Disability and medical grants pay a provider for one specific cost tied to a diagnosis: a prescription copay, an insurance premium, a wheelchair, speech therapy, a child's medical bill. The money almost always goes to the pharmacy, insurer, therapist or equipment vendor rather than to you, and nearly every program asks for a diagnosis confirmed by your doctor plus income documentation, usually your latest tax return. The copay charities (HealthWell, TotalAssist, The Assistance Fund, Good Days, CancerCare and Blood Cancer United) run separate disease funds with income limits between 300% and 600% of the federal poverty level. Each disease fund opens when donors fill it and closes when the money runs out, so sign up for a closed fund's reopening alert. Approvals usually last 12 months or the calendar year. Equipment and therapy grants are smaller, mostly $500 to $5,000, and several run fixed rounds; a few states also pay families of children with disabilities directly. The common mistake is buying first: these equipment and therapy grants pay for future purchases, not what you already bought.
HealthWell Foundation Disease Funds (copay and premium assistance)
HealthWell Foundation
Varies — check official page (the amount is set by each disease fund; your approval letter states the grant amount for a rolling 12-month period)
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: HealthWell pays through a pharmacy card at the counter or by check to your pharmacy, physician or insurer, or reimburses you for costs you already paid; its premium help is limited to Medicare Part B. You must use the grant at least once every four months to keep it active, every patient is subject to a random audit, and coverage is limited to the disease and medications on that fund's list.
Next deadline: Varies by disease fund — check which funds are open · Rolling; disease funds open and close as money allows, new funds open every year, and each grant covers a rolling 12 months before you reapply
Applicant tip: Call your drug's manufacturer first: HealthWell itself says manufacturer programs often pay more than nonprofit funds for commercially insured patients. If your disease fund is closed, sign up for its email or text alert so you can apply the day it reopens.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- Insured patients (private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE that covers part of the treatment) being treated in the U.S. for a disease with an open HealthWell fund, taking a medication on that fund's list, with household income up to 300% to 500% of the federal poverty level depending on the fund, adjusted for the cost of living where you live.
- How to apply
- Direct application: online through HealthWell's patient portal or by phone at (800) 675-8416, weekdays 9 a.m.–5 p.m. ET, with an instant decision. Pharmacies, providers and social workers apply through their own portals.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
TotalAssist (Patient Advocate Foundation; combines the former PAN Foundation and PAF Co-Pay Relief funds)
Patient Advocate Foundation
Varies — check official page (each fund page lists a guaranteed award and a higher maximum for the 12-month grant period)
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: TotalAssist pays your provider or pharmacy directly, or reimburses you by check or direct deposit for eligible costs already paid, with a six-month look-back before approval. You forfeit the award if no claim is processed for 120 days, income is checked through a third-party service, and the treatment-expense coverage does not include labs, scans, radiation or surgery.
Next deadline: Varies by disease fund — check which funds are open · Rolling; funds open and close as money allows, applications are first-come, first-served, and each grant runs 12 months from approval
Applicant tip: If you had a PAN Foundation or PAF Co-Pay Relief grant, manage it at TotalAssist.org now; PAN's site tells current grantees and new applicants to go there. For a closed fund, sign up on its page to be notified when it reopens.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- Patients with a covered diagnosis (nearly 150 conditions) confirmed by their care team, household income at or below 500% of the federal poverty level adjusted for local cost of living (300% for the obesity fund), and active insurance that covers the medication (some funds require Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE; the transportation fund requires none), who are legal residents of and treated in the U.S. or a U.S. territory.
- How to apply
- Direct application: check eligibility and apply online at TotalAssist.org for an instant decision; support specialists help by phone at 866-512-3861 (weekdays 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. ET), and pharmacies and providers can apply for you.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
- Who wins
- Patient Advocate Foundation reports 3.8 million patients served and $7 billion in financial assistance across the merged organization.
