Cancer Treatment & Recovery Guide

How support usually fits together

Many people use more than one type of help at the same time. A common pattern is income support first, treatment-cost help second, and travel or caregiver support alongside them.

1. 01

   Income while you cannot work

   Income support often starts with work benefits, then EI or disability support if needed.

   1. Employer paid sick leave
   2. Short-term disability
   3. EI sickness benefits
   4. Reduced hours or accommodation
   5. Longer-term disability if recovery takes time
2. 02

   Treatment and medication costs

   Drug coverage and treatment-related costs may come from different systems.

   1. Provincial cancer drug programs
   2. Take-home drug coverage
   3. Private insurance
   4. Home care or practical support
   5. Out-of-pocket costs to check before paying
3. 03

   Travel, caregiver, and longer-term support

   Travel, caregiving, and longer recoveries often bring separate support needs.

   1. Medical travel supports
   2. Lodging help
   3. Caregiver leave or credits
   4. CPP disability or long-term disability
   5. Practical help at home

These programs can overlap. Keeping a simple list of what you applied for and what is still pending can help.

Income and workplace supports

If treatment affects your ability to work, income may come from your employer first, then insurance or EI. When you need to compare sick leave, insurance, and longer-term options in order, use the Check support when you cannot work navigator.

• EI sickness benefits

  Canada-wide

  Replaces part of your pay when illness stops you from working during treatment.

  May help if

  Employees with enough insurable hours who stop working for medical reasons.

  When to look at this

  As soon as you stop working or within the Service Canada filing window.

  Keep in mind

  • Requires a medical certificate and compatible last day of work.
  • Usually cannot be received for the same weeks as full employer sick pay without offset rules.

• Employer paid sick leave

  Provincial / territorial

  Keeps pay flowing before EI or disability insurance starts.

  May help if

  Workers whose contract, policy, or collective agreement includes paid sick days or salary continuation.

  When to look at this

  Immediately when you cannot work, before filing EI or STD.

  Keep in mind

  • Not every workplace has paid sick leave. Confirm with your employer, union, or insurer. This is not an EI program.

• Short-term disability (STD) insurance

  Provincial / territorial

  Replaces income for weeks or months when you cannot work, often after sick leave ends.

  May help if

  Workers covered by a group STD plan through an employer or union.

  When to look at this

  When paid sick leave runs out or when your insurer accepts a medical claim.

  Keep in mind

  • Not every employer offers STD. Confirm coverage with HR or your insurer. This is not an EI program.
  • Insurer forms may differ from EI medical certificates.

• Long-term disability (LTD) insurance

  Provincial / territorial

  Provides longer income replacement if you cannot return to work for many months.

  May help if

  Workers with group LTD coverage, often after STD benefits end.

  When to look at this

  When your doctor and insurer agree you meet the policy's disability definition.

  Keep in mind

  • Not every employer offers LTD. Confirm coverage with HR or your insurer. This is not an EI or CPP program.
  • Diagnosis alone is not enough; functional limits and treatment response matter.

Also relevant here: CPP disability benefit, Provincial disability income programs, Workplace accommodation

Treatment and out-of-pocket costs

Beyond hospital visits, costs can include take-home drugs, parking, childcare, and home support. Check coverage before paying when you can.

• Provincial home and community care
• Practical help (meals, rides, childcare)

Also relevant here: Provincial cancer drug programs, Take-home cancer drugs, Charitable emergency financial help, Local transportation programs

Medications and drug coverage

Hospital drugs, take-home cancer drugs, and regular prescriptions follow different funding rules. Confirm the coverage process for each drug, and Check public drug coverage where you live when take-home costs are the pressure point.

• Provincial cancer drug programs

  Provincial / territorial

  May fund specific outpatient cancer drugs through the cancer program or public drug plan where you live.

  May help if

  Patients whose prescribed drug appears on a provincial or territorial cancer list or exceptional access process.

  When to look at this

  When your oncologist orders a drug that may be publicly funded where you live.

  Keep in mind

  • There is no single Canada-wide cancer drug program. Lists and co-pays differ by province or territory.
  • Exceptional access or prior authorization can take weeks. Confirm with your cancer clinic.

• Take-home cancer drugs

  Provincial / territorial

  Covers oral or self-administered cancer drugs dispensed at a pharmacy.

  May help if

  Patients prescribed take-home oncology drugs, often through provincial drug plans.

  When to look at this

  Before filling a new prescription, ask whether it is hospital or take-home funded.

  Keep in mind

  • Some provinces use separate plans from hospital IV drugs.
  • Private insurance may require prior authorization even when a provincial plan exists.

• Hospital-administered cancer drugs

  Provincial / territorial

  Covers IV or clinic drugs given during insured hospital or outpatient visits.

