A View Royal resident’s advice to prepare for the financial strains that can accompany recovering from cancer is something we all need to take a long, sober look at before the unthinkable happens. Someone who has worked their entire life, paid their bills on time and lived within their means can have their life turned upside down with a diagnosis that comes along without warning. You could be planning a much-needed vacation one week and find yourself facing the prospect of an extended period of treatment following surgery the next. No one can foresee what lurks around the corner when it comes to our health, however active or healthy you may be. Eating right and living well are no guarantees that an extremely rare cancer or other prolonged medical crisis will not be part of your immediate future.
If you don’t have comprehensive insurance or extended medical benefits, the costs of food, shelter and the medications you may require can have a staggering impact on your ability to simply survive until you’re well enough to return to work. If there isn’t a partner, family or support network for you to lean on during a lengthy illness that prevents you from earning a pay cheque, there aren’t a lot of options available.
Employment insurance medical benefits tap out at 15 weeks on average. That may not even cover the time you spend in hospital or receive specialized treatment, depending on the severity of your condition. An application for disability coverage through your Canada Pension Plan earnings may help, but it could take more than three months before a decision on approval is reached. The only other option is to apply for income assistance, which provides $610 per month in most cases. Even if you factor in the proposed increase of $100 a month, that’s not going to cover the average cost of rent in the Capital Region, let alone a mortgage payment.
When cancer or some other hideous form of health issue rises up without warning, it shouldn’t mean you have to lose your home and savings. You shouldn’t have to plunge below the poverty line because chemotherapy has sapped your ability to work for a period of six months to a year. The safety nets you believe are in place may not extend far enough to break your fall, so find out where you stand before you land in serious trouble.