The Assistance Fund (TAF) Disease Programs
The Assistance Fund
Varies — check official page (most programs have no cap for the calendar year; a few grant-based programs pay a fixed amount set by the program)
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: Assistance ends December 31 and you must reapply through reenrollment each year; reimbursement claims are due by March 31 of the following year. TAF verifies income with a soft credit inquiry, and if a government benefit later pays retroactively for costs TAF covered, you must repay TAF.
Next deadline: Varies by disease program — check which programs are open · Rolling while a program is open (waitlists when closed); assistance runs on the calendar year, with reenrollment for the next year in November and December
Applicant tip: TAF announces reenrollment dates each October and splits programs into two groups with different windows, so check its reenrollment page in October if you need help to continue in January. TAF's programs are free to apply for, and it warns you should never pay a fee to apply to a charitable patient assistance organization.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- U.S. citizens or permanent residents with government or private health insurance, diagnosed with a disease that has a TAF program (over 100), with a prescription for an FDA-approved treatment the insurance covers, who meet the program's income requirement and are not already receiving help from another independent charitable patient assistance organization.
- How to apply
- Direct application: check eligibility and apply online at tafcares.org or call (855) 845-3663, weekdays 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. ET; if a program is not taking new applications, join its waitlist.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
Good Days Copay, Premium and Travel Assistance
Good Days
Varies — check official page (assistance for the rest of the calendar year or until the disease fund is exhausted)
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: Good Days begins assistance only after funding is awarded and will not reimburse medication bought before then. Approvals are first-come, first-served, household income is estimated with a soft credit inquiry, and help stops if the fund runs out during the year.
Next deadline: Varies by disease fund — check which funds are open · Rolling while a fund is open; approvals run for the calendar year, with annual re-enrollment for the next year
Applicant tip: Patients approved October through December are enrolled automatically for the next calendar year (funding still not guaranteed); everyone approved earlier must re-apply, and re-enrollment for 2027 assistance is open now. If your fund is closed, the paper application adds your email to the list notified when it reopens.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- Patients with a valid Social Security number, treated in the U.S., with household income at or below 500% of the federal poverty level, insurance that covers at least 50% of the treatment cost, a diagnosis covered by a currently funded Good Days program, and a prescription for an FDA-approved medication for that diagnosis.
- How to apply
- Direct application: online at mygooddays.org with an immediate eligibility decision, or by email, fax or mail with the paper enrollment form; Care Navigators answer at (877) 968-7233.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation
CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation (CancerCare)
Varies — check official page (each fund sets an initial grant based on average 12-month use; you can request more up to the fund's cap)
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: Covers copays, coinsurance and deductibles for chemotherapy or targeted-treatment drugs only, not scans, radiation, lab work or insurance premiums, and claims are paid to your healthcare providers. Retroactive help reaches back only 60 days before approval, and a grant with no activity for 120 days is cancelled.
Next deadline: Varies by disease fund — check which funds are open · Rolling; funds open and close as money allows (no waitlist), and enrollment lasts up to one year from approval
Applicant tip: There is no waitlist, so register on a closed fund's page for the email that says it has reopened. If you are uninsured, the foundation cannot help, but its co-payment specialists will refer you to drug-company and state prescription programs.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- Insured U.S. citizens or legal residents living in the U.S. or its territories, with a cancer diagnosis covered by an open fund, adjusted gross income up to five times the federal poverty level, and insurance that meets the fund's rules (some funds take only Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE).
- How to apply
- Direct application: enroll online or by phone at 866-552-6729 for same-day approval; your treating physician must verify the diagnosis within 90 days of the grant start date.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
Blood Cancer United Co-Pay Assistance Program (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)
Blood Cancer United (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)
$2,400 to $10,000 per grant year, set by disease fund (for example $4,000 for acute myeloid leukemia, $8,500 for Hodgkin lymphoma, $10,000 for myeloma and graft-vs-host disease, $2,400 from the insurance-premium fund)
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: Blood Cancer United pays your provider directly or reimburses you for covered premiums, copays, coinsurance and deductibles, and you must submit a claim at least every 90 days to keep the account active. There is no waitlist. The organization says charity assistance for personal needs generally is not subject to federal income tax.
