How to best plan and prep for my visit to Mayo Jacksonville

I will call them Monday. I just checked hotel rate at Marriott next to Mayo and I'm in shock. It's $400 per night. This is insane. This is exactly why people who are not wealthy just wither away and die. Without money you can not afford to travel to Mayo, from gas prices. Hotel prices etc it's insane. Very sad.l situation

Joanne, I know hotel stays can be pricey. I’ve had to stay at a hotel for a total of over 6 months in my cancer journey. But I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be at one of the most highly regarded medical facilities in the world. The money I spent was well worth it. Without the care I received at the clinic I wouldn’t be alive today. So it becomes a matter of perspective. Remember, it is the rates the hotels are charging, not the clinic.

Talk to your insurance carrier, often lodging-some or all of it can be covered for a serious illness.
If you do need to return for further treatments, speak to someone in the hospital’s Social Services department. They will be able to provide various options for stays and can take into account your financial status to find affordable lodging.

You might try looking few miles away from the clinic for lodging. Hotels will definitely charge more the closer you are to Mayo. (Or any sought after destination). The further away, the prices would be less expensive and most hotels offer shuttle services so you don’t have to drive and find parking.

Here are few links which might help you in planning your trip.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/florida/travel-lodging-maps
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/lodging-in-jacksonville-fl/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-visitor-guide/florida
Have you tried looking a bit further away from the clinic?

swimbikerun @swimbikerun , how frustrating your journey must feel right now, keep moving forward.

Just a suggestion about clinic number. The clinic number is usually on every document you receive from Mayo. Re-look at appointment confirmation letter / email and look for number in following format: xx-xxx-xxx , all numbers. That is your clinic number.

Another suggestion, check your SPAM email folder just incase they sent you information and it ended up in SPAM folder.

Definitely call Mayo on Monday as Colleen suggested.

Good luck
Laurie M

I understand the cost can be frustrating. I had to fly to Rochester because Jacksonville could not do my surgery. So I do get it, most of us understand. Many times Mayo only sees the most complicated cases, so we all have had to go through expenses of care. It’s doesn’t seems fair but like @loribmt stated Mayo has saved our lives, like her I may not be here without them. I do now live in Jacksonville, as I recently moved there. There are a number of hotels within a short driving distance to the campus. When I was traveling here, because all my follow up care is done here in Jacksonville, I would drive here frequently, I would always stay a mile or so away and drive over, it was cheaper. There is free parking available at Mayo if you park outside the parking garage, and a shuttle to pick you up and take to the other buildings if needed. I would check with Mayo like suggested, for my initial appointments I received
All my information in the mail with my Mayo number and instructions on setting up my patient portal. After initial appointment everything just went straight to the portal. I have actually been to the Jacksonville campus 4 times over the last month and am returning Monday for more tests- it is very efficiently run and organized. Please call as suggested- and understand with Covid the system was just stretched beyond its limits and is finally recovering. Best wishes!

Thank you for that information. I am shocked that my appointment is about 1 week away and I have not received one darn thing in the mail from Mayo nor a phone call to explain to me the process or if I need to schedule my time to be there longer than just one day on my initial visit etc. Absolutely no communication. What a disgrace. When I call there they see I have an appointment and I ask them to look and they see some of my doctors have faxed in some of my medical information but that's only because I'm calling in there trying to make sure my doctors are faxing over to them what I want faxed there. I do not understand why I have not received anything from Mayo in the mail or even give me a patient portal number. I will look outside the perimeter of where Mayo is for cheaper hotels because the average Joe citizen like myself does not have even the gas money to get all the way up there from Southwest Florida and then have to have a hotel and pay for food. This is why I say only the people with a bank account with a good amount of money and it can afford to try to save their own life. What a disgrace. This is why you see very poor people just wither away and die because they don't have the money to have stuff like this done.

You can get an Airbnb which will be cheaper than hotel. If you need help let me know

Thank you so much. I'm hoping Mayo neurology is already looking over my faxed medical files so when I arrive March 9 that they are somewhat at least up to speed regarding my case.

There are many possibilities to stay for less money when at the Mayo. I was the last week for surgery, and had to stay for the preop, and post op visits. My adult daughter was with me, and I rented an Air Bn'B apartment. We had two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and a living area, and it was $60 per night. It was about 30 minutes car drive away from the Mayo.

Hey @swimbikerun how are you doing?

Good. Plans are complete.