grant application.

Section 5: Companion information

If you are applying for a companion grant, your travelling companion must also fill in the proper information in Section 5 of the application form. To qualify for a companion grant, the following conditions must be met:

• The person that helps you during travel must be 16 years of age or older.
• Your companion must travel with you and pay a fare if travel is by air, rail or bus and receipts must be provided (Air Miles or other loyalty programs are acceptable as a method of payment).
• The patient must be younger than 16 years of age or the northern referring provider must indicate in Section 2 of the application form that the patient needs a travel companion for health or safety reasons.

If travel is round trip by personal vehicle, both you and your travel companion may qualify for an equal share of 1 grant.

Note: Travel companions are not eligible for an accommodation allowance.

Application denial

If your application for an NHTG is denied, you can request an internal review or reconsideration within 12 months from the date provided on the denial letter that was mailed to you. Please follow the information and instructions in the denial letter.

If there are exceptional medical circumstances surrounding your treatment trip that may allow an exception to the program eligibility criteria, you may appeal your denial decision to the external and independent NHTG Medical Appeals Committee in writing to:

Medical Appeals Committee C/O : Northern Health Travel Grant Claims Services Branch 159 Cedar Street, 7 th Floor Sudbury, Ontario P3E 6A5

Payment options

Direct deposit payment.

When you choose direct deposit, the grant payment will be deposited directly into your bank account.

If you choose direct deposit, you must submit a bank-issued payroll direct deposit form or void cheque along with your grant application. This applies if it is your first time using direct deposit for grant payments or if your banking information has changed since your last direct deposit grant payment.

Companions must provide a new bank issued payroll direct deposit form or void cheque each time an application is submitted. The ministry does not retain banking information for companions after an application has been processed.

Cheque payment

When you choose cheque payment, a cheque will be delivered by registered mail to the mailing address provided on your application.

If your application is approved, the ministry will provide your grant payment within 6 weeks from the date it receives your correctly completed application form. Please allow for the complete 6 weeks before checking on the status of your application.

Bank issued direct deposit form or void cheque

Bank issued direct deposit form.

The payroll direct deposit form provides bank account information in place of a void cheque. Your contact information and details about your bank are included. This includes the bank’s transit and institution numbers and your account number. This information ensures your payment is directed into your bank account.

Many larger financial institutions offer online access to download and print a payroll direct deposit form. Check online to see if your bank provides access to obtain a payroll direct deposit form or contact your bank to request a payroll direct deposit form.

Void cheques

A void cheque is a cheque with the word “void” written across the front, which indicates that it shouldn't be accepted for payment. The cheque can still be used to get the information needed for electronic payments. Remove a blank cheque from your cheque book and write the word "VOID" in large, bold letters across the front of the cheque in pen or permanent ink.

If you do not have paper cheques, you may be able to get a void cheque by going to your bank and asking for a printed copy of one.

Note: There may be a fee for this service.

For more details, contact the Ministry of Health ( MOH ), Claims Services Branch, Northern Health Travel Grant ( NHTG ), Sudbury office by

• mail: Ministry of Health - Claims Services Branch Northern Health Travel Grant, Sudbury office 159 Cedar Street, 7 th Floor Sudbury, Ontario P3E 6A5
• phone:  1-800-262-6524

Home / Citizenship / People / Community Outreach / Medical Transportation Grant Program (MTGP)

Medical Transportation Grant Program (MTGP)

Loving people is at the Heart of Southwest Airlines®, and one of the many ways we connect with communities is through our Medical Transportation Grant Program (MTGP). This program provides round trip tickets to nonprofit hospitals and medical transportation organizations lessening the financial burden on patients and their families when travel is required for specialized lifesaving or life-changing medical care.

MTGP Partners

In 2022, Southwest donated free transportation valued at more than $4 million to 76 hospitals and organizations nationwide. Since the program was launched in 2007, we’ve donated more than $42 million in free transportation to 117 organizations across 28 states.

Southwest is proud to play a role in supporting patients through their medical journey and connecting them to what's important in their lives.

Note, Southwest allows participating nonprofit hospitals and medical transportation nonprofit organizations the freedom to determine how to distribute the tickets to patients and/or caregivers. Therefore, patients and/or caregivers seeking assistance need to contact the program partners directly, using the links or contact information listed below, as each partner has its own guidelines for administration of these tickets.

See it in action: Watch more Medical Transportation Grant Programs stories on YouTube.

Hospitals by State:

District of Columbia

Massachusetts, north carolina, pennsylvania, south carolina, medical transportation charities.

• Angel Flight Central, Inc.
• Children’s Flight of Hope
• Mercy Medical Angels
• Miracle Flights
• Patient Airlift Services (PALS)