Next deadline: Varies by disease fund — check which funds are open · Rolling; a fund marked 'Soliciting Funding' is full and takes no new or renewal patients, and you may be enrolled in only one co-pay fund per grant year
Applicant tip: Blood Cancer United is adding new acute myeloid leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia co-pay funds in January 2027 that accept only Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE. For rent, utilities or food during treatment, ask your care team about its $500 Urgent Need grant, which only healthcare professionals can submit.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- U.S. citizens or permanent residents living in the U.S. or a U.S. territory, with medical insurance, a doctor-confirmed blood cancer diagnosis, in treatment, surveillance or palliative care, and household income at or below 600% of the federal poverty level adjusted for local cost of living; each fund lists the insurance types it accepts.
- How to apply
- Direct application: by phone at (877) 557-2672 (weekdays 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. ET) or through the online portal, open 24/7; caregivers, pharmacies and providers can apply for the patient.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
American Kidney Fund Health Insurance Premium Program (HIPP)
American Kidney Fund
Varies — check official page (pays the premium on health coverage you already have; no fixed amount published)
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: AKF pays by check to your insurer, COBRA administrator or employer, or by check, direct deposit or debit card to you, and no payment goes out sooner than 45 days before the coverage period starts. AKF does not help you choose a plan, and HIPP is limited to people with ESRD plus recent transplant patients who had HIPP help for the three months before transplant.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling; grant requests are reviewed first-come, first-served as donor funding allows, and patient profiles are recertified every year
Applicant tip: Bring an insurance bill dated within the last 90 days to your dialysis social worker before applying, along with the signed HIPP consent form; missing documents are what slow approval. AKF's separate Safety Net grant, $200 a year in most states, can cover dialysis transportation, over-the-counter medicine and copays.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- People with kidney failure (end-stage renal disease) who live in and receive dialysis in the U.S. or its territories, already have health coverage, have checked Medicaid and other premium help, and cannot afford the premium: household income no more than 500% of the federal poverty level and liquid assets, not counting retirement accounts, no more than $30,000. Enrollment in LIHEAP, TANF, HUD housing assistance or SNAP makes you automatically eligible.
- How to apply
- Direct application: create a patient profile in AKF's online Grants Management System (gms.kidneyfund.org) yourself, through your dialysis social worker or with an authorized family caregiver, then submit a grant request once AKF verifies the profile.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
- Who wins
- AKF's 2025 HIPP guidelines say the program helps tens of thousands of kidney patients each year in all 50 states, D.C. and the U.S. territories.
Leukemia Research Foundation Patient Grant Program
Leukemia Research Foundation
Up to $1,500, one time
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: It is a one-time grant: recipients cannot apply again in later years. You need a physician or nurse letter confirming the diagnosis and active treatment, physically signed and dated January 2025 or later, plus your latest tax return, and LRF may ask for three months of bank statements or an interview. LRF's Form 990 says the grant can go toward any expense, from medical bills to rent and food.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling
Applicant tip: Apply online if you can: LRF processes online applications in about two weeks versus four to five weeks for paper. Have the signed physician letter and tax return ready to upload before you start, since those are the two required documents.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- People with leukemia or MDS in active treatment who live in Illinois or within 100 miles of Chicago, with household income no more than 400% of the federal poverty level, who have not received the grant before.
- How to apply
- Direct application: online through the ProposalCentral portal (reviewed in about two weeks), or on a paper form requested by email and mailed back (four to five weeks).
- How it pays fit
- cash to you
- Equity taken
- None
- Who wins
- 100 grants of up to $1,500 in fiscal 2025 and 85 in fiscal 2024 (Leukemia Research Foundation Form 990s).
