Travel
Joe’s House — lodging directory
Search lodging near treatment centres, including participating hotel discounts. Listings are not all free.
- Where
- U.S. nationwide
- Who / cost
- Confirm program eligibility and availability directly.
How to start & what to confirm
- First step
- Search by city or treatment centre. Confirm the patient rate, taxes, cancellation policy, caregiver accommodation and transport with the lodging provider.
- Hours & languages
- Confirm current contact hours. Ask about your preferred language or interpreter access.
- Before applying or booking
- Confirm the service area, diagnosis and age requirements, costs, current availability, and any required documents. For hospital programs, ask whether you must receive treatment there.
- Official sources
- Source 1 ↗
Financial assistance
LIHEAP — heating and cooling assistance
State and local programs may help eligible households with energy bills or an energy crisis.
- Where
- U.S. nationwide
- Who / cost
- Income, household and local program requirements apply; this is not a cancer-specific grant.
How to start & what to confirm
- First step
- Use the official state-office finder and ask about the energy-crisis process if a shutoff is pending.
- Hours & languages
- Confirm current contact hours. Ask about your preferred language or interpreter access.
- Before applying or booking
- Confirm the service area, diagnosis and age requirements, costs, current availability, and any required documents. For hospital programs, ask whether you must receive treatment there.
- Program note
- Apply through the local administering agency. Availability and covered costs vary by location.
- Official sources
- Source 1 ↗
Funding and eligibility vary; confirm directly.
Financial assistance
Merck Helps — prescription assistance
Assistance with certain Merck medicines for eligible patients who cannot afford them.
- Where
- U.S. nationwide
- Who / cost
- Each product has its own eligibility and insurance requirements.
How to start & what to confirm
- First step
- Select the exact prescribed medicine on Merck Helps for its application and product-specific contact number; involve the prescribing office.
- Hours & languages
- Confirm current contact hours. Ask about your preferred language or interpreter access.
- Before applying or booking
- Confirm the service area, diagnosis and age requirements, costs, current availability, and any required documents. For hospital programs, ask whether you must receive treatment there.
- Program note
- Coverage is medicine-specific. Do not assume infusion, office or other treatment costs are included.
- Official sources
- Source 1 ↗
Funding and eligibility vary; confirm directly.
Travel
Mercy Medical Angels
Charitable medical transportation with different application routes for flights and ground travel.
- Where
- U.S. nationwide
- Who / cost
- Verified clinical appointment and program requirements apply. Approval and transport are not guaranteed.
How to start & what to confirm
- First step
- Use the official request pathway for your transport type. Published request window: 7–45 days before the appointment; confirm current requirements.
- Hours & languages
- Confirm current contact hours. Ask about your preferred language or interpreter access.
- Before applying or booking
- Confirm the service area, diagnosis and age requirements, costs, current availability, and any required documents. For hospital programs, ask whether you must receive treatment there.
- Official sources
- Source 1 ↗
Education
Myelodysplastic Syndromes Treatment (PDQ) - NCI
Patient-oriented information about myelodysplastic syndromes and treatment discussions.
- Where
- U.S. nationwide
- Who / cost
- Free online education. Use with your treating team; not a personalized treatment recommendation.
How to start & what to confirm
- First step
- Use the official contact above to ask which service fits your needs and how to get started.
- Hours & languages
- Confirm current contact hours. Ask about your preferred language or interpreter access.
- Before applying or booking
- Confirm the service area, diagnosis and age requirements, costs, current availability, and any required documents. For hospital programs, ask whether you must receive treatment there.
- Program note
- Confirm current program participation requirements directly.
- Official sources
- Source 1 ↗
Financial assistance
National Children’s Cancer Society — family assistance
Transportation and lodging assistance for eligible families; a separate emergency program has additional inpatient or relocation requirements.
- Where
- U.S. nationwide
- Who / cost
- Childhood cancer, age, household resources and U.S. residency/citizenship requirements apply.
How to start & what to confirm
- First step
- Review the eligibility checklist and submit the family application with requested financial and medical verification. English and Spanish application resources are available.
- Hours & languages
- Confirm current contact hours. Ask about your preferred language or interpreter access.
- Before applying or booking
- Confirm the service area, diagnosis and age requirements, costs, current availability, and any required documents. For hospital programs, ask whether you must receive treatment there.
