Medical Transportation

Effective: August 1, 2023

You may be eligible for a medical transportation supplement if you are: 

• Receiving disability assistance; 
• Receiving income assistance and in the category for persons with persistent multiple barriers to employment (PPMB);
• Receiving income assistance and residing in a special care facility;
• Receiving Medical Services Only (MSO);
• Receiving Transitional Health Services after receiving income assistance in the PPMB category;
• Receiving Transitional Health Services after receiving income assistance when you resided in a special care facility;
• A person or child approved as facing a life-threatening health need who has a direct and immediate life-threatening need for medical transportation (see related topic: Life-Threatening Health Needs);
• A child in a family unit receiving income assistance, disability assistance, hardship assistance, MSO, or Transitional Health Services.  

The medical transportation supplement is not available if you are only:

• Receiving income assistance
• Receiving hardship assistance;
• Receiving Transitional Health Services without having been PPMB or in a special care facility; or
• A child eligible for the Healthy Kids Program.

The medical transportation supplement is for the least expensive appropriate mode of transportation when:

• You need to receive essential medical treatment, meaning a benefit under the Medicare Protection Act or Hospital Insurance Act. This includes visits to the nearest available office of a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, specialist, or at a hospital to meet your medical needs; and
• You have extraordinary medical transportation costs. This includes daily appointments or a need to travel out of town; and
• You do not have resources available to cover your medical transportation costs. Available resources do not include borrowing money or using credit.

The medical transportation supplement can help pay for costs that other organizations or programs will not pay or will partially pay. For example, Transportation Assistance Program (TAP BC) pays your BC Ferries fare, and the supplement pays your bus fare or gas for a vehicle.

Ongoing medical transportation supplements may be set up for 12 months at a time for verified, predictable appointments (e.g., ongoing chemotherapy, daily blood tests, daily kidney dialysis).

A medical transportation supplement may be provided when birthing and maternity services are not available and a person must leave their community to give birth. 

Effective: June 30, 2026

The medical transportation supplement is for the “least expensive appropriate” mode of transportation. Sometimes the least expensive option is not appropriate. Walking or biking are the least expensive modes, but they are not reasonably “appropriate” in most cases due to the distance to be traveled and the fact they may make a medical condition worse.

“Least expensive appropriate” means choosing the option that costs the least but still meets your medical needs. For example:

• Taking a bus may be the least expensive option but might not be appropriate if you have medical needs that require you to minimize contact with other people to reduce the risk of illness.
• Staying overnight in a hotel may be the least expensive appropriate option to receive medical treatment in another city. If you opt to stay a second night, only the first would be paid. A second night may be paid if you provide verification it is needed for medical reasons, making it the appropriate option. For example, extra nights in a hotel cannot be paid for you to visit friends and family but can be paid if your surgeon verifies you cannot drive for a period of time after surgery.
• If you book your own hotel and make choices due to preferences or non-medical reasons, such as choosing extra rooms, amenities, or a luxury hotel, the supplement provided may be less than the full cost because it is not the least expensive and appropriate for your medical needs.
• If your doctor arranges for you to receive essential medical treatment out of province, or you live close to the Alberta border, and receive medical treatment there because it is the nearest convenient location for medically required services (under the Medicare Protection Act), and it is the least expensive appropriate option, you may be eligible for a medical transportation supplement, even if the treatments are available in BC. You should work with your doctor to ensure the treatment is covered under MSP and you will not need to pay for treatment.

To find the least expensive appropriate medical transportation, consider the following:

