Introducing PAN’s newly expanded transportation fund

The PAN Foundation today announced an expansion of its transportation fund, providing up to $500 per year to help eligible patients access affordable and reliable transportation to services and activities that improve their overall health outcomes. 

PAN’s transportation program, which first launched in 2020, addresses socioeconomic barriers to medical care and medication adherence. A survey of PAN patients in 2021 showed that after receiving a transportation grant, medication adherence increased by 52 percent and adherence to physician visits increased by 29 percent.  

Under the expanded program, patients will be able to use their grants to pay for transportation to access healthcare services, get social support, and even travel to the grocery store. 

Expanding the program and covered services will better serve the holistic needs of each patient. Improving access to transportation removes barriers to medical care, reduces social isolation, and decreases risks for food insecurity, particularly for older adults and people living with serious illnesses.   

“Since its inception, PAN’s transportation fund has led to better health outcomes for thousands of patients who needed help getting to their medical care,” said PAN President Kevin L. Hagan. “We know this expansion will help even more patients, who will now be able to use funding to better access social support and healthy food. We are grateful for the continued support of our generous donors, who enabled the expansion of this program that will reduce health barriers and improve lives.”  

Patients who qualify are eligible to receive $500 per year in financial assistance in the form of a prepaid debit card, which is authorized for eligible expenses. 

Eligibility requirements

To get financial assistance for transportation, patients must:   

• Be currently enrolled in a copay or premium disease fund at the PAN Foundation and receiving treatment for that disease. 
• Reside and receive treatment in the United States or U.S. territories. (U.S. citizenship is not a requirement.) 

• Have health insurance that covers the qualifying medication or product.  
• Have an income that falls at or below 500 percent of the federal poverty level.  

How to apply

Patients or caregivers applying on their behalf can apply for assistance using the PAN Foundation’s online patient portal. A series of how-to guides are also available for the patient portal, including common tasks like creating an account and applying for assistance online.

Other patient support services at PAN 

Get free application support for the federal Extra Help program 
The Extra Help program—also known as the Low-Income Subsidy program—is administered by the Social Security Administration and was designed to assist people with their Medicare prescription drug plan costs.  
 
Thousands of Medicare beneficiaries—many of whom are PAN grant recipients—may qualify for state or federal assistance from the program but don’t know that they are eligible. Patients can create or log in to their patient portal account to see if they are eligible for free application assistance from the Extra Help program.  

Connect with a patient support organization  
People with serious health conditions—and their families and caregivers—need support beyond financial assistance. We partner with more than 20 leading patient advocacy groups to connect people to communities that can offer support with the complex physical, emotional, and practical realities of life-threatening, chronic, and rare diseases.  

About the PAN Foundation 
The PAN Foundation is an independent, national 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to helping federally and commercially insured people living with life-threatening, chronic, and rare diseases with the out-of-pocket costs for their prescribed medications.  

Since 2004, we have provided more than 1 million underinsured patients with $4 billion in financial assistance. Partnering with generous donors, healthcare providers, and pharmacies, we provide the underinsured population access to the healthcare treatments they need to best manage their conditions and focus on improving their quality of life. Learn more at panfoundation.org.