- Program note
- Emergency assistance requires a qualifying extended hospital stay or relocation; a cancer diagnosis alone is not sufficient.
- Official sources
- Source 1 ↗
Funding and eligibility vary; confirm directly.
Clinical trials
NCI — clinical trial search help
Information specialists can help you navigate cancer trial searches and discuss questions to take to the study team.
- Where
- U.S. nationwide
- Who / cost
- Search assistance is not enrollment or a recommendation for a particular treatment.
How to start & what to confirm
- First step
- Have your diagnosis, stage, biomarkers, prior treatments and travel limits ready. Contact the trial site to confirm recruitment and actual eligibility.
- Hours & languages
- Confirm current contact hours. Ask about your preferred language or interpreter access.
- Before applying or booking
- Confirm the service area, diagnosis and age requirements, costs, current availability, and any required documents. For hospital programs, ask whether you must receive treatment there.
- Official sources
- Source 1 ↗
Education
NCI — finding care and a second opinion
Information on finding cancer care and seeking another opinion about a diagnosis or treatment plan.
- Where
- U.S. nationwide
- Who / cost
- Confirm program eligibility and availability directly.
How to start & what to confirm
- First step
- Ask which records the reviewing centre requires, whether a referral is needed, and how to coordinate the review with your treating team.
- Hours & languages
- Confirm current contact hours. Ask about your preferred language or interpreter access.
- Before applying or booking
- Confirm the service area, diagnosis and age requirements, costs, current availability, and any required documents. For hospital programs, ask whether you must receive treatment there.
- Official sources
- Source 1 ↗
Supportive care
NCI — palliative care in cancer
Palliative care addresses symptoms and physical, emotional and social concerns. It can be provided alongside cancer treatment.
- Where
- U.S. nationwide
- Who / cost
- Confirm program eligibility and availability directly.
How to start & what to confirm
- First step
- Ask your oncology team about a palliative-care referral. Read how this differs from hospice and discuss the goals of care that matter to you.
- Hours & languages
- Confirm current contact hours. Ask about your preferred language or interpreter access.
- Before applying or booking
- Confirm the service area, diagnosis and age requirements, costs, current availability, and any required documents. For hospital programs, ask whether you must receive treatment there.
- Official sources
- Source 1 ↗
Clinical trials
NCI — paying for clinical trials
Explains the distinction between research costs and routine patient-care costs.
- Where
- U.S. nationwide
- Who / cost
- Confirm program eligibility and availability directly.
How to start & what to confirm
- First step
- Ask the study coordinator for a written breakdown of sponsor payments, insurance billing, travel and other out-of-pocket expenses before consenting.
- Hours & languages
- Confirm current contact hours. Ask about your preferred language or interpreter access.
- Before applying or booking
- Confirm the service area, diagnosis and age requirements, costs, current availability, and any required documents. For hospital programs, ask whether you must receive treatment there.
- Official sources
- Source 1 ↗
Education
NCI MyPART - rare tumor network
Rare-tumor information and research connections for patients, families, and advocates.
- Where
- U.S. nationwide
- Who / cost
- Research participation is study-specific. This network is not a general financial-assistance program.
How to start & what to confirm
- First step
- Email the network with a general inquiry about rare-tumor resources or research participation requirements.
- Hours & languages
- Confirm current contact hours. Ask about your preferred language or interpreter access.
- Before applying or booking
- Confirm the service area, diagnosis and age requirements, costs, current availability, and any required documents. For hospital programs, ask whether you must receive treatment there.
- Program note
- Confirm current program participation requirements directly.
- Official sources
- Source 1 ↗
Financial assistance
NeedyMeds — prescription assistance finder
Search for manufacturer assistance, lower-cost medicines and clinics. This is a directory, not a cash grant.
- Where
- U.S. nationwide
- Who / cost
- Each listed program has its own medicine, income and insurance rules.
How to start & what to confirm
- First step
- Search by the exact medicine name, then follow the individual program application.
- Hours & languages
- Confirm current contact hours. Ask about your preferred language or interpreter access.
- Before applying or booking
- Confirm the service area, diagnosis and age requirements, costs, current availability, and any required documents. For hospital programs, ask whether you must receive treatment there.
- Official sources
- Source 1 ↗
Funding and eligibility vary; confirm directly.