• Family, friends, volunteer agencies and service clubs
• Travel Assistance Program (TAP): A Ministry of Health program to help eligible BC residents with medical transportation costs. If you need to take BC Ferries, ask your healthcare provider for a TAP form.  
• Health Connections: A BC Government travel assistance program that helps rural residents travel for non-emergency medical care.
• Medical Travel Accommodation: A list of hotels that offer discounted rates to patients and their families who need to travel to access non-emergency medical care.
• Canadian Cancer Society - BC Lodges: Affordable accommodation for people with cancer and their caregivers while a patient receives cancer treatment.
• Easter Seals House: Affordable accommodation for families when children require medical treatment in Vancouver.
• BC Kidney Foundation Kidney Suites: Affordable accommodation to support post-kidney transplant patients who must stay in Vancouver during recovery.
• Aboriginal Patient’s Lodge: Culturally safe accommodation for Indigenous families in Vancouver to access medical services for cancer, transplants, surgery, complex pregnancies and other medical procedures.
• Victoria Heart House: Accommodation in Victoria for patients who are having a heart-related procedure and their family and caregiver.
• BC Family Residence Program: Accommodation assistance for families when their child requires medical care at BC Children's Hospital or Sunny Hill Health Centre.
• Gizeh Shriners of British Columbia and Yukon: Accommodation and transportation for children and their parent and caregiver. Also provides medical treatment for children.
• Hope Air: Free airline flights, accommodations, airport ground transportation, and meal vouchers for patients and their escorts.
• New Chelsea Society: Housing for families, seniors, and special circumstances in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, Port Coquitlam, and Surrey.
• Heather House Hostel Shaunessy Building: Affordable accommodation for people who require medical care in the Lower Mainland

Phone: 604-875-2298

Fax: 604-875-2703

Mailing Address: 4500 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1

Effective: April 1, 2010

A medical transportation supplement may be provided to pay the following costs:   

• Transportation – Examples include a vehicle, bus, ferry, air, and train.
• Gas for a vehicle – See the rate per kilometre travelled and Exceptional Circumstances below.
• Meals – See the rate per meal. Meals are not paid for short trips lasting a couple of hours nor if another payor provides them, such as a hospital.  
• Accommodation (if overnight travel is required)
• Travel escort costs (if required)

A travel escort is a person who accompanies a patient to help during travel to and from a medical appointment. Their costs may only be considered when accompanying:

• A child under 19 years old or
• An adult incapable of travelling alone due to verified medical reasons. 

The medical transportation supplement does not typically pay for a travel escort’s separate accommodation, unless it is medically required by the medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, specialist, and/or at a hospital and verified.

Effective: December 1, 2003

A medical transportation supplement cannot be provided to pay the following:   

• Costs to buy, maintain, repair, or insure a vehicle
• Ambulance bills – See Ambulance Service below in Procedures.

A medical transportation supplement can only be provided for you to receive essential medical treatment, meaning a benefit under the Medicare Protection Act or Hospital Insurance Act. Examples of services that are not essential medical treatment and, as a result, ineligible for the supplement include:

• self-help groups
• methadone programs or treatment
• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), or Gambler’s Anonymous (GA) meetings
• psychological counselling
• recreation or health clubs
• esthetician for electrolysis
• pharmacies
• medical equipment stores
• medical supply stores
• orthotic appliance suppliers
• routine dental treatment
• water therapies (for example, swimming pools) 

Effective: August 1, 2023

The medical transportation supplement pays for gas for a vehicle to travel to essential medical treatment. There is a set rate per kilometre travelled for vehicle transportation. A higher rate may be paid when:

• You need to pay a professional driver, agency, or travel escort whose rate is higher than the set rate.
• You drive an older or less fuel-efficient vehicle that requires more gas to run.
• The ministry approves a temporary increase due to a significant increase in gas prices.

Effective: July 1, 2025

You can request pre-approval for a medical transportation supplement in one of these ways:

• Online: through My Self-Serve (MySS)
• Telephone: toll-free at 1-866-866-0800 and accessing the self-serve telephone system
• By mail: to any of the Ministry or Service BC offices
• In person: by attending a Ministry or Service BC office during office hours or dropping off using the outside drop box.
• By fax: to 1-855-371-8050.