Hospitals by State

• Children's Hospital of Alabama , Social Services Dept., (205) 638-6241 (Birmingham, AL)
• Phoenix Children's Hospital , Social Work (602) 933-0750 (Phoenix, AZ)
• St. Joseph’s Foundation and Barrow Neurological Foundation , Foundation (602) 406-1046 (Phoenix, AZ)
• Banner University Medical Center , Transplant Department (602) 521-5871 (Phoenix, AZ)
• Banner University Medical Center , Transplant Services - Living Donor Program (520) 694-0910 (Tucson, AZ)
• Mayo Clinic Hospital , (Phoenix, AZ)
• Arkansas Children's Hospital , Social Work Department (501) 364-1406 (Little Rock, AR)
• Cedars-Sinai Medical Center , (Los Angeles, CA)
• Children's Hospital of Los Angeles , Social Work Department (323) 361-2485 (Los Angeles, CA)
• Children's Hospital of Orange County , Social Services/Case Management (714) 509-4380 (Orange, CA)
• Lucile Packard Children's Hospital , Social Services (650) 497-8303 (Palo Alto, CA)
• Rady Children's Hospital , Customer Service Center, (800) 788-9029 or (858) 966-4096 (San Diego, CA)
• Scripps Health , Transplant (858) 554-4340 (San Diego, CA)
• Shriners Hospitals for Children , (Pasadena, CA)
• Shriners Hospitals for Children , (Sacramento, CA)
• Stanford Hospital and Clinic , Social Work & Case Management, (San Jose, CA)
• UCLA Health , Office of the Patient Experience (310) 267-9113 (Los Angeles, CA)
• UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital , Medical Social Services (510) 428-3325 (Oakland, CA)
• UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital , Social Services (415) 353-2655 (San Francisco, CA)
• The Children's Hospital , Family Services (720) 777-0111 (Denver, CO)
• Craig Hospital , Foundation (303) 789-8650 (Englewood, CO)
• UC Health , Social Work & Marketing Department (303) 946-9260 (Denver, CO)
• Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children , Social Work (302) 651-4230 (Wilmington, DE, near Philadelphia, PA)
• Children's National Medical Center , Dept. of Family Services (202) 476-3070 (Washington, DC)
• Washington Hospital Center
• Franklin Square Hospital Center
• Good Samaritan Hospital
• Harbor Hospital
• Montgomery General Hospital
• St. Mary's Hospital
• Union Memorial Hospital
• Georgetown University Hospital
• National Rehabilitation Hospital
• Nemours Children’s Health System , Social Work (302) 651-4230 (Orlando, FL)
• Shriners Hospitals for Children , Executive Office (813) 281-8110 (Tampa, FL)
• Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital , Clinical Social Work Department (727) 767-3973 (St. Petersburg, FL)
• Shepherd Center Case Management , (Atlanta, GA)
• Children's Healthcare of Atlanta , Social Work (404) 785-6250 (Atlanta, GA)
• The Queen's Health Systems , (Honolulu, HI)
• Adventist Health Castle , Department of Mission (808) 595-5344 (Honolulu, HI)
• Shiners Hospitals for Children , (Honolulu, HI)
• University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s , Department of Medicine 1-888-824-0200 (Chicago, IL)
• Shriners Hospitals for Children , (Chicago, IL)
• University of Illinois Hospital and Health Science Systems , Health Social Work (312) 996-0551 (Chicago, IL)
• Rush University Medical Center , Road Home Program & Case Management (312) 942-8387 (Chicago, IL)
• The Johns Hopkins Hospital , Social Work (410) 955-5885 (Baltimore, MD)
• Mercy Medical Center , (Baltimore, MD)
• Children’s Hospital Boston , Social Work Department (617) 355-7965 (Boston, MA)
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute , Patient & Family Programs & Services (617) 632-3301 (Boston, MA)
• Massachusetts General Hospital , Social Services Department (617) 726-5807 (Boston, MA)
• Shriners Hospitals for Children , (Boston, MA)
• Shriners Hospitals for Children , (Springfield, MA)
• Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare , (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN)
• Shriners Hospitals for Children , (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN)
• University of Minnesota Medical Center , Care Management (612) 730-6195 (Fairview, MN)
• Angel Flight Central , Flight Coordination (816) 421-2300 ext. 201 (Kansas City, MO)
• Barnes-Jewish Hospital , Case Management Services (314) 561-2235 (St. Louis, MO)
• Children’s Mercy Hospital , Social Work Department (816) 234-3670 (Kansas City, MO)
• St. Louis Children’s Hospital , Department of Social Work (314) 454-6101 (St. Louis, MO)
• SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center , (St. Louis, MO)
• Shriners Hospitals for Children , (St. Louis, MO)
• Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital , Care Coordination Department (314) 872-6591 (St. Louis, MO)
• The Nebraska Medical Center , Social Work (402) 559-4420 (Omaha, NE)
• Children’s Hospital & Medical Center , Social Work (402) 955-5414 (Omaha, NE)
• Miracle Flights , Flight Department (702) 261-0494 (Las Vegas, NV)
• Cohen Children’s Medical Center , Northwell Health Foundation (516) 321-6267 (New York City, NY)
• North Shore University Hospital , Northwell Health Foundation (516) 321-6267 (Long Island, NY)
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center , Dept. of Pediatrics (212) 639-2285 (New York City, NY)
• NYU Langone Health , Department of Social Work (646) 501-8707 (New York City, NY)
• Patient AirLift Services , Mission Coordination (631) 694-7257 (Farmingdale, NY)
• National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction for the Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center , dba myFace (917) 720-4701 (New York, NY)
• The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center , a Division of Duke University Health System, Clinical Social Work (919) 681-1687 (Durham, NC)
• Children’s Flight of Hope , Mission Delivery Team (919) 466-8593 x 103 (Morrisville, NC)
• Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital , (Cleveland, OH)
• University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center , Support Services (216) 286-7882 (Cleveland, OH)
• Nationwide Children's Hospital , Clinical Medical Social Work (614) 722-1567 (Columbus, OH)
• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Concierge Services (888) 894-1374 (Cincinnati, OH)
• Shriners Hospital for Children , (Portland, OR)
• Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC , Clinical Social Work (412) 692-5255 (Pittsburgh, PA)
• UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside , UPMC Transplant Services (412) 647-5800 (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia , (Philadelphia, PA)
• Nemours Children’s Health System , Social Work (302) 651-4230 (Philadelphia, PA)
• Shriners Hospital for Children , (Philadelphia, PA)
• Shriners Hospital for Children , (Greenville, SC)
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital , (Memphis, TN)
• Dell Children’s Medical Center , Social Work (512) 324-0000 x86806 (Austin, TX)
• Children's Health , Social Work (214) 456-2300 (Dallas, TX)
• Texas Scottish Rite Hospital , Family Resource Services (214) 559-8601 (Dallas, TX)
• UT Southwestern Medical Center , Office of Development (214) 648-7990 (Dallas, TX)
• Cook Children's , Case Management Department (682) 885-7545 (Fort Worth, TX)
• Shriners Hospital for Children , (Galveston, TX)
• CHI St. Luke’s Health , Transplant Services (877) 685-0361 (Houston, TX)
• Texas Children’s Hospital , (Houston, TX)
• The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center , (Houston, TX)
• University Medical Center , UMC Foundation (806) 775-8250 (Lubbock, TX)
• University Health System , University Health Foundation (210) 358-9860 (San Antonio, TX)
• Shriners Hospital for Children , (Salt Lake City, UT)
• Mercy Medical Angels , Department of Operations (757) 318-9174 Ext. 201 (Norfolk, VA)
• Seattle Children’s Hospital , Guest Services (206) 987-9330 (Seattle, WA)
• Shriners Hospital for Children , (Spokane, WA)
• Children's Hospital of Wisconsin , Patient Amenities & Family Services (414) 266-2710 (Milwaukee, WI)

