“I think we’re lucky in Canada that these procedures that are hugely expensive are covered, but I don’t think people realize that it’s not just the procedure that’s part of the treatment,” says Rose Blackwood.
“It’s been a rough few months,” says Kathy Horan. The retired public sector worker was diagnosed with cancer in March. She’s been going trough chemotherapy and had titanium rods placed in her arms to maintain their integrity. The treatment isn’t offered on Vancouver Island, so the duo will be travelling to Vancouver General Hospital. They anticipate needing accommodations for up to seven weeks – with a medical request to stay within 15 minutes of the hospital, have a caregiver , and avoid shared accommodations.“It’s simply not free. In Canada, it’s expensive to be sick,” says Rose. “I think it would be realistic to say that we’re going to have to budget between $5,000 to $6,000 to cover this.
“We have public health care but in these kinds of situations, it really is tiered,” she says. “I think that you get change by raising awareness."