You need to provide the following to request pre-approval for a medical transportation supplement:

• a Medical Transportation Supplement form (HR3320); and
• verification of essential medical treatment with a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, specialist, and/or at a hospital. Verification may be provided in a variety of ways including:
  • a note from a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, specialist, and/or a hospital’s office
  • an appointment card
  • screenshot, image, or attachment of confirmation of appointment (such as an email)
  • Transportation Assistance Program (TAP BC) form with confirmation number

Effective: July 1, 2025

You should request pre-approval for non-local, non-emergency medical transportation funding prior to travel or leaving your home community. The ministry may issue a medical transportation supplement without pre-approval in circumstances where you could not request pre-approval or where you incur additional unforeseen costs associated with the medical treatment/travel. You can request approval for additional costs in the same way you would request pre-approval.

Kilometre allowance rates will follow the maximums shown in Rate Table: Health Supplements & Programs – Medical Transportation Supplement. The ministry may issue over the maximum rates in exceptional circumstances including:

• A need for agency/escort driver
• Using an older vehicle
• Significant gas price increase

Verification will be required to request kilometre allowance over the maximum rates. Additional executive approval is required.

Meal allowances (money for food) are normally not provided as part of a medical transportation supplement. The ministry may issue meal allowances in exceptional circumstances not exceeding the amount shown in Rate Table: Health Supplements and Programs – Medical Transportation Supplement.

Effective: July 1, 2025

In case of emergency, you should contact emergency services (911).

The medical transportation supplement is not available for ambulance services. If you submit a bill for ambulance services, ministry staff will write the Personal Health (PHN) number on the bill and forward it to the Ministry of Health (at the Ministry of Health address provided on the bill). The Ministry of Health will then determine next steps.

If you submit a bill for BC ambulance services incurred while not in receipt of assistance, you should contact the Emergency Health Services Commission.

Effective: July 1, 2025

If you are otherwise not eligible for a medical transportation supplement (if you do not receive assistance, not PWD, etc.) but face a life-threatening health need, you may request a medical transportation supplement by providing verification that a direct and imminent life-threatening health need exists and that the medical transportation supplement is necessary to meet that need.

This includes if you reside in an area where birthing and maternity services are not available and you must leave your community to give birth.

Effective: July 1, 2025

If treatment is not available locally, you are to provide verification you require essential medical treatment outside your community with a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, specialist, and/or at a hospital.

If treatment is available locally but is not available within a reasonable timeframe or not available due to extenuating circumstances, you are to provide verification you require essential medical treatment outside you community with a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, specialist, and/or at a hospital.

Effective: July 1, 2025

To request a medical transportation supplement for non-emergency essential medical treatment outside of BC or Canada, you are to provide a Medical Transportation Supplement form (HR3320) and verification of the following:

• You require essential medical treatment outside BC or Canada; and
• The essential medical treatment requested is the least expensive appropriate.

Effective: August 1, 2023

Ongoing medical transportation for extraordinary and predictable appointments that have been verified as essential medical treatment with a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, specialist, and/or at a hospital may be pre-approved up to a maximum of 12 months. Examples include: daily blood tests over an extended period, ongoing chemotherapy, kidney dialysis, etc.

You must complete a new application for ongoing medical transportation after the pre-approved duration has expired.

Effective: July 1, 2025

The ministry may approve a medical transportation supplement for the least expensive appropriate mode of transportation to or from essential medical treatment. Sometimes the least expensive modes of transportation are not appropriate (e.g., a bus, Handy Dart, or personal vehicle). For example, essential medical treatment may be required late night (outside of transit hours), or you have restricted mobility and are unable to use a bus.

The following modes of transportation may not be the least expensive, but with verification they are necessary to obtain essential medical treatment, the ministry may be satisfied they are the least expensive appropriate mode and may approve them:

• Taxi/Rideshare (i.e. Uber/Lyft, etc.) services
• Community drivers
• Stretcher transportation
• Specialized wheelchair transportation
• Air, ferry, and train travel
• Other special modes of transportation

Rideshare companies (i.e. Uber/Lyft, etc.) are considered taxis for the purpose of medical transportation supplements. Taxis are considered public transportation.

If you are requesting special travel needs (i.e. a specific seat or hotel room is needed, you can only travel during a specific time, or you can be the only passenger in the vehicle), you must provide verification these special travel needs must be met to obtain essential medical treatment.

medical practitionernurse practitionerspecialist, or provides written verification there is a medical need for them.