The Southwest Airlines One Report

Explore our annual corporate social responsibility report, the Southwest Airlines One Report. This integrated citizenship report covers significant social, economic, and environmental stories, as well as data tables, and reporting frameworks, all through the lens of corporate Citizenship. Our disclosures are informed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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Go the extra mile

Our transportation assistance fund

Our transportation assistance fund provides financial support to people with life-threatening, chronic, and rare diseases to access affordable and reliable transportation to and from activities that improve their overall health outcomes. 

I can now schedule physician appointments and get my prescriptions from the drugstore without the concern of ‘how will I get there’ when driving is an impossibility and there are no volunteers or family to assist. Patricia Reeser, living with multiple sclerosis

Impact of our fund

increase in medication adherence

increase in filling medications at the pharmacy 

increase in attending medical appointments

Removing roadblocks to health

Increase access to healthcare services.

Cost, distance, and access to transport are common barriers for why people are unable to get to their medical appointments or pharmacy. Most of our patients travel more than 10 miles to get treatment.  

For some, like Stephen Martin in North Carolina, it’s much farther. Stephen must make a 270-mile round trip each time he visits his Parkinson’s disease specialist. His story isn’t unique for many in rural America. Many rural hospitals have closed ahead of schedule over the last two years, quadrupling the amount of travel to the nearest facility. 

Whether people need to stay overnight, take a taxi, or fill up the gas tank for a long drive to their medical appointments, transportation assistance helps reduce the cost of travel for people already facing high costs of care.  

Bolster social connection and support

According to the TransitCenter , 21 percent of Americans over 65 do not drive, with the majority reporting that not driving contributes to their feelings of social isolation.     

Social isolation is a serious health risk, and 80 percent of our patients have reported spending most of their time alone, with concerns about social support. From visiting loved ones to accessing support groups, transportation assistance helps people stay connected and reduces the detrimental health impacts of isolation and loneliness. 

I live alone in a senior facility. Transportation has been a huge challenge for me to go to medical appointments as well as taking care of my personal needs. My grant from PAN has become an important source of relieving my financial burden. Lucille Lee, living in California

Improve access to groceries and meals

One-third of PAN patients have reported facing limited or uncertain access to food. The challenge increases for people who are unable to drive or don’t have someone to take them. Our transportation fund offers a way to get to and from grocery stores, markets, food banks, or community centers for a healthy meal.  

My grant saves me over $50 a month that I can use for groceries. Marilyn Goldberg, living with Gaucher’s disease

No other transportation program provides support for patients experiencing such a wide range of serious illnesses.

Help people on their way to wellness

Empower people with serious illnesses to independently access health needs

Our transportation fund helps people—regardless of where they live or their ability to drive—autonomously get to services and activities that support their health. If someone can’t get to and from activities that improve their overall health outcomes, including healthcare services, social connection and support, and healthy and nutritious food, they can’t live their healthiest lives. 

Provide flexible support based on each person’s unique needs 

With financial help from their 12-month grant, patients can choose the right type of transport for their mobility needs and geographic location, from a taxi or rideshare service, to a wheelchair-supported medical transport van, or even airfare and lodging for medical appointments that are farther away. 

We give people the autonomy and dignity to choose the option that best suits their specific needs. 

At times, I have procedures that prevent me from driving afterwards. Since there is no public transportation where I live, I have been able to use Uber rides when I am unable to drive myself. Elizabeth Parrott, living with Parkinson’s disease

Offer a seamless user journey for the individual

It’s easy for patients or caregivers to apply either online or by phone, learning right away if they are approved for a grant. They will receive a pre-paid debit card authorized for eligible transportation expenses so that they have financial assistance available when and where they need it.  

With card spend limits and a fraud detection system in place, we’re providing maximum ease of use while simultaneously protecting the fund from potential misuse.  

More about our fund

Transportation

Transportation financial resources directory

Katie Bushnell: defying her diagnosis

Partner with pan.

Your support will help us maintain and expand this fund for people who need help getting to their healthiest selves, making sure that no one is left a few miles short of wellness. 

Help us improve health outcomes for those living with life-threatening, chronic, and rare conditions

Contact Leena Patel, Vice President of Development, to learn more how you can support healthcare access through transportation.

Get to know our grants and application process.

Get to know the ways PAN is advocating for healthcare access.

Help us support the millions who struggle to afford medications.

Central Forms Repository (CFR)

• Ministry of Health
• Application for Northern...

Application for Northern Health Travel Grant

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What you need to know about Ontario's changes to the Northern Health Travel Grant

Ontario is spending $45m over three years to expand the program.

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Northern Ontario residents who need to travel to access health care will receive more provincial assistance starting this fall.

The Ontario government is spending $45 million over three years to expand the Northern Health Travel Grant. While the expansion was initially included in the 2024 Ontario budget, Ontario Health Minister and Deputy Premier Sylvia Jones held a news conference in Thunder Bay on Tuesday to provide further details.

The changes to the program include:

• The introduction of an online application process that includes digital receipt submissions for faster reimbursement;
• Adding more eligible health care providers and facility locations;
• Increasing the accommodation allowance from $100 to $175 per night;
• Reducing the travel distance requirement to be eligible for the overnight accommodation allowance from 200 km to 100 km, and
• Increasing the total allowance for eight or more nights from $550 to $1,150.

A full list of changes can be found on the Ontario website .

"We know that for too long patients in northern Ontario have faced unique challenges when accessing healthcare," Jones said during a visit to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) on Tuesday morning. "Our investments to expand and enhance the Northern Health Travel Grant will ensure more people in northern Ontario can connect to the specialized care they need when they need it."

