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National Patient Travel Center (NPTC) Info |
Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE NATIONAL PATIENT TRAVEL CENTER (NPTC)?
The NPTC exists to facilitate patient access to appropriate charitable medical air transportation resources in the United States. The NPTC also exists to develop, administer and consolidate airline patient ticket programs and to operate various Special-Lift and Child-Lift programs on behalf of special disease organizations and/or clinical research centers in the United States. The NPTC also has the means for bringing ambulatory outpatients from many overseas locations to the United States.
The mission of the National Patient Travel Center is ".....to ensure that no financially-needy patient is denied access to distant specialized medical evaluation, diagnosis or treatment for lack of a means of long-distance medical air transportation."
DOES NPTC PROMOTE PROGRAMS OTHER THAN ANGEL FLIGHT®?
Yes. This enables us to present an option for just about every patient need. In addition to Angel Flight, the following programs are presented as options:
- Special-Lift and Child-Lift Programs
This special service provides for "single-point of contact" administration of patient air transportation programs for special disease organizations or clinical research centers, such as the National Institutes of Health, the Mayo Clinic, etc. The phone number is 1-888-675-1405.
- Airline Tickets for Patients/Escorts
The National Patient Travel Center is the only single source in the nation for full information on all available charitable or deep-discount airline ticket programs for patients and patient escorts. The National Patient Travel HELPLINE refers patients to the best program to meet their needs. An increasing number of these programs are being administered on behalf of various airlines. Ambulatory patient travel exceeding 1,000 miles necessitates the use of airline resources. Special circumstances can make use of these programs for even shorter distances advisable. Mercy Medical Airlift® personnel are highly experienced in these diverse and often changing airline patient ticket programs. The programs administered by NPTC can be reached at 1-800-325-8908. Initial contact for referral should be through the National Patient Travel HELPLINE: 1-800-296-1217.
- Air Compassion America®
Air Compassion America® is a non-profit patient advocacy/assistance organization established to help locate and coordinate bed-to-bed air ambulance service. ACAM’s mission is to help patients and families undergoing a difficult health crisis by offering them compassionate counseling and by working to lower air ambulance and medically assisted travel costs.
WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS WHEN THERE IS ANGEL FLIGHT?
Angel Flight is a wonderful program that provides great public benefit on a national scale. Using NPATH will ensure the caller is referred to the correct Angel Flight region that can best serve him or her based on the patient’s geographical area. However, Angel Flight has limitations and some patients need to travel longer distances than the 1000- mile Angel Flight maximum, including international patient travel needs. Some patients are not healthy enough to travel on Angel Flight and require discounted air ambulance services. National health organizations need to arrange for massive charitable air transportation in order to conduct successful clinical trials, etc. NPATH will ensure any inquiry will be matched up with the appropriate charitable air transportation program to best suit individual needs.
HOW DOES SOMEONE REACH NPTC?
The helpline (NPATH) can be reached 24/7/365 at 1-800-296-1217. Immediate live on-line response runs from 9am to 5pm Eastern Time Monday through Friday. Contact with the helpline outside normal business hours allows the caller to either leave a routine message that will be answered next normal business hours OR to leave an urgent message that will receive a response normally within one (1) hour at any time.
Calls may be made by patient friends, social or medical workers or by patients themselves. We will discuss a need with anybody or give further detailed information about how charitable medical air transportation is provided nationally -- to anybody.
The address for administrative questions or written correspondence is:
National Patient Travel Center
4620 Haygood Road, Ste. 1
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Phone: 757-318-9174
Fax: 757-318-9107
HOW IS MERCY MEDICAL AIRLIFT (MMA) TIED INTO NPTC?
In addition to handling Special Lifts and Commercial Airline Charitable Air Transportation programs, Mercy Medical Airlift (MMA) serves in the capacity of association management. Currently it manages NPTC, NPATH, Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, Homeland Security Emergency Air Transportation System (HSEATS), and Air Compassion America. This relationship produces a very cost-effective operation of each program by the sharing of resources, including personnel.
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