Province boosts northern travel grant, eases restrictions, increases payouts

The Ontario government is spending $45 million in the next three years to improve access and funding for the northern travel grant.

The grant repays northerners part of the costs when they have to travel south for specialized treatment. Opposition parties have long called for improvements to the system, particularly as the cost of travel and lodgings has soared in recent years.

Tuesday, the province said it was creating a more convenient online application form that makes getting reimbursed faster.

The government is also “eliminating the need for a signature from the referring health care provider, making the application process easier,” a news release said.

“Adding more eligible health care providers and more facility locations, such as community laboratories, to help more people get reimbursed for their incurred costs.”

Other changes include removing the 100-kilometre deductible so people are reimbursed for every kilometre travelled to help offset higher gas prices. And for the first time since 2017, reimbursements for overnight trips are being increased.

The accommodation allowance is rising from $100 to $175 per night, and the total allowance for eight or more nights is rising from $550 to $1,150.

And the travel distance requirement to be eligible for overnight accommodation allowance is being cut from 200 kilometres to 100 kilometres.

In 2022-2023, approximately 170,000 travel grants were processed for 66,000 northern Ontario residents.

A total of 98 per cent of eligible applications for the grant are paid within four to six weeks. The new, online submission form is expected to further reduce processing time.

The Ministry of Health also provides a telephone support service to help clients who need help completing their applications. The number to call for assistance is 1-800-262-6524.

"I am proud to be a part of a government that is sticking up for northerners and ensuring that we receive and have access to the care we need,” Timmins MPP George Pirie is quoted as saying in the release.

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"For years, my constituents in Nipissing have expressed their concerns over the Northern Health Travel Grants reimbursement rates,” added Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli.

“We are pleased that our government has heard their concerns. Through the program’s $45 million expansion, patients in northern Ontario will have additional assistance to the health care services they require."