Jones added, however, that the grant is "one piece" of the provincial health care system, and said the province is working to increase the system's capacity province-wide.

"Fifty hospitals are, right now, in the process of being built new, renovated or expanded," Jones said. "That is a capital piece that ensures that we will have over 3,000 more hospital beds across Ontario."

"When we do that, of course, we need more health human resources," she said. "So we are expanding and we have expanded access to school in northern Ontario, southern Ontario."

"I'm particularly proud of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. We've had over 100 new seats available for physicians who want to train in northern Ontario, and 60 per cent of those are for primary care family docs. We know that when people train in communities, they tend to stay in those communities."

How this med school is tackling the rural doctor shortage

Paul Carr, a patient family advisor with TBRHSC, said people in the region can face barriers when it comes to accessing the care they need.

"It would be great if patients could access the same level of care and services throughout the province, but we know this is not the case right now," he said. "Some of our patients have to travel to access care, and this can be a daunting experience for some."

• Ontario deficit will triple as economy weakens, 2024 budget shows
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"It may be the first time they've ever traveled to an urban centre, and of course it can be expensive," Carr said. "This can be a deterrent to accessing care, as well as an added burden during a very stressful time for both patients and families."

"Many patients rely on the Northern Health Travel Grant program to help provide financial assistance."

In a media release, the province said about 66,000 northern Ontario residents made use of the grant program in 2022-23.

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External links.

• 2024 Ontario budget

• Find a Doctor
• Appointments and Second Opinions
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• Patient Portals

Free Flight Resources

Angel flight northeast.

Angel Flight NE is a non-profit organization that coordinates free air transportation for patients & their families who must travel to access specialized medical treatment and care. For many, their financial resources prohibit them to travel long distances frequently to receive the care they need or their immune system is compromised & traveling via public transportation is not an option. More than 40% of Angel Flight NE's patients are coordinated for children. Since its founding in 1996, AFNE has scheduled more than 108,000 flights for patients who have flown over 15 million miles. This is made possible with the support of their 400+ volunteer general aviation pilots and commercial aviation partners. For further information, call 800-549-9980 , or visit their website at www.angelflightne.org .  

Corporate Angel Network

Corporate Angel Network  is a charitable organization that arranges free flights to treatment centers for cancer patients, using the empty seats on corporate aircraft flying on routine business. Based in White Plains, N.Y., the 31-year-old service, which arranges 2,400 flights a year, is open to all cancer patients, bone marrow donors, and bone marrow recipients who are not in need of medical support while traveling. Patients may travel as often as necessary, and eligibility is not based on financial need. For further information, call 866-328-1313 .

Patient Airlift Services

PALS  is a nonprofit organization that provides free medical flights for the Eastern Region of the United States and beyond. PALS makes critical flights happen to alleviate the transportation barriers for patients and families in need, so they can focus on their medical journey and treatment. PALS facilitates private flights through volunteer pilots as well as commercial flights, when appropriate. Over the past 10 years, PALS has flown more than 23,000 free missions. While PALS is not an illness specific organization, they have found that nearly 50% of children and adults that are in need of medical travel are diagnosed with cancer. To request a domestic flight, please call 888-818-1231 or email  [email protected] .

Show Me the Green

Northern Ontario Travel Grant: Everything You Need To Know

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Despite Ontario’s Northern Health Travel Grant, some still pay out of pocket

When Nan Normand’s husband had quintuple bypass surgery, it cost them $1,500. It wasn’t the operation that was pricey, but the travel. The couple went from Kenora, a small city near the Ontario-Manitoba border, to Hamilton for the surgery. The trek included flights and a multiple-night stay.

Normand was unlucky: Manitoba had temporarily stopped accepting most Ontario heart patients, so they couldn’t go to the much closer Winnipeg, and they were delayed by about three days by an ice storm once they hit Hamilton.

But the Normands aren’t the only ones paying significant out-of-pocket costs for health care. Patients in parts of Northern Ontario often travel upwards of 100 kilometres for surgery, procedures like chemotherapy or to see specialists.

The Northern Health Travel Grant helps offset some of the costs that come with that, with the goal of increasing access to care for people in those areas. Yet it doesn’t cover everything. Normand and her husband received $2,625 from the program, about $1,500 of which was for her husband, with the rest for her costs as his companion. Despite staying in a $40-a-night medical hostel, “our true expenses were approximately $1,500 over that,” she says. “The only way we were able to do it is because we’re middle income and we have credit cards.”

Increasing access to services

Normand is one of the over 200,000 Ontarians who apply for assistance every year. The program, which costs the province $53 million a year, is available to people living in 10 districts , including Kenora, Manitoulin, Parry Sound, Sudbury and Thunder Bay. The average reimbursement is $272.

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The  grant helps residents from those areas who are referred to specialists or need services that aren’t available locally. They have to go to the closest option, which might mean Manitoba for some. They are reimbursed 41 cents per kilometre after the first 100 kilometres for travel, and an extra $100 for accommodation if the closest option is more than 200 kilometres away. One companion can also apply for a grant.

Other provinces have similar programs, including Manitoba, Newfoundland and the Northwest Territories. In B.C., the Travel Assistance Program offers discounted rates at hotels and subsidized transportation . Others places, including Alberta, don’t offer any reimbursement.

Ontario’s program started in 1985 as a set rate based on the distance from the patient’s residence to the treatment centre or specialist. Since then, it has seen a number of changes : In 1991, concerned that the grant was encouraging patients to travel south instead of seeing northern specialists, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care reduced the minimum one-way distance to 100 kilometres in Northern Ontario or Manitoba, and 200 kilometres in the rest of Ontario. And in 1994, it was modified so patients had to see the closest specialist. In 2007, the government increased the mileage allowance to 41 cents per kilometre, up from 34.25 cents. They also added $100 for accommodation for each trip.