Kelly Brush Foundation Active Fund
Kelly Brush Foundation
No set minimum or maximum; the average grant is about $3,500 and grants rarely exceed $5,000; $500 'Try It First' grants
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: KBF pays reputable adaptive-sports equipment vendors directly; it never pays you or reimburses equipment already bought. Only adaptive sports and recreation equipment qualifies, not everyday wheelchairs, indoor exercise machines or accessory upgrades, recipients wait two years before applying again, and late or incomplete applications are not accepted.
Next deadline: Expected: March 2027 · Two rounds a year: spring (deadline in mid-March) and fall (deadline in September)
Applicant tip: Request the physician letter documenting paralysis well before the deadline; KBF says it can take a couple of weeks to get. The grant committee weighs first-hand experience with the equipment heavily, so try it at an adaptive sports program before you apply.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- U.S. residents of any age with paralysis caused by an acquired spinal cord injury (spina bifida, cerebral palsy, MS, ALS and other conditions are not eligible); KBF says there is no income limit, though financial documentation is required.
- How to apply
- Direct application: online through KBF's application portal during a cycle, with a physician letter documenting paralysis, two vendor quotes, financial documentation and one personal recommendation.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
- Who wins
- Spring 2026: 141 people in 40 states received over $420,000 (112 equipment grants and 29 Try It First grants); the fall 2026 cycle drew 132 applications asking for over $1.2 million.
Challenged Athletes Foundation Annual Grant Program
Challenged Athletes Foundation
Up to $1,500 for sport expenses; up to $3,500 toward equipment you buy; or the baseline cost of adaptive equipment ordered through CAF's preferred vendors
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: Equipment from CAF's preferred vendors is billed to CAF; sport-expense money is sent to you after acceptance, and you must upload receipts by January 31 of the following year. You may apply for only one grant type per cycle, and after an equipment award you wait three years (under 18) or five years (18 and over) to apply for equipment again.
Next deadline: Nov 13, 2026 · Annual: applications open in late September and close in mid-November; awards announced in March
Applicant tip: The 2026–27 window closes November 13, 2026 at 5 p.m. PT, and first-time applicants cannot apply until their medical verification is uploaded to the portal, so do that first. Veterans and first responders can use CAF's year-round Operation Rebound program instead; you can hold only one main CAF grant a year.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- People of any age and skill level with a permanent physical disability that affects mobility, neuromuscular function, balance or motor control, with medical verification. Equipment grants are for U.S. residents only; sport-expense grants are also open internationally. Hearing, cognitive, developmental and chronic-pain conditions do not qualify, and financial need is considered.
- How to apply
- Direct application: through the CAF Grant Portal during the annual window, with medical verification (first-time applicants), one year of financial documentation and one or two recommendation letters depending on the grant type.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor, cash to you
- Equity taken
- None
Thomas E. Smith Foundation Stronger Together Grant
Thomas E. Smith Foundation
Varies — check official page (no amount published; paid against a vendor quote)
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: Grant money is paid directly to therapy facilities, vendors or equipment suppliers, never to you, and TESF will not reimburse costs already paid, pay existing debt or fund used equipment. Home modifications require that you own the home, and vehicle modifications that you own the vehicle.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling
Applicant tip: Answer TESF's scheduling email within two weeks; applications that do not respond in time are closed. An application without a vendor quote cannot be reviewed, so get the quote before you start the form.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- People of any age living in the United States with paralysis due to a spinal cord injury, who can document financial need and have not received TESF funding in the past 12 months.
- How to apply
- Direct application: complete the six-step online form on TESF's grant page with at least one vendor estimate or quote; if the application advances, TESF sends a scheduling email.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
MDA Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Grant Program
Muscular Dystrophy Association
Up to $1,000 per person per calendar year
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: MDA pays the vendor directly, never you, and will not pay for anything already purchased or ordered; payment can take up to 45 days to reach the vendor. For items that cost more than the award, the rest of the money must be secured before MDA pays, and permanent home modifications, consumables, hearing aids and vehicle purchases are not covered.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling; one application per calendar year
Applicant tip: Apply before you order: MDA cannot process urgent requests, so allow for review plus up to 45 days for payment. If the item costs more than $1,000, ask an MDA specialist to help you find community funding for the balance, since MDA pays only once full funding is in place.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents diagnosed by a physician with a neuromuscular disease covered by MDA, who are MDA members; membership is free and is part of the application.