  May help if

  Patients receiving infusion or injection drugs at a hospital or cancer clinic.

  When to look at this

  At treatment planning; confirm what is billed to the hospital vs take-home pharmacy.

  Keep in mind

  • Drugs sent home with you may follow different rules than clinic-administered doses.

• Provincial public drug plans

  Provincial / territorial

  Reduces prescription costs through provincial benefit plans and deductibles.

  May help if

  Residents enrolled in provincial pharmacare, Trillium-type, or similar plans.

  When to look at this

  Before starting ongoing take-home prescriptions during or after treatment.

  Keep in mind

  • Deductibles and household income tests vary.
  • Not every cancer drug is listed; exceptional access may be required.

• Private insurance prior authorization

Travel and lodging for treatment

If care is far from home, help depends on the program. Some discount a carrier fare, some pay costs back after travel, and some arrange the trip. Cancer lodges and charities are separate.

• Hope Air

  National charity

  A national charity that arranges flights and accommodation for eligible patients.

  May help if

  Patients who qualify under Hope Air's medical and financial rules. A credit card is needed for the hotel deposit.

  When to look at this

  Apply at least two business days before travel. Do not plan on Hope Air and a provincial travel grant for the same trip.

  Keep in mind

  • If Hope Air arranges and pays for a trip, do not also plan on keeping the provincial grant for that trip.
  • In Northern Ontario, the Northern Health Travel Grant must be directed to Hope Air. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the provincial program cannot be claimed for a trip Hope Air paid for, except costs from day 15 of a stay longer than 14 days.
  • Hope Air's own pages do not agree on how soon the Northern Ontario grant form must arrive. Confirm that timing with Hope Air. Other provinces and territories are not confirmed here.

• Provincial medical travel programs

  Provincial / territorial

  Travel help works in different ways. A program may discount a carrier fare, pay you back after the trip, or arrange the travel. It does not do all three in every province or territory.

  May help if

  Residents travelling for insured care. What is covered depends on the program where you live.

  When to look at this

  Before you book, when the program must approve travel first. After the trip, only when that program pays costs back.

  Keep in mind

  • British Columbia's Travel Assistance Program is a discount from participating carriers. It does not cover meals, hotels, mileage, or fuel, and it does not pay you back for a trip already taken. Get a confirmation number before you book.
  • Other provinces and territories are not the same. Confirm distance, companions, and receipts with the official program. Do not assume a mileage, meal, or lodging payment.

• Cancer lodges and low-cost lodging
• Local transportation programs

Caregiver support

Family members and friends may qualify for paid leave, tax credits, or provincial caregiver programs while supporting you.

• EI caregiving benefits

  Canada-wide

  Provides income when you leave work to care for a family member who is critically ill or injured, or at end of life.

  May help if

  Eligible workers caring for a family member who is critically ill or injured, or at end of life.

  When to look at this

  When a caregiver must stop work because the person is critically ill or injured, or at end of life.

  Keep in mind

  • A chronic condition alone does not qualify unless there is a new life-threatening event. A medical doctor or nurse practitioner must certify the condition. Weeks are limited.

• MyEligible caregiver hubs

  Provincial / territorial

  Collects provincial caregiver leave, respite, and tax programs by province.

  May help if

  Family members coordinating leave, respite, and financial support.

  When to look at this

  When someone regularly drives, stays overnight, or manages care tasks for you.

  Keep in mind

  • Hubs link to official rules; they do not process leave or benefit applications.

• Canada Caregiver Credit

Provincial cancer support

Your province or territory's cancer system is often the starting point for drug coverage, navigation, and treatment-related supports.

Recovery and return to work

A gradual return, workplace accommodation, and updated medical forms can protect income and health during recovery. When symptoms and costs continue long term, Explore chronic condition supports can help you plan the next layer.

Long-term disability and lasting impairment

If cancer or treatment effects last months or years, workplace LTD, CPP disability, Browse provincial disability guides, and the Use the Disability Tax Credit helper may be relevant.

• Disability Tax Credit (DTC)

  Canada-wide

  Reduces tax owed when impairment markedly affects daily living for a prolonged period.

  May help if

  People whose cancer or treatment causes lasting functional limits certified by a practitioner.

  When to look at this

  When side effects persist long enough to meet CRA duration tests.

  Keep in mind

  • Requires Form T2201 and practitioner certification.
  • Diagnosis alone is not sufficient; functional impact must be documented.

• CPP disability benefit
• Provincial disability income programs
• Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP)

Also relevant here: Long-term disability (LTD) insurance

Treatment stages

Optional checklists for before and during treatment. Open only the stage that fits where you are now.