The grant made headlines in 2000, when a group of patients filed a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission (it was settled or withdrawn beforehand, never being heard by the tribunal, but that year, the minister of Health and Long-Term Care promised to review both programs ). They argued it was unfair that Cancer Care Ontario covered food, hotel and transportation costs for patients from Southern Ontario, while the Northern Health Travel Grant only covered a portion. The Cancer Care program was much smaller, only covering patients who were referred away from their home centre for radiation treatment.

Is it time to raise the rates?

Though the grant reimburses some of the costs, it’s not meant to cover everything. There’s no payback for meals, and the $100 accommodation allowance is a flat rate, whether you stay one night or a week.

“It’s not based on any rational formula that I can see,” says Carolyn Hudson, a friend of Normand who also lives in Kenora and has used the grant. “Give me a mileage plus accommodation that actually covers it, that isn’t just a figure someone in Toronto has picked out of the air.”

People who can’t afford the travel skip services, ask their doctors if there for other options, or hold barbecues or dances to raise the money. France Gelinas, MPP and the NDP Health and Long-Term Care critic, says she hears of fundraisers for families who can’t afford their part of travel expenses at least once a month.

“The goal of it is good, it helps a bit, but it still leaves serious barriers to access for many families,” says Gelinas, who believes the payback amounts are now out of date. “If the goal of the program was to address some of the barriers to access, then over time some of those barriers have grown back.”

There’s also the issue of how long it takes to get paid back. The government announced it would try and make payments faster in 2007, and it says it now takes four to six weeks for people to be reimbursed.

But Michael Mantha, MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin, says it often takes longer, and that the turnaround time is creating difficulties for people

It sometimes takes as long as six months for people to be reimbursed, he says. “When you’re on a fixed income or a very low income [and these funds are delayed], it’s very difficult to make ends meet,” he says. He’s thinks it’s particularly difficult for patients who undergo regular treatment, like chemotherapy, and have to re-apply for the grant every time.

The ministry says cases are processed within the six-week timeframe, with the exception of “a small number of circumstances where an application was not completed properly or where eligibility comes into question.” Phil Graham, director in Primary Health Care at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, also points out that non-profit organizations like the Canadian Cancer Society, the Kidney Foundation and Ontario Works front travel grant money to needy recipients, then collect the funds from the government afterwards.

The Ontario Ombudsman receives about 11 complaints a year about the travel grant; in 2013/14, they had seven. They’re mostly around people who have been denied coverage, says Linda Williamson, director of communications for the Ombudsman. A recent example  was a woman who had to travel 193 km for a colonoscopy and couldn’t get the accommodation allowance because she was under the 200 km minimum. “We spoke to the ministry about this, and said that they needed to be more flexible about what was covered,” says Williamson.

The ministry is now developing an independent Medical Appeals Review Committee that will look at denied applications upon request. (Right now, an internal review committee does this and makes sure the policy wasn’t misinterpreted and the person wasn’t wrongfully denied reimbursement.) That new committee will look for cases that warrent exceptions, so people will have another option than the Ombudsman.

Replacing travel with telemedicine

One option for patients who have to travel long distances is to try telemedicine instead.

The Ontario Telemedicine Network has encouraged doctors and patients to do just that. A marketing campaign is underway that promotes telemedicine to care providers, with a focus on follow-up visits. The Ontario Medical Association and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care have worked with the telemedicine network to help increase awareness of the option.

“A lot of travel grants are provided for the purposes of follow up care,” says Rob Williams, chief medical officer for the network. “And there’s usually minimal to no physical examination.” If a physical exam is needed, a nurse in the patient’s town can provide it and report back to the specialist during the appointment.

Initial consultations, pre-surgical assessments and pre-op assessments also work well virtually, says Williams.

Telemedicine means patients who would normally use the grant save time and cut down on their expenses, says Williams, whose patients have told him the grant covers at best 20% to 25% of the cost to them. “From a clinical perspective, they’re getting equal value and equal clinical attention, so it’s probably the same, just a lot more convenient.”

A special agreement in place with Manitoba ensures patients can access the same specialists they would regularly see, even if they’re in places like Winnipeg, through telemedicine.

Part of what needs to be done, says Gelinas, is for doctors in Southern Ontario to be more aware of the lengths patients from parts of Northern Ontario must go to for their appointments, so the doctors can think about other options like virtual consultations.

Williams agrees. Physicians in the north are “quite aware of the travel burden,” he says. “But in southern Ontario, there still is work to be done.”

Vanessa Milne

Contributor

Vanessa is a freelance health journalist and a form staff writer with Healthy Debate

Joshua Tepper

Joshua Tepper is a family physician and the President and Chief Executive Officer of North York General Hospital. He is also a member of the Healthy Debate editorial board.

Gord Winkel

Gord Winkel is the Chair and Industrial Professor for the Safety and Risk Management Program in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta and an Editor of Healthy Debate.

Republish this article on your website under the creative commons licence.

The comments section is closed.

I am getting ready to travel from Kenora to London Ontario for surgery. Distance of 3444 km return. My husband will be travelling with me as mu companion. We will be required to be there the night before my surgery and will have to stay at least 4 nights maybe more in London. The basic allowance of 100.00 per day does not cover hotel costs not to mention meals for two people three times a day. The 41cents per km will help with the travel expense to and from London but it will cost us money out of our pockets due to the fact Manitoba will not accept Ontario Patients in a timely fashion to have emergency surgery done to avoid a possible death without surgery. We all live in Canada yet there seems to be a very large device between Manitoba health and Ontario health, why?

My doctor’s receptionist will not fill in the Northern doctor’s portion until I return it with the specialist’s info completed. This makes no sense to me as 1. the northern doctor must refer me to the specialist 2. I must make an extra trip to my primary physician to return the form

Parking fees at the specialist’s office are often very pricey, but not covered

I think it is time for the rate to be reviewed and become more in line to the $.59 paid to government workers.

In addition it takes too long to get reimbursed right now I am waiting 10 weeks

Well 3 months wait for our 3 visits to Hamilton. This getting stupid now.

