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.
o Download our app to get local alerts on your device
o Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
"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."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Was this the bug that stung you? Wasp sightings revive murder-hornet concerns; no detections confirmed
As temperatures rise out of a mild El Nino winter, Canada's buggy season is already upon us again, and this year, the bugs are looking especially big.
Adding just 10% ultraprocessed foods to healthy diets may raise risk of cognitive decline, stroke
Eating more ultraprocessed foods is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and stroke, even if a person is trying to adhere to a Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet or the MIND diet, a new study found.
Bangkok hospital says most seriously injured from turbulence-hit flight need spinal operations
Many of the more seriously injured people who were on the Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence need operations on their spines, a Bangkok hospital said Thursday.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
WestJet planning new fare category for travellers willing to forgo carry-on bag
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
Tiny plastic shards found in human testicles, study says
Human testicles contain microplastics and nanoplastics at levels three times higher than animal testes and human placentas, a new small study found.
A U.K. lawmaker returns to work as 'the bionic MP' after losing his hands and feet to sepsis
Britain's fractious politicians shared a rare moment of unity on Wednesday, when a Conservative lawmaker returned to work six months after sepsis put him in a coma and forced the amputation of his hands and feet.
Nine killed in Mexico stage collapse at campaign event
A stage collapsed at a Mexican election campaign rally on Wednesday, killing nine people and injuring dozens as high winds tore apart the large, concert-style structure, scattering politicians and attendees.