The short answer
Federal rules make state Medicaid programs assure transportation to providers. Beyond that, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 about free volunteer drivers and other travel help.
Federal regulations require state Medicaid agencies to assure necessary transportation for clients to and from providers — ask your plan how to book non-emergency medical transportation.
American Cancer Society Road To Recovery gives free rides with trained volunteer drivers; call 1-800-227-2345 well in advance because coordinating a ride can take several business days.
Mercy Medical Angels, listed by the American Cancer Society, offers free or low-cost non-emergency transportation or help paying for travel, such as gas cards or bus, train or airfare.
Blood Cancer United helps with gas and parking costs for outpatient care for people with leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma: 1-800-955-4572.
Choose how you want to read this
The whole article, with every detail and caution.
This page is for people with cancer, and their families, who are struggling to get to treatment. It lists the main sources of free or low-cost rides, flights, and travel grants, and who to call first.
Start with the coverage you may already have
If you have Medicaid, you may already have a rides benefit and not know it. Federal regulations require state Medicaid agencies to say in their state plan that they will assure necessary transportation for clients to and from providers. This is called non-emergency medical transportation, or NEMT.
How it works varies by state. States may pay for transportation as an administrative expense or as an optional service, and many states use both. Rules for booking differ, so ask your plan.
Ask your Medicaid plan or state agency two questions today. What is the phone number to book a ride? And how many days in advance do I have to call?
If you are on Medicare, Original Medicare may pay for non-emergency ambulance rides only when your doctor writes an order saying the ride is medically necessary. It does not list routine rides to appointments as covered. Some Medicare Advantage plans may offer extra benefits, so call the number on your card and ask specifically about non-emergency transportation. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Volunteer drivers
Road To Recovery is the American Cancer Society's program of free rides to cancer-related medical appointments. Trained volunteer drivers give the rides. Availability depends on whether there are volunteers in your area, so the answer is local.
Here is the practical detail that matters. ACS says it can take several business days to coordinate a ride. So call 1-800-227-2345 well in advance of your appointment. That line is answered around the clock. The same call will tell you what else exists near you, if Road To Recovery is not running in your county.
Long trips and travel costs
If your treatment center is far away, the American Cancer Society lists some groups that can help with travel costs.
Mercy Medical Angels offers free or low-cost non-emergency transportation, or help paying for travel to get treatment. This may include gas cards, or bus, train or airfare for long-distance travel. Start at mercymedical.org. Ask the group about eligibility.
Blood Cancer United has a Patient Aid Program for people with leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. It can help with the cost of gas and parking for outpatient care. There is a yearly cap. Call 1-800-955-4572.
Ask your oncology office who signs any travel forms before you apply.
Other places to ask
- If you are 65 or older, call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116. It is a public service of the Administration for Community Living that connects older adults and families with local services, including Area Agencies on Aging.
- Ask your treatment center's social worker what the hospital itself provides.
- NCI's Cancer Information Service, 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237), is open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET. It is free and confidential.
- Call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345. It also lists other transportation resources, such as the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center.
Before your next appointment
Tell your oncology team plainly that transport is a problem. It changes what they can do for you. Ask whether visits can be grouped or moved closer to home. Or they may write the letter a ride program needs.
The system treats missed appointments as a scheduling problem. Your cancer treats them as a medical problem. Say it out loud early, and let someone else solve it.
Sources
Opened on 2026-10-02:
Common questions
What if I can't get to treatment?
You're not alone, and it's worth asking for help early. Some cancer nonprofits offer free rides or volunteer drivers, and hospitals often know local programs. Ask your care team's social worker or navigator about options.
What kinds of help exist?
Depending on where you live, help may include volunteer driver programs, free or discounted rides, gas cards or travel assistance for longer trips, and help using public transportation.
Does insurance cover rides?
Federal rules require state Medicaid programs to assure necessary transportation to and from providers. Original Medicare covers non-emergency ambulance rides only with a written order from your doctor saying they are medically necessary. Ask your plan, or call 1-800-MEDICARE, about what is covered.
Who can help me find rides?
A hospital social worker or patient navigator is often the best place to start. You can also call NCI at 1-800-4-CANCER (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET) or the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345.
Questions to ask your doctor
Being prepared helps you get the most out of your appointments. Save or print these questions.
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Your next step
Your care team's answer depends on your treatment — ask them directly.
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Cancer Explained provides educational guidance, but does not replace trained specialists, social workers, or your medical team.
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Free, confidential assistance from NCI Cancer Information Service via phone, chat, or email.
Contact your oncology team
Locate after-hours contact numbers, portal messages, or urgent triage phone lines.
Find a patient navigator
Get one-on-one help with appointments, logistics, translation, and care coordination.
Find a genetic counselor
Discuss inherited mutation risk, family history, and genetic testing options.
Find an oncology social worker
Access emotional counseling, family support groups, and mental health resources.
Find a financial navigator
Locate copay assistance foundations, grant programs, and lodging/travel support.
Find a clinical-trial specialist
Search matching studies and speak with NCI trial information specialists.
Get urgent help
Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher during chemo, severe pain, or trouble breathing: call your cancer care team right away, day or night. Call 911 for an emergency.
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Where to get help with this, by name
A hospital social worker or financial navigator is the best first call if you have one. If you do not, these organisations help at no cost to you.
- Patient Advocate Foundation — (800) 532-5274. Case managers take on insurance appeals, denials and medical debt with you. Free.
- TotalAssist (Patient Advocate Foundation's copay programme, merged with the PAN Foundation in 2026) — 866-512-3861. Help with medication copays, coinsurance and deductibles, insurance premiums, and office-visit and administration charges on the day of treatment, across nearly 150 conditions.
- CancerCare — 800-813-HOPE (4673). Oncology social workers, free counselling and support groups. Limited financial help with transport, home care, child care and lodging for people in active treatment who meet their income guidelines — funding is first-come, first-served, so call to ask what is open.
- Triage Cancer — 424-258-4628. Free legal and financial navigation: insurance, employment rights, disability.
- Blood Cancer United (formerly the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) — (800) 955-4572. Information Specialists answer questions on treatment, insurance and financial problems.
- HealthCare.gov — 1-800-318-2596. For questions about the external review process — the independent review your insurer is required by law to accept.
Your state Department of Insurance regulates insurers and takes consumer complaints. On Medicare, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) gives free one-to-one counselling. If a specific drug is the problem, ask the manufacturer about its patient assistance programme.
Phone numbers checked 31 July 2026. Programmes and eligibility change — if a number has moved, please tell us.
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Sources last checked: 2026-10-02 what this meansLast updated: 2026-10-02Next planned review: 2027-07-31
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Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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