Single people who have lost their spouse have their income drastically decreased with the loss of a major pension. These people really suffer as they are old and have no to supplement their income. They should have special consideration.

Having surgery in Ottawa. The problem is that a few days before the surgery I have to have CT. Staying with someone about 2 hours away from Ottawa. So have to make multiple trips back and forth but Grant only covers the major trip. Because I am traveling in Eastern Ontario and I am a Northern, Was told there is no grant for eastern ontario travel. But I am still a northerner that has to make a couple of smaller trips that are not covered.

when you travel from sheguiandah on. to Toronto, the cost of a room is $120.00 min. +room tax ,city tax, most charge for parking, food is 20% higher. Total for two days =$360.00

We live in Elliot Lake and remain totally perplexed by the unreasonable inflexibility of the NHTG system. For example, part of my prostate cancer treatment involved daily Mon-Fri radiation treatment at Heath Sciences North in Sudbury for eight weeks. Because I was not deemed to qualify for the then $100 daily accommodation allowance I was expected to drive a daily round trip of 4-5 hours, receiving $90.20 each day; $451 a week. If the accommodation allowance was available and paid I would have only needed only $590.20 a week in total. Needless to say the stress of driving about 10,000 km for radion alone does irreparable health damage to a 77 year old!

It’s better than nothing. Stop complaining before we end up with 0$ along with the other 90% of the planet,

If you do not have a family doctor in Northern Ontario or cannot see a doctor in a timely manner in Northern Ontario, which is so often the case, and you see a doctor in Southern Ontario who makes a referral to a specialist, you are ineligible for the travel grant because the referring physician is from Southern Ontario. I feel this is an unjust situation and it is the situation that I have found myself in. I went to the Emergency Room to ask them to please fill out the travel grant for me so I could get a small amount of compensation, and they 1) rudely scolded me for going to the emergency room for a non-emergency issue, even though my family doctor cannot see me for three weeks and the only walk-in clinic in the city turned me away because they had already seen 24 people, and 2) refused to sign the form because they were not the referring physician. How do they expect your referring physician to always be from the North when you have so few options for receiving care in the North and they scold you every time you go to the Emergency Room for a non-emergency issue? Aside from having limited options for care in the North, I am very uncomfortable seeking services in my city because I am treated poorly, not given adequate assistance, there is a serious lack of pain management services, my privacy is not respected, and I give out information to health care providers only for that information to be used against me in the future leading to a serious lack of trust. Please change the process so that it is no longer necessary for the referring physician to be from Northern Ontario. My sister still had to drive me five hours to my appointment in Southern Ontario if it is a referring physician from Northern Ontario or not because I live in Northern Ontario.

Another important thing to mention is that even when it is in the patient’s best interest for the patient to be referred to someone in Southern Ontario, the Northern Ontario physician feels strong pressure to keep the business in Northern Ontario, so will likely not refer to someone in the South, and thus the patient suffers unnecessarily.

10 yrs since mileage chg increased…why..with the cost of gas? $100 for hotel room in Toronto area…none avail for that price that you would want to stay in..most people who travel to Toronto area will need to stay more than one night…why not per night allowance of $100. No meal allowances! As with everything else…all considerations for south are priority…for the north…not so much! Give your head a shake!

I have a tooth which broke away from a large filling and it broke up in the gum. Our local dentist took and xray and it showed that my root on that tooth is bent and the sinus cavity has fallen down to rest on the root of that tooth. She has referred me to an Oral Surgeon in Thunder Bay (a 4 1/2 hour drive away). He is doing a consultation and the surgery all on one day as I am traveling so far. My issues are that even though I am on a blood thinner he is not doing surgery at the hospital for lack of an operating room. Also, the travel grant will not cover this trip at all. I will need to travel up the day prior to seeing him because otherwise it would mean I need to drive on winter roads in the dark and I am a nervous winter driver. I need to stay in Thunder Bay 24 hours after surgery to be sure I do not have hemorrhaging at the surgery site while on the Trans Canada miles from a hospital. I cannot understand why this trip is not covered as it is not something which my local dentist is qualified to do and I am being forced to stay for 2 nights out of town, have meals away from home and pay fuel and wear and tear on my vehicle too. Are these not things which the travel grant has been set up for?

The Travel Grant is unbalanced for those from NW ontario requiring surgery just as the Cancer Travel grant was unbalanced in favour of those from Southern Ont. Both groups are from the same Province, and pay the same taxes, but those in NWO suffer from a two-tier system!

The grant doesn’t even begin to cover the expenses when it only allows for a one night stay in sOnt. regardless of the number of nights spent away. The $100 allowance is also ridiculous when you are being seen in TO or London where there are simply NO rooms in that price range. Travel from nOnt. to sOnt. for surgery requires patients to see specialists pre and post operation which means a minimum of 3 nights……how is $100 fair? … and one is not allowed even a basic meal allowance?, …also hard on the patients who probably would prefer to be anywhere else but where they are. It is like they are being punished for needing medical care. As the companion to a travelling patient I found it very stressful trying to keep costs down and yet make her trip as comfortable as possible. I think this program needs a serious overhaul……you either scrap it altogether and just admit the government is not in the business of helping people access specialties in medicine, or cover in full the expenses that are incurred.

The program could be tweaked very easily but not a priority for the liberal govt..totally concentrated on s ont and gta. Their money is to be spent there and only there. Don’t stop addressing it with them…they may change it or we may change the govt!

I have to travel from Kenora, Ontario to Winnipeg to see an allergy or heart specialist/and or go for special procedures. My husband has to accompany me. We have to stay overnight. I look for deals online for hotels but still,with taxes and fees, the $100 hotel doesn’t cover it. I usually pay about $140 – $155 for this and as I said, I book online in advance to get deals. Also, why is there a deductible for the mileage. Believe me, provincial and federal government employees don’t have to have deductibles when doing government business. Also, government employees don’t have to have a $100 limit on their hotel allowance and pay out of pocket for anything more when doing government business. (note…..at times there are those people that have to stay more than one day and are only allowed the $100….it is the entire limit for the grant even if their stay is longer. What are they supposed to do? Sleep on the street?) This is so unfair. We are retired and have a set income. It’s difficult to pay for these expenses. It just seems the government has lots of money to pay for the things it wants, ie. the $10 million payout to Omar Khadar, but little to help those in need that are sick and vulnerable. We are at the mercy of those we elect. These travel grants need to be upgraded and reflect prices accurately. Thanks for listening.

patient companion had to stay almost two weeks with 82 year old patient room will be approx $1000.00 travel grant covers $100. not very good. Seniors don’t have the money to pay these expenses.

