Ontario

The Ontario Health Insurance Plan: What OHIP covers

Ontario Public Drug Programs: Ontario Drug Benefit Program: You will qualify for the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) program when you turn 65 years old. You can qualify before you reach that age because you’re:

• • Living in a long-term care home, home for special care, community home for opportunity 
  • 24 years of age or younger and not covered by a private insurance plan
  • Receiving professional home and community care services
  • Receiving benefits from Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program
  • Enrolled in the trillium drug program 

The ODB is for Ontario residents only and prescriptions must be filled in an Ontario pharmacy to be covered. You must ensure your Ontario health card is valid. The Ontario Drug Benefit program covers most of the cost of approximately 5,000 prescription drug products. For more information, click here.

The Trillium Drug Program: The trillium drug program (TDP) is an annual provincial government program for Ontario residents with a valid Ontario health card who spend a large portion of their income on prescription medications. The TDP is not designed to replace private insurance plans or drug benefits provided by the government of Ontario, including Ontario Works, Workplace Safety and Insurance Benefits (WSIB), Home Care, Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) benefits. You are able to apply to the program if you have no private drug insurance coverage or in the case where your drug costs are only partially covered by your private insurer.

Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre – Patient Assistance Program (London, Ontario area only) If you are undergoing treatment within the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre and its affiliated regional sites you may be eligible to apply for financial assistance. Funding is available for emergency, short-term situations when funding from other sources and services is not available. The funding can be used for various expenses such as wigs, prostheses and bras, child care during treatment, and supportive medications to treat symptoms related to treatment.

Ontario Works: Ontario works offers assistance to people in temporary financial need, through providing funds to cover living expenses and help finding employment.

Emergency assistance: This program helps to provide basic needs like food and housing for individuals in emergency situations and are not already receiving support from Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program.

Low-income workers tax credit: This tax credit is for individuals earning a low income, including those who earn minimum wage. It can be used to reduce or eliminate your Ontario personal income tax.

Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income Support (GAINS): This program provides eligible low income Ontario seniors with a monthly non taxable payment.

Northern Health Travel Grant Program: The Northern Health Travel Grant (NHTG) program offers financial support to Northern Ontario residents who have to travel long distances for specialized medical services or procedures at a ministry-funded health care facility. For eligible applicants, travel grants are based on the distance you need to travel to reach the nearest medical specialist or ministry funded health care facility that can provide the needed health care services without delay. To qualify, you need to have traveled at least 100 kilometers (km) one-way to access the closest medical specialist or ministry-funded health care facility services that are not available locally and you need to submit your NHTG application to the Ministry of Health (MOH) within 12 months of the date of treatment. For more information about the Northern Health Travel Grant Program, click here.

Transportation – Hamilton: The Cancer Assistance Program’s Drive & Ride program provides residents of the Greater Hamilton Area a safe ride with door-to-door service to and from all cancer-related appointments. CAP volunteers have been screened and trained. You will either be transported in a CAP van or a volunteer driver’s personal vehicle.

Parking: The Cancer Assistance Program provides limited parking spaces in a private lot at Sacred Heart Parish Centre within walking distance to the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton. You are required to obtain your own personal parking permit from the CAP office and call to reserve your spot before each appointment.

Feed Ontario: The province’s largest collective of hunger-relief organizations. Using this link, you can find your nearest Feed Ontario member food bank by searching with your postal code or address.

Ontario Disability Support Program: The ODSP provides financial help for people with disabilities. It can offer money to help with living expenses, and it can offer health benefits and employment support.

To qualify for ODSP income support, you must

• be in financial need
• be at least 18 years of age 
• be an Ontario resident
• have assets no greater than the limits set out in the program
• meet the program’s definition of a person with a disability or be a member of a prescribed class.

For more information, click here. To apply, click here.  

ODSP also provides benefits that can help with various types of costs, including health, dental, vision, assistive devices and other expenses related to disability or medical conditions. For more information, click here.

The Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario offers financial support to families with a child undergoing cancer treatment. They can provide assistance with some of the costs of accommodation, food, and child care.