- How to apply
- Direct application: online form (about ten minutes) with a vendor quote or unpaid invoice; a vendor W9 and a letter of medical necessity speed review. MDA specialists contact applicants in the order applications arrive.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Medical Grants
UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation
Up to $5,000 per child in a 12-month period; $10,000 lifetime maximum per child
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: UHCCF pays the provider directly or reimburses the family with proof the provider was paid, and only for costs from 90 days before your application is complete through one year after approval. You need your insurer's explanation of benefits for each service, losing commercial coverage closes the grant, and most dental, school, travel, home-modification and vehicle costs are excluded.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling; regional boards review applications every month
Applicant tip: Apply as soon as the treatment is scheduled: services more than 90 days before the date UHCCF deems your application complete will not be considered. Families awarded less than $5,000 can reapply once those funds are used up.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- Children 16 or younger with a Social Security number whose primary insurance is a commercial health plan (Medicaid or CHIP only as secondary), treated in the U.S. (not Puerto Rico or other territories), in families with adjusted gross income at or below $65,000 (family of 2), $100,000 (3), $135,000 (4) or $170,000 (5 or more). The child does not need UnitedHealthcare coverage.
- How to apply
- Direct application: the parent who claims the child as a dependent applies online with the current federal 1040, both sides of the insurance card and a signed UHCCF medical form; three regional boards review complete applications monthly.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
- Who wins
- A record 4,146 medical grants totaling more than $7 million in 2025 (UHCCF 2025 annual report).
First Hand Foundation Pediatric Medical Grants
First Hand Foundation
Varies — check official page (one grant per child every 12 months; no cap published)
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: No payment goes to the family: clinical and equipment grants are paid to the provider or company on the quote, and travel grants are made out to the parent but mailed to the social worker. Funding is for future care only, not past bills or reimbursement, and unused money must be returned.
Next deadline: Nov 15, 2026 · Monthly: applications close at 11:59 p.m. CST on the 15th and reopen on the 16th, with decisions by the end of the month
Applicant tip: Ask the provider for a quote that shows the original price and a discounted price; First Hand says a quote without a discount may delay or disqualify the request. Foster parents do not need to submit income verification.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- Children 18 or younger under the care of a licensed medical provider, with a clinically relevant need that insurance does not cover, in households with income of $65,000 or less for one child, plus $15,000 per additional child, up to $125,000.
- How to apply
- Direct application: online through First Hand's GrantsConnect portal, with a provider certification of medical necessity, the first page of your latest tax return or W-2, a discounted quote naming the payee and an insurance denial letter.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
Autism Care Today Grant Program
Autism Care Today
Up to $5,000 (typical awards $100–$5,000)
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: Grants are paid directly to pre-approved treatment providers, assessors or vendors, and providers have 12 months to use the funds. If a school district, insurer or other source later pays for the same service, you must repay ACT, and it does not fund transportation, hyperbaric oxygen or personal needs such as rent.
Next deadline: Next window not yet posted — check the apply page · Application windows posted on the apply page; ACT describes its funding as quarterly, and the most recent window ran September 15 to October 15, 2026
Applicant tip: Upload a provider invoice or price sheet for the exact item; ACT pays providers directly and checks that the request matches the cost. Families earning under $45,000 whose child's safety is at immediate risk can use the SOS fund instead of waiting up to 12 weeks for a regular decision.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- U.S. families of a child or individual with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis; there is no income cap, but households earning under $100,000 a year and families with more than one child with autism are reviewed first.
