Hope Air Delivers Over $20 Million in Savings to Canadian Patients in 2025
Toronto, ON — November 6, 2025 — Hope Air, Canada’s national charity providing free travel and accommodations for patients in financial need, makes healthcare accessible for thousands of patients in need each year. In 2025, Hope Air’s programs will result in over $20 million in savings for low-income patients.
Canadians face impossible choices between affording travel costs to reach medical care and meeting daily needs. Hope Air bridges that gap by connecting patients to care no matter where they live — at no cost to them.
A Lifeline for Patients Facing the Cost of Distance
In 2025, Hope Air patients will collectively save an estimated $20.3M*, including:
Stories of Hope: From Smithers to Timmins and beyond
For example, Alexandria, 5-year-old Hope Air patient from Smithers, BC travelled to Vancouver with Hope Air 19 times and would have cost her family approx. $49,153 in travel expenses. She was able to access care on time thanks to Hope Air’s support.
Or Noah, 3 year old Hope Air patient from Timmins, ON who travelled to Toronto eight times with Hope Air before he turned 2 years old would have cost his family over $20,700 in travel expenses, helping to ensure Noah received the vital care he needed to be healthier for his next birthday.
In addition to saving costs, ensuring patients get timely access to care is also about saving lives, restoring health, and giving families their loved ones back sooner.
“Hope Air is a lifeline for thousands of Canadians in eliminating barriers of distance and cost in access to health care,” said Mark Rubinstein, Chief Hope Officer, Hope Air. “Every flight, every Uber ride, and every hotel night, delivers on the promise of universal health care. For families, it provides Hope to the most vulnerable in our country and a future where no one is left behind, because of where they live.”
About Hope Air
Hope Air is Canada’s only national charity providing free flights, accommodations, and travel support for patients in financial need who must travel far from home for medical care. Since 1986, Hope Air has provided more than 235,000 travel arrangements, giving hope, dignity, and health to Canadians coast to coast.
Learn more at hopeair.ca
Hope Air Media Contact:
Jodi Lumsden
Director, Marketing Communications
jlumsden@hopeair.ca
Canadians face impossible choices between affording travel costs to reach medical care and meeting daily needs. Hope Air bridges that gap by connecting patients to care no matter where they live — at no cost to them.
A Lifeline for Patients Facing the Cost of Distance
In 2025, Hope Air patients will collectively save an estimated $20.3M*, including:
- $18.4 million in costs for flights, meals, transportation, and accommodations
- $1.15 million in savings for daily living expenses due to shortened medical trips
- $731,948 in saved wages for patients who access care sooner and return to work faster
Stories of Hope: From Smithers to Timmins and beyond
For example, Alexandria, 5-year-old Hope Air patient from Smithers, BC travelled to Vancouver with Hope Air 19 times and would have cost her family approx. $49,153 in travel expenses. She was able to access care on time thanks to Hope Air’s support.
Or Noah, 3 year old Hope Air patient from Timmins, ON who travelled to Toronto eight times with Hope Air before he turned 2 years old would have cost his family over $20,700 in travel expenses, helping to ensure Noah received the vital care he needed to be healthier for his next birthday.
In addition to saving costs, ensuring patients get timely access to care is also about saving lives, restoring health, and giving families their loved ones back sooner.
“Hope Air is a lifeline for thousands of Canadians in eliminating barriers of distance and cost in access to health care,” said Mark Rubinstein, Chief Hope Officer, Hope Air. “Every flight, every Uber ride, and every hotel night, delivers on the promise of universal health care. For families, it provides Hope to the most vulnerable in our country and a future where no one is left behind, because of where they live.”
About Hope Air
Hope Air is Canada’s only national charity providing free flights, accommodations, and travel support for patients in financial need who must travel far from home for medical care. Since 1986, Hope Air has provided more than 235,000 travel arrangements, giving hope, dignity, and health to Canadians coast to coast.
Learn more at hopeair.ca
Hope Air Media Contact:
Jodi Lumsden
Director, Marketing Communications
jlumsden@hopeair.ca
*Travel costs, wage savings and out of pocket expenses are an assessment of data from Hope Air’s 2025 National patient survey, Hope Air salesforce data and assessment of everyday costs such as childcare (care.com), pet care (rover.com), parking (jll.com) for patients that said they would have to travel a minimum of 5+ hours each way for care before Hope Air’s support. These are illustrative of some of the costs that our patients may incur.