Ontario

The Ontario Health Insurance Plan: What OHIP covers

Get coverage for prescription drugs: Ontario Drug Benefit Program: You may  be eligible for the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) program when you reach 65 years of age. You can qualify before you reach that age because you’re:

• • Living in a long-term care home or a community home for opportunity 
  • 24 years old 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
  • Registered in the Trillium Drug Program 

The ODB is designed for Ontario residents only and prescriptions must be filled at an Ontario pharmacy to be covered. You must ensure your Ontario health card is valid.  

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. You are able to apply to the program if you are not already eligible for the Ontario Drug Benefit Program, if you are not registered in Ontario Works, or your drug costs are only partially covered by your private insurer. Visit the linked website for more information on eligibility criteria, and how to apply.

Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre – Patient Assistance Program (London, Ontario area only) If you are having treatment within the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre and/or its affiliated regional facilities, and are experiencing financial challenges due to cancer, is eligible to apply for support. Funding is offered for emergency, short-term situations when funding from other sources is not possible. The funding can be used for various expenses such as wigs, prostheses and bras, child care throughout treatment, and drugs.

Ontario Works: Ontario Works provides assistance to people in financial need, through providing funds to cover living expenses, housing costs like rent, and health benefits.

Emergency assistance: This program helps to provide temporary financial assistance for individuals in emergency situations who 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 make minimum wage. It can be used to decrease or eliminate your Ontario personal income tax (Ontario Health Premium is excluded).

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 provides financial support to Northern Ontario residents who have to travel long distances for specialized medical care at a ministry-funded health care site. For applicants who qualify, travel grants are dependent on the distance you must travel to reach the closest health care site that can provide the needed medical services without delay. For more information about the Northern Health Travel Grant Program, click here.

Transportation – Hamilton: The Cancer Assistance Program’s Drive & Ride program gives residents in the Greater Hamilton Area door-to-door transportation to and from all cancer appointments. 

Parking: The Cancer Assistance Program provides limited parking spaces at Sacred Heart Parish Community Centre for treatment visits at the Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton. It is advised that you call in advance to reserve your spot.

Feed Ontario: The province’s largest body of hunger-relief organizations. Using this link, you can find your closest Feed Ontario member food bank.

Ontario Disability Support Program: The ODSP provides financial help for people with disabilities. It can provide money to help with living costs, and health benefits.

To qualify for ODSP income support, you need to

• be in financial need
• be minimum 18 years old
• be an Ontario resident
• have assets no greater than the limits outlined 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.  

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

Hayden’s Hope Foundation: Hayden Hope’s Foundation offers two categories of funding:

Family travel supports:

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

Mental Health & Wellness Supports For Parents/Caregivers: 

• This funds pediatric oncology parents and caregivers residing in Southwestern Ontario accessing mental health and wellness supports. $500 is available for each eligible family per year.  
• Funds are covered for mental health supports (psychologists and clinical counselling), overall health and wellness costs like physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, gym membership, etc.

Jennifer Ashleigh Children’s Charity:  Jennifer Ashleigh Children’s Charity collaborates closely with hospitals and rehabilitative centers across Ontario to identify, screen and help families whose lives have been altered following a serious medical event that has occurred with their child. They can help with accommodation and transportation costs, essential housing assistance (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, evaluation and session fees for rehabilitative therapy, sibling childcare, and 1:1 respite care. 

Financial Support — Childcan: Shortly following a childhood cancer diagnosis, the family will be referred to Childcan by Children’s Hospital or the Paediatric Oncology Satellite Clinic. This allows help to start right away. A package of information and resources is also provided to each newly diagnosed family. The packages consist of:

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

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. Note that, Childcan provides support for children who have been diagnosed/are receiving treatment at Children’s Hospital, LHSC or Windsor Regional Hospital’s Paediatric Oncology Satellite clinic.

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 emergency financial support through the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP).
• Ontario Electricity Support Program: The Ontario Electricity Support Program is designed to decrease electricity bills for low-income households.

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

Through the ADP, the Ontario government assists with covering the cost of compression garments and sleeves for chronic lymphedema, and extremity pumps for treating primary lymphedema. If you are eligible and your application is approved, the ADP will pay 75% of the cost of your devices directly to the business where you purchased 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 are eligible, and how to apply, click here. 

Breast Prosthetics: Through the ADP, the Ontario government assists with covering 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 a portion of a breast) on 1 or both breasts 
• A failed reconstructive surgery of 1 or both breasts following a mastectomy/lumpectomy 

If you meet the qualification criteria, and your application is approved, you will obtain a grant of $195 per side for full-breast prosthetics; or $105 per side for partial-breast prosthetics. If you receive social assistance through either Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Program, or 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 reach out to the following volunteer and charity organizations about additional financial assistance:

• Easter Seals Ontario
• The War Amps
• Lions Clubs

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

Provincial Drug Reimbursement Programs (PDRP):  The PDRP manages funding programs for cancer drugs and services, which support patients in accessing novel therapies that may have a meaningful benefit on extending life or improving quality of life.