Travel Stipend Program for Dental Care

Funding for transportation and lodging is available for eligible families who are financially burdened by traveling away from their home for dental care that can best be completed by an FOP dental expert or a dental expert who has collaborated closely with an FOP dental expert and/or FOP medical expert. 

How to apply:

Applications must be submitted by an individual with FOP or their caregiver. Please review the guidelines below before applying.

For questions and extenuating circumstances, please reach out to Family Services directly at [email protected] or +1 785-294-1607.

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Criteria to be met:

• Child or adult must have a confirmed FOP diagnosis
• Patient must have a scheduled dental procedure date 
• The dental procedure must be medically necessary OR have a medical benefit to the patient 
• Applications must be completed entirely before approval can be granted

Things to know before applying:

• Assistance is only available to be applied towards the cost of travel and lodging. Payment for services/procedures performed can not be covered with stipend funds.
• Expenses must be submitted for reimbursement within 30 days from the date of the procedure. Reimbursements will not be processed until after the date of procedure.
• Assistance is only available to travel to a hospital or dental office where there is a:
  • FOP dental expert to perform the procedure 
  • or a dentist has worked closely with an FOP dental expert and/or FOP medical expert
• Stipend funds are allocated for procedures which are medically necessary or which have a medical benefit to the patient. Orthodontics will be considered on a case-by-case basis and may not be funded if they are purely for cosmetic reasons. 
• The IFOPA provides up to $1,500 to cover travel and lodging assistance, as long as all eligibility criteria are met.
• Travel assistance is intended for the patient and one caregiver to get to treatment.
• Payment may be processed in one of four ways:
  • Applicants may request for the IFOPA to pay travel and lodging charges directly
  • Applicants may request reimbursements after the surgery date.
  • Applicants may partner with a national organization in their country to pay for travel and lodging costs and the IFOPA may reimburse that national organization for those costs after the surgery date
  • Applicants may partner with an individual who is willing to pay for travel and lodging cost and the IFOPA will reimburse that individual for those costs after the surgery date
• Please provide as much lead time on travel dates as possible.
• You can expect to hear back from us regarding your application within 2 business days.

Lodging Requests

• Lodging reimbursement may be applied to all nights that the family is required to stay for follow-up appointments immediately following the dental procedure.
• Lodging will be reimbursed up to $150/night
• Charity lodging (such as Ronald McDonald House) must be accessed first for children under the age of 18, unless there are mitigating circumstances. (Please note: The IFOPA does not cover donations to Ronald McDonald House per their website’s statement: “The RMHC Global Policy is that families are never turned away; if it’s not possible to pay, the fee is waived.”). We prefer that all families with children under the age of 18 apply directly to Ronald McDonald House for charity lodging. If this option is not feasible for your child due to health concerns, please note that in your application.
• If the applicant requests the IFOPA pay the vendor directly, and the procedure is taking place in Philadelphia, one of the two following recommendations for lodging will be used.

• • DoubleTree Hilton - Address: 237 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Phone: +1 215-893-1600
  • Best Western Hotel - Address: 235 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106 Phone: +1 215-922-4443

Airfare Requests

• If necessary, the IFOPA may book airfare, train or bus travel for the patient and one caregiver.
• Please be sure to indicate in your application if there are special accommodations needed for the patient while traveling (i.e. accessible transportation, wheelchair assistance, etc).

Mileage  Requests

• Mileage assistance is approved based solely on mileage for driving the patient to/from the hospital
• Mileage is reimbursed at the IRS standard mileage reimbursement rate for 2020 which is 57 cents/mile

OR

• You may choose to reimburse only for gas (with receipts)

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