Atikokan to Thunder Bay is 203 km one way the bus only runs once a week and only one way so you would have to stay in a Motel for a week on top of that they don’t pay for the first 100 km and the most you can revive is 130.00 for travel . There is a shuttle service KellyCoach who offers same day return trips but northern travel don’t give enough to use their service so kinda stuck in a rock and hard place gov should pay more

My mother is a 78 year old legally blind senior who requires major surgery on her sighted eye. The surgery will render her blind for several days post-surgery and she is required to stay in Ottawa two days pre-surgery and 10 days post-surgery. We must drive a distance of 482km there and back and although we appreciate the mileage assistance, having only $100 in assistance for accommodations and no assistance for meals when required to stay to see the doctor every second day for follow-up post-surgery is not much assistance at all.As her companion, to assist and care for her in the days after the surgery where my mother will be unable to see or care for herself also leaves me unable to attend work – this is a 12 day stay after all. It is unacceptable. My mother is a senior on a fixed income of OAS and CPP and when a family member must take a leave of absence and must pay accommodation costs such as these – it puts additional strain on families already going through stressful health issues. My mother is facing potentially losing her sight completely when she wakes up. The other stress can be eliminated by a financial assessment or scale being put in place to at least assist the low income families in these circumstances. It’s unacceptable that a human being must go through this when they are suffering.

I need to travel from Marathon, Ontario to Thunder Bay Regional Hospital for Surgery’s. First you need to go the day before for the Pre Op, stay the night for Surgery the next day, even though it’s day surgery they want you to stay that night and they send a nurse to your motel, for your pain medication & dressing changes. So you have no choice but to stay two nights in a motel & one of the nights they use like a hospital room, but the travel grant only pays $100.00 for accommodations. So you end up paying out of your pocket. They should at least pay all of the accommadations. It’s not our fault that they built a Regional Hospital that can not accommadate the Region.

If your spouse is flown from northern community to southern Ontario for surgery, why won’t the cost of hotels and meals be covered. Telemedicine wouldn’t work. And the Federal/Provincial mileage rate is .56 in 2016. Why is the mileage rate .41? Are patients and taxpayers being punished?

I was sent for emergency surgery on a Wednesday. but once arriving at they hospitAL and waiting hours to find outy surgery would need to be rescheduled to friday-overnight stay-released Saturday. My issue-unable to drive do a friend drove. Missed now 4 days of work & we found family to stay with because we couldn’t stay that long at a hotel-too expensive. We need better health care. Sudbury needs specialist!

I traveled by car from Parry Sound district to London for surgery performed on Sept. 17, 2015. For various reasons my application for travel assistance was not completed and mailed until the first week of September of this year. Although the application itself was fine, I was denied because no one acknowledged it until September 20th – 3 days late for the twelve month cutoff of Sept.17/2016. The 17th was a Sat. and the mail was not opened until the following Tuesday. Does the mail always get opened the same day it’s received or does it sit on someone’s desk for a few days? The letter denying the claim was dated Oct.5 which suggests that there may be some backlog in processing claims. For a Ministry that claims to be committed to helping people, perhaps a tiny bit of flexibility would be appropriate.

My wife and I had to go $750 out of pocket (after travel grant paid us $237.90) for her to have surgery in Thunder Bay.

I also had to deal with the headache of getting the $100 accommodation reimbursed, because the motel we stayed at issued the receipt in my name. The Ministry refused to pay the accommodation allowance, because my wife’s (the patient) name wasn’t on the hotel receipt.

I’d say the experience has been a shocker, but I’m never shocked when I’m dealing with the Ontario government.

Appeal this.. the hotel will issue the required receipt because they are aware of these silly rules the govt has and the govt will reconsider the app and pay. They dont make the rules completely clear. If you require help call your MPP’s off. The are very helpful.

Patients that qualify for the travel grant have difficulty finding a room within the $100 limit and furthermore if extended treatment is needed they find themselves financially burdened with the extra cost

My dad was to have a “routine” heart procedure and almost died. He then caught a hospital infection and was delirious. As POA I had to stay for 18 days with only $100 towards hotel was covered.

The Northern Health Travel Grant system is too inflexible.

For example, those in Elliot Lake do not qualify for the accommodation allowance when travelling to medical appointments in Sudbury but if the appointment is very slightly further in Sault Ste Marie then they qualify for accommodation.

Qualification takes no account of what the appointment is for. Someone going to Sudbury for day surgery must drive him/her self home or pay hotel accommodation themselves. Crazy!

Even more ridiculous, someone who has appointments on two consecutive days and does not qualify for accommodation must repeat the (175km exch way) trip each day!

My husband recently under went a quadruple bypass in Hamilton. I had to drive 4 hours to Thunder Bay to be with him when he flew to Hamilton. I had to stay in a hotel in Thunder Bay because he didn’t fly out until the next day. I had to pay for hotels in Hamilton for 8 nights, take a $100 cab ride to Pearson to get us home, paid $900.00 in airline tickets, spent $25 on a cab from the Thunder Bay Airport and then stayed another night at a hotel for $145.00 at the doctors request before diving another 4 hours home.

All totaled, we are out of pocket $1980.00…we get refunded $1221.00!! That covers the airfare, $100 for accommodations and $.41 a kilometer for the travel. That leaves a balance of $728.00 that we have to suck up because we live in a small northwestern community. Pile of crap!!