- How to apply
- Direct application: online during an open window, one requested item per application and one application per child, with provider documentation of the cost; the SOS fund takes urgent safety requests by email at any time.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
- Who wins
- More than $1.85 million to more than 1,562 families since 2005 (Autism Care Today).
Small Steps in Speech Grants for Individuals
Small Steps in Speech
Varies — check official page (no amount published; funds speech therapy, therapeutic summer camps, or communication devices and apps)
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: Money goes to the licensed, ASHA-certified therapist or vendor under a contract, with progress notes and invoices every three months. Grants cover future therapy only, not ABA therapy, iPads or past expenses, and once you have received and used a grant you cannot apply again.
Next deadline:
Expected: February 2027 · Four deadlines a year: February 1, May 1, August 1 and November 1 ·
Set an alert ↗Applicant tip: Incomplete applications are not considered, so include the child's insurance information even if the therapy is not covered; grants for the November 1 deadline begin January 21. Requests for a communication device or app need a formal AAC evaluation showing other devices were trialed.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- U.S. citizens living in the U.S., ages 3 to 22 (at least 3 by the deadline), with a speech or language disorder, in families with joint household income up to $125,000.
- How to apply
- Direct application: download the PDF application and send it by email, fax or mail (postmarked by the deadline) with all supporting documents, including insurance information; a parent, guardian or speech-language pathologist can apply.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
Chive Charities Grants (rare medical diagnoses, veterans and first responders)
Chive Charities
Varies — check official page (items funded depend on the recipient's needs and Chive Charities' budget)
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: Each person can apply only once. Chive Charities provides the approved items, such as mobility, therapy or medical equipment or a service dog, and does not cover past-due medical bills, rent, car payments, funeral costs or lost income. Recipients' stories are shared across Chive's network to raise awareness.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling; grants awarded weekly
Applicant tip: Because you can apply only once, list every item you need with a quote and a line on how it helps, and make sure the medical professional's letter supports each item.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- People in the United States with a rare medical diagnosis (checked against the NORD and GARD databases), plus veterans, military families and first responders with life-altering medical needs. Applicants with income above $100,000, or who have already fundraised more than $30,000, may be ineligible.
- How to apply
- Direct application: create a recipient account and complete the online application with income documents (1040 or SSA-1099), photo ID, item quotes, a medical professional's letter and photos; you may apply for yourself, a family member or someone in your guardianship.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
- Who wins
- Rare-medical grants described in 2026 recipient stories ranged from $1,739 in homeschooling supplies to $5,500 for a mobility scooter and cooling mattress.
The Bonnell Foundation Molly and Emily Bonnell Medical Assistance Program
The Bonnell Foundation: Living with Cystic Fibrosis
Up to $500 once a year ($250 a year for nutritional supplements)
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: Payment goes only to the provider, never to you, for CF-related durable medical equipment, counseling, doctor, urgent care or ER visits, some ambulance costs and CF medications; rent, utilities, car costs and lost wages are not covered. Recipients are asked to share a photo, letter or video, with the last name optional.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling; one medical assistance grant a year
Applicant tip: If you are listed for an organ transplant, apply separately for the Bonnell Organ Transplant Grant, up to $3,000 lifetime for relocation, lodging, equipment and transplant prescriptions, from listing until one year after transplant. Dental work may be covered through a limited Delta Dental grant.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- People with cystic fibrosis, confirmed by a letter on CF clinic letterhead that names the social worker; requests are reviewed case by case, and the foundation says it does not discriminate based on financial status.
- How to apply
- Direct application: online only (no mail-in), with the CF diagnosis letter and the full medical bill you want paid; you must authorize your social worker to confirm the diagnosis.
