All Are Not Equal



 

Not all cancer patients in Ontario are equal (from a Brampton woman)

My husband is beginning his battle against cancer. His chemotherapy comes in the form of a tablet that he must take every day for one year. Only chemotherapy drugs administered by IV within, the confines of a hospital are covered by OHIP. Chemotherapy drugs taken orally in your home are the pa-tienf s financial responsibility.

My husband's treatment is $8,200 per month, a vast sum for this middle-class family We can apply for coverage under the Trillium drug plan, but will have to pay a deductible. We are thankful that one of us works for a company with a health plan that will cover the full cost of this drug until such time as we reach a lifetime cap.

However, in our opinion no Canadian battling cancer should have to go through the process of wondering if they can afford life-saving chemotherapy treatment.

No Canadian should have to turn to private insurance through their workplace and wait to see if they can afford chemotherapy. No Canadian should have to apply to the Ontario Drug Benefit plan to find out if their drug is covered and how much they will have to pay. Universal health care in Canada should be universal for all — rich or poor, needle or pill. Our family should not have had to go through this additional and unnecessary stress when dealing with cancer.