My wife and I (both seniors) live in Windsor. In 2013 she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer–a soft tissue Sarcoma. Our local Cancer clinic immediately referred her to Princess Margaret hospital in Toronto—our local hospital has no experience nor resources to treat Sarcomas. We had no other choice. We had to take Via over 35 times and literally live in Toronto hotels (400 km away) throughout 2013 and 2014, for consultations, various examinations, various tests, radiation, very extensive surgery, and various follow up visits. Going by car is out of the question due to weather, physical limitations, higher cost, etc. More visits and more surgery are slated for 2015. Our total expenses so far are over $23,000. About a quarter of our expenses have been recovered though medical expense credits on our income taxes, but the remaining amount is not. We don’t qualify for Northern Health Care assistance, and are quickly eating up our savings. Any advice would be appreciated

Having to travel from Thunder Bay to Toronto for treatment as my unborn son has been diagnosed with a condition known as CDH and no one in Thunder Bay can assist. Each trip is a minimum of 3 days and we soon find out if I’ll have to remain in Toronto for the remaining 10-12 weeks of my pregnancy… Medical rate at a hotel within 20mins of hospital is 139$…the northern travel grant is a help for flights but how am I supposed to afford this upcoming hotel bill? Especially since I’m not working anymore :(

It should be looked… The accommodation portion should be more than 100 per trip

I find it very unfair and unaffordable, my dr has sent me out of town to see a specialist, I have been since told I have to go back 4 more times. I understand I will have help with the travel but once I get there it is going to cost me over a hundred dollars to and from airport. I have no income what so ever as I have been off due to neck and back issues and spending this is taking away from other things of importance. I would not think twice about hoping on a bus or subway but I have a very hard time sitting, standing for any length of time, if I could I would not need these visits. I really wish there was at least some help with transportation.

As mentioned in the last section of the article, telehealth has been shown to be an effective means of delivering care to rural and remote populations. Patients can not only avoid the costs associated with travel but also access care in a more timely manner. According to a Praxia/Gartner study commissioned by Canada Health Infoway in 2011, patients reported avoiding between $400 and more than $1,000 per return trip by using telehealth. Furthermore, a number of medical disciplines reported more timely care in a variety of care settings. For example, wait times for dermatology were reported to be reduced to no more than 10 days, and frequently only two days; wait times for ophthalmology were observed to decrease from about 25 days to less than two days. The full study can be accessed here: https://www.infoway-inforoute.ca/index.php/progress-in-canada/benefits-realization#telehealth

How is telehealth going to administer my treatment? I attend a pain clinic in Toronto. There is a difference between not knowing if I have the flu or a cold and calling telehealth and getting treated for chronic pain, chronic headache, and receiving IV treatments for pain. Your comment is irrelevant.

%featured%My husband and I have to live in Toronto because he needs a lung transplant. Because we have to be within 2.5 hours from the only hospital in Ontario that does the procedure we have had to relocate from Sault Ste. Marie. %featured%Through Trillium we get $650 per month as a relocation allowance. Others on the transplant list from the Maritimes get between $1500 and $1650 per month for relocation. It costs us who live in Northern Ontario a lot more to live here than it does for them. After 13 months on the waiting list we have spent more than $ 15 000 of our own money to live here. We are grateful for the chance my husband has at a new life but it is a very unfair situation in a country where medicare is supposed to be universal.

A patient cannot claim expense without return airfare ticket completed. For example, someone from N. On. who is needs to be in Toronto for a lung transplant, (which can be a 1-3 year process) gets the same amount as a one day visit AND no refund until patient completes trip, in other words, returns home.

%featured%The travel grant is good in northern Ontario , it does assist to see a real specialist in southern Ontario, but the question is why isn’t Health Care the same in Toronto, London or Timmins.%featured%

The Health Care experience in Sarnia is no where at the level of London. London Health Care is supreme to Sarnia

Anyone who has had any experiences with the Sudbury Hospital will tell you.. Going down South for medical care is the only option we have, if you want to live. And the Doctors down south will tell you how pathetic our health care in Sudbury really is. So %featured%in my opinion, the travel grant should be enough to cover ALL expenses. Not just part.%featured%If we had great health care and the same services as the south People wouldn’t have to travel.

I had 5 bypasses in 2000 and still going strong. I am a tradesman and just submitting my retirement papers now, you must have had a bad experience, but don’t take it out on all of Sudbury. In fact Sudbury has a reputation for their knowledge and care of heart patients.

My husband just had a heart attack and he had great care in Sudbury

What I don’t understand is that my expenses including an overnight stay in Toronto (hotel cost $150.00 a night near the hospital) were denied because I should have taken a bus to my 7 a.m. appointment from Sudbury and come home the same day instead of travelling the night before and staying in a hotel. With all the red tape and then being denied I haven’t even bothered to apply again. I now have specialist appointments every 2 weeks in Toronto.

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The MD Travel Grant is intended to assist students with the cost of traveling to attend a medical conference where presenting original research or to participate in an individually arranged away elective rotation.

Research Conference Travel Award Application

Students applying for the Research Conference Travel Award need not have previously applied for financial aid. All students are eligible to apply for one conference per academic year. Students must be presenting original research conducted while enrolled at UMMS, and cannot be enrolled in another degree program at the time of the conference . If co-presenting, only one student is eligible. Only one conference can be funded per academic year.

Completed applications must be submitted with a copy of the invitation to present, and documentation (receipts) for registration, lodging, travel costs combined into one PDF file format to  [email protected]  with Research Conference Travel Award in the subject line. Applicants will be notified of decisions by email.

The maximum award is $1000.

Conference Travel Application

Away Rotation Award Application

Students applying for the Away Rotation Award must have first submitted a financial aid application for the year in which fund are being requested and have exhausted all financial resources, including loans. Only one domestic and one international rotation will be considered.

Completed applications must be submitted with documentation (receipts) for travel and lodging combined into one PDF file to [email protected] with Away Rotation Award in the subject line. Applicants will be notified of decisions by email.

The maximum award is $500 for domestic and $1000 for international rotations.

Away Rotation Application

Any questions, comments or concerns relating to the MD Travel Grant should be directed to the Medical School Financial Aid Office at [email protected] .

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