- How it pays fit
- paid to a provider or creditor
- Equity taken
- None
Minnesota Family Support Grant (FSG)
Minnesota Department of Human Services (through county agencies and tribal nations)
Up to $3,113.99 per eligible child per calendar year
GrantEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: The county pays as cash, a voucher or a direct payment to a vendor, and the money may only cover costs above normal child-rearing that are directly caused by the disability and not covered by private insurance or Medical Assistance. Counties can keep waiting lists, and some ask you to keep receipts for three years.
Next deadline: Rolling — apply through your county · Rolling through your county; grants run on a calendar year and renew each year while the child stays eligible
Applicant tip: Submit a budget with the application; Goodhue County, for example, will not process an application without one and rolls applications received after November 1 into the next year's funding. New grant allocations are aimed at transition-related activities for dependents ages 14 to 24.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- Minnesota families of a child under 25 with a certified disability who lives in the family's biological or adoptive home (or would return home from a licensed residential facility), with adjusted gross income of $130,807 or less (DHS's figure as of January 1, 2025; exceptions for extreme hardship). Children on the BI, CAC, CADI or DD waivers, a Consumer Support Grant or PCA services cannot receive it at the same time.
- How to apply
- Through an agency: apply to your county social service agency or tribal nation, which sets the grant amount from your family's needs.
- How it pays fit
- cash to you, paid to a provider or creditor, benefit, voucher or credit
- Equity taken
- None
Michigan Family Support Subsidy Program
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (through Community Mental Health Services Programs)
$300.36 a month
OtherEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: The family decides how to spend the money on the child's disability-related needs and must state at least once a year that it was used that way. Payment starts the month after the CMHSP receives a complete application; MDHHS's annual program report says the subsidy is not taxable. Families who take it cannot also be reimbursed through the Medical Subsidy Program for Adoptive Children.
Next deadline: Rolling · Rolling; paid monthly and renewed every year in the child's birth month
Applicant tip: Ask your child's school to send or fax proof of the educational eligibility category directly to the CMHSP; for autism, the proof must also show the child's special-education program. Applications are accepted at any time.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- Michigan families (birth parents, adoptive parents or legal guardians) of a child under 18 whose public school has identified a severe cognitive impairment, severe multiple impairment, or autism spectrum disorder with qualifying special-education programming, and whose Michigan taxable income is $60,000 or less.
- How to apply
- Through an agency: ask your local Community Mental Health Services Program for its Family Support Subsidy coordinator and application, or call MDHHS at (517) 241-5774.
- How it pays fit
- cash to you
- Equity taken
- None
Maryland Attendant Care Plus Program (formerly the Attendant Care Program)
Maryland Department of Disabilities
Varies — check official page (reimbursement set on a sliding scale by income and household size; you pay at least 2% or 5% of attendant-care costs)
OtherEquity-freeperson with a disability or illness
The catch: It is a reimbursement: you hire and pay your own attendants, then submit timesheets and receipts and are repaid a share of the cost by check or direct deposit. Since July 1, 2025 it can also reimburse ongoing additional supports such as transportation, durable medical equipment, assistive technology and service-animal costs.
Next deadline: Rolling (waiting list) · Rolling waiting list; full application when a spot opens, with reimbursements issued on a monthly payment schedule
Applicant tip: Get on the OneStop registry now even if you can manage today, because the full application only comes when a spot opens. Use the program's timesheet and cash-payment receipt forms for every attendant you pay, since reimbursement depends on that paperwork.
Eligibility, how to apply, past winners
- Eligibility
- Maryland adults 18 to 64 with a severe chronic or permanent physical disability who need attendant care and are working or self-employed, looking for work, in college, trade school or an apprenticeship, moving out of a nursing home, or certified by a doctor as at risk of nursing-home placement.
- How to apply
- Through your state: register on Maryland's OneStop portal, choose the Maryland Department of Disabilities and submit the short form to join the waiting list; an email link to the full application arrives when a spot opens.
- How it pays fit
- cash to you
- Equity taken
- None
- Who wins
- Fiscal 2025: 110 people served, 14 on the waiting list and 282 on the registry (Maryland State Disabilities Plan).