Hayden’s Hope Foundation (assist pediatric oncology families in SW Ontario requiring financial support for travel costs and mental health): Hayden Hope’s Foundation is now accepting applications from pediatric oncology families in Southwestern Ontario requiring financial support. There are two categories of funding available:

Family travel supports:

• This program funds pediatric oncology families living in Southwestern Ontario who are travelling away from their home hospital for CAR T-cell therapy or bone marrow transplant. It also funds pediatric oncology families living in Southwestern Ontario who show a one-time exceptional need.
• Funds covered include costs associated with living away from home up to $1,000 annually (e.g. Ronald MacDonald House, hotel, groceries, parking food vouchers) and access to volunteers to run errands in London, Toronto, Windsor and Mount Forest (e.g. grocery pick-up)

Mental health support for parents/caregivers: 

• This funds pediatric oncology parents and caregivers living in Southwestern Ontario accessing mental health and wellness supports. $500 is available per eligible family per year.  
• Funds covered are meant for mental health supports including psychologists and clinical counselling, general health and wellness costs including physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, gym membership, etc.
• For information on how to apply for either category of funding, click here.

Jennifer Ashleigh Children’s Charity:  Jennifer Ashleigh Children’s Charity works closely with hospitals and rehabilitative centers across Ontario to identify, screen and support families whose lives have been turned upside down following a critical medical event that has occurred with their child. They can help with accommodation costs, transportation expenses, essential housing support (rent/utilities), meal support, prescription medications not covered by OHIP or extended health benefits, disposable medical supplies not covered by government programs or insurance, specialized equipment, assessment and session fees for rehabilitative therapy, sibling childcare, and 1:1 respite care. For more information, including on qualifying criteria, and application requirements, click here. 

Financial Support — Childcan: After receiving a childhood cancer diagnosis, a family will be referred to Childcan by Children’s Hospital or the Paediatric Oncology Satellite Clinic. This allows support to begin right away. A package of information and resources is given to each newly diagnosed family. The packages include:

• A detailed explanation of all programs and support services offered by Childcan;
• A Children’s Hospital parking pass to cover parking costs for the entire time their child is on active treatment;
• Gas, restaurant, or other gift cards to help with immediate costs of treatment; and
• Information about other available support resources

Childcan has four programs to provide support, including a parking program, a family meal voucher program, a family financial assistance program, and a treatment-related travel program. Families can self-refer but please note that the services Childcan provides are for families who have been diagnosed and/or are being treated at Children’s Hospital, LHSC and/or Windsor’s satellite clinic.

For more information, click here.

The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) provides programs to assist with energy bills:

• Low-income energy assistance program: If you are experiencing challenges paying your electricity or natural gas bill, you may be able to receive support through the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP).
• Ontario Electricity Support Program: The Ontario Electricity Support Program is designed to lower electricity bills for low-income households.

The Assistive Devices Program (ADP) assists people with long-term physical disabilities pay for customized equipment, including compression garments & lymphedema pumps, and prosthetic breasts. For more information, including on whether you qualify, how to apply and how much is covered, click here.

Through the ADP, the Ontario government helps cover the cost of compression garments and sleeves for chronic lymphedema, and extremity pumps for treating primary lymphedema. If you qualify and your application is approved, the ADP will pay 75% of the cost of your devices directly to the business that sold you the garments or pump. You are required to pay the remaining 25% of the cost directly to the business. For more information, including on whether you qualify, and how to apply, click here. 

Prosthesis: Through the ADP, the Ontario government helps cover the cost of external silicone breast prosthetics for persons who have 1 or more totally or partially absent breasts due to either of the following

• A mastectomy (removal of an entire breast) or lumpectomy (removal of part of a breast) on 1 or both breasts 
• A failed reconstructive surgery of 1 or both breasts after a mastectomy/lumpectomy 

If you meet the qualification criteria, and your application is approved, you will receive a grant of $195 per side for full-breast prosthetics; or $105 per side for particle-breast prosthetics. If you receive social assistance through either Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Program, and Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities, you are able to receive up to $260 per side for full-breast prosthetics, and $140 per side for partial-breast prosthetics. For information on qualification criteria, and how to apply, click here. 

Click here for information on repairs and replacement within the Assistive Devices Program.

Other Programs for Assistive Devices: If you are unable to afford to pay your share of the cost, you can contact the following volunteer and charity organizations about additional financial assistance:

• Easter Seals Ontario
• March of Dimes Canada
• The War Amps
• Lions Clubs

Money Matters by Wellspring Cancer Support is a case management program that offers assistance to people with cancer and their family members with information and resources about various financial topics.

Provincial Drug Reimbursement Programs (PDRP):  The PDRP administers funding programs for cancer drugs and services, which help patients access novel therapies that may have a significant benefit on prolonging life or improving quality of life.