Age 60 and over
Gas and transport help for seniors
Medical trips dominate demand, and the system built for them is better funded than general charity.
Do this first
Call the Eldercare Locator on 1-800-677-1116, or search eldercare.acl.gov by ZIP code. It connects you to your Area Agency on Aging, which is funded under the Older Americans Act specifically to remove transport barriers for people 60 and over — through volunteer drivers, contracted rides and subsidised transit.
Then check your Medicare Advantage plan. Many include a transportation benefit covering a set number of one-way trips a year, and large numbers of members never use it because they do not know it exists.
Area Agencies on Aging
Most Area Agencies on Aging are responsible for addressing the needs of older adults by offering transportation services funded by the Older Americans Act, delivered through public transit, contracted providers or volunteer drivers.
Covered destinations typically include medical appointments, dialysis, grocery stores, senior centres, congregate meal sites and adult day programmes.
Demand is overwhelmingly medical: in Eldercare Locator data, transportation to medical and dialysis appointments accounted for 75% of transportation-related contacts.
- Ask whether the agency has a volunteer driver programme — often the best answer, since it costs you nothing
- Ask whether it reimburses mileage if you drive yourself. This varies locally and will not be offered unless you ask
- Ask about subsidised ride programmes. One Florida programme offers rides for those 65 and over at around $2.00 per ride
- Ask about Rides In Sight, a national database of senior transport options
Two numbers worth writing down
Eldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116 — your Area Agency on Aging.
2-1-1 — everything else, including gas vouchers from local charities.
Your Medicare Advantage transportation benefit
Many Medicare Advantage plans include a transportation benefit, typically a set number of one-way trips per year, and some include flexible or over-the-counter spending cards that can be used more broadly. Benefits vary by plan and by county, so check your Evidence of Coverage or call member services and ask specifically about transportation.
If you have Medicaid as well as Medicare, you may also have non-emergency medical transportation, which is a mandatory benefit and can pay mileage or issue gas vouchers. See how Medicaid transport works.
Everything else to try
| Route | What it offers |
|---|---|
| 2-1-1 | Local gas vouchers from Community Action Agencies, churches, St. Vincent de Paul and FISH ministries. Ask for gas vouchers by name |
| Your Community Action Agency | The most flexible funder available, and many run senior-specific programmes alongside LIHEAP |
| Hospital or dialysis social worker | Where the trip is medical, social workers hold patient-assistance gas cards |
| American Kidney Fund | $200 per 365 days for dialysis and transplant patients, listing transport to dialysis as a covered expense. Call 800-795-3226 |
| Veteran status | If you served, your County Veteran Service Officer and VA travel pay are usually better than anything above |
| ADRCs | Aging and Disability Resource Centers are the combined single entry point in many states |
One honest gap
Whether Area Agencies on Aging reimburse mileage to seniors who drive themselves, or reimburse their volunteer drivers’ fuel, varies locally and we could not confirm it nationally. Ask both questions explicitly — the answer differs from one county to the next and is rarely published.
Sources
- Eldercare Locator (eldercare.acl.gov) and its transportation data report, Administration for Community Living.
- Rural Health Information Hub aging and transportation toolkit.
- kidneyfund.org safety net grants.
Every figure on this page is taken from the programme's own published material or a government document. Where sources disagree or a figure could not be confirmed, we say so in the text rather than guessing. See how we verify.
Fastest route
If you need gas today, start with one phone call
2-1-1 is free, confidential and usually answered 24 hours a day by a trained specialist who can see which agencies near you still have funds this week. It is the single most useful number in this whole subject.
Ask for it by name: say “gas voucher” or “transportation assistance”, not “financial help”. Many agencies will not mention fuel unless you ask.
Or text your ZIP code to 898-211, or search 211.org. Free from any phone. Interpreters available.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Is there gas assistance for seniors?
Yes, though it usually arrives as a ride rather than fuel. Call the Eldercare Locator on 1-800-677-1116 to reach your Area Agency on Aging, which is funded under the Older Americans Act to provide transportation for people 60 and over through volunteer drivers, contracted rides and subsidised transit. Separately, call 2-1-1 and ask about gas vouchers from local charities, and check whether your Medicare Advantage plan includes a transportation benefit.
What is the Eldercare Locator?
It is the national referral service that connects older adults and their families to local aging services, including transportation. Call 1-800-677-1116 or search eldercare.acl.gov by ZIP code or city and state. It is free, and it is the fastest way to find the Area Agency on Aging that covers where you live.
Does Medicare pay for gas to medical appointments?
Original Medicare does not reimburse mileage for routine appointments. Many Medicare Advantage plans do include a transportation benefit — commonly a set number of one-way trips per year — and some include flexible spending cards. This varies by plan and county, so check your Evidence of Coverage or call member services and ask specifically about transportation. If you also have Medicaid, non-emergency medical transportation is a mandatory benefit worth pursuing.
Can a volunteer drive me to appointments for free?
Often yes. Area Agencies on Aging frequently run volunteer driver programmes, the American Cancer Society runs Road To Recovery for cancer-related appointments on 1-800-227-2345, and the DAV Transportation Network drives veterans to VA facilities. For someone who cannot afford fuel at all, a free ride is a better outcome than a gas card, so ask about these first.