The cost of cancer care 

Too many people in Canada are paying out-of-pocket to access the cancer care that they need, spending $260 on average per month. These costs pay for things like medications, transportation to and from appointments, and caregiver expenses. For some people, like those who live in rural and remote communities and families caring for young children, the costs can be even greater. 

We’re doing all we can to help people access the care they need without financial hardship. 

But closing this care gap is going to take everyone acting together to find solutions. It takes a society. 

That’s why we’re asking everyone to join us in calling on governments across Canada to help make cancer care more affordable for those who need it. Add your name to our letter and we’ll hand deliver it to the Minister of Health in April to call for change.

Dear Minister:

Too many people in Canada today are struggling to access the cancer care they need to thrive. For too many, the out-of-pocket costs that accumulate through diagnosis, treatment and recovery place a financial burden on their families. Too many lab fees, too many bills or co-pays for drugs, and too many trips to the pump to fill up before the next drive to the hospital. It’s the accumulation of all of these costs—at a time when you can’t work to support yourself or loved ones that makes things so despondent. And as a result, too many people will go without—without their tests, without their prescriptions and medications, and without timely access to treatment.

That’s why today, we’ve joined our voices with the Canadian Cancer Society in calling on you to help close this gap in care by leading a Canada-wide effort to reduce out-of-pocket costs for all those facing cancer.

In Canada, these costs can range from an average of $253 to as much as $550 CAN per month. This figure is hugely dependent on your cancer type and individual circumstances. For underserved populations—like people living in rural or remote communities or pediatric patients and caregivers—the costs are much greater. 2024 polling found that 90 per cent of respondents indicated that a cancer diagnosis would impact their household finances.

There’s no one solution and no one entity that alone can make things right. It’s going to take all of us working together in our communities and jurisdictions to close this gap in care—it’s going to take a society.

Today, we are asking that the federal government do its part to address the out-of-pocket costs related to cancer care by:

• Make the federal caregiver tax credit refundable to help support caregivers who are not able to work
• Work with provinces to expand job protected leave in all workplaces to 26 weeks, to match the recent expansion to the Employment Insurance Sickness Benefit and more accurately reflect the length of time for cancer treatment and recovery
• Reduce the cost of cancer drugs, foster a research ecosystem of innovation, and continue to provide safeguards to existing access to drugs that are already available to patients
• And continue to work with provinces and territories to reduce the multitude of costs borne by patients and caregivers, including:
  • Prosthesis
  • Medical transportation and accommodation
  • Home care

Minister, in 2023 an estimated 239,100 people were diagnosed with cancer. We look forward to learning more about how the federal government will continue to do its part and reduce barriers to accessing care for these people and all those facing cancer.