Charitable Medical Air Transportation: National Patient Travel Center

Do you have a family member needing long-distance travel for specialized medical evaluation, diagnosis or treatment?  If so, you need to call the National Patient Travel Center, a 501(c)(3) charity specializing in helping patients find free or low-cost travel and hospital hospitality for family members in distant cities far from home.

The National Patient Air Transportation Helpline is the only service of its kind in America.  It has been in operation for 15 years and helps thousands of patient families annually.  Please call them at (800)296-1217 from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time).  There is no charge for their referral services.  You can reach the NPATH Helpline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, throughout the year.  If you call outside of these business hours, you will be asked to provide information through a paging service, and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

The NPATH Helpline is operated by Mercy Medical Airlift in support of Angel Flight America, Joe’s House, the National Association of Hospitality Houses and the American Cancer Society.  Angel Flight America does 90% of the long-distance charitable medical air transportation in the United States.  The NAPTH Helpline service works with Angel Flight America, as well as numerous other air transportation companies and organizations to find the best match of resources to patient needs.  The services provided are primarily within the United States and with only very limited international resources.  For additional information about this wonderful program, please visit www.patienttravel.org.

Most NPATH services do not provide transportation opportunities for ventilator-dependent patients.  If you are ventilator-dependent or have a family member who is ventilator-dependent, and are in need of air transportation for medical care, please go to www.aircompassionamerica.org or call (866) 270-9198.   Air Compassion America (ACAM) advocates for air-ambulance services for ventilator-dependent patients.