Carcinoeconomics

Regardless of Canada's socialized health insurance plans’ getting sick has a major implication on family revenue and expenses. I've discovered that there are a whole lot of instances where the provincial health insurance plan doesn't cover the costs of health care, especially if cancer drugs or special treatment considered expensive.

As its tax season consider this, whichever is lower, either $1,844 or 3% of net income is the minimum possible claim for medical expenses and you max out at $10,000. I don't feel gratified considering that people who've traveled this road before us had a maximum deductible of $5,000 until 2005.

Current and projected expenses include: Drug costs outside the hospital are the responsibility of the patients; entrepreneurs and those without private insurance must cover these costs out of pocket.

Here's why I think the medical deduction is flawed. To start, Bone Marrow Growth Factor Hormones (GCSF) which Pace will require to boost her white blood cell counts later in chemotherapy are not covered if the drug is administered outside of a hospital; these treatments can easily cost over $2,000/month out of pocket.

Also the benefit doesn't allow carry over if expenses started in late November. In addition, any medical equipment costs for at home care must be prescribed or they're mine alone, then again I can resell home medical equipment on eBay later...

Private nursing adds up fast and it is not covered by all provincial health plans. Pace won't be able to lift anything or use her right arm for a month following breast surgery and removal of lymph nodes in her underarm.

Physical rehabilitation expenses are fully my responsibility. However some of those will accumulate for tax time next year.

Life insurance, if they'll even consider Pace as a policy holder will be at a prohibitively very high cost. Then on the revenue side of the equation... There’s lost income for me and other family and friends that act as caregivers and need to take time off work to help Pace.

Career plans are on hold for 12 to 18 months, for the both of us. Then there are the lost work opportunities due to scheduling for family health care commitments. If I go full time, I won't be able keep Pace's condition a secret for long. Promotions are probably out of the question.

Pace will face workplace discrimination on health issues, regardless of what the law says. One of the reasons for making this blog anonymous is to keep her and my potential clients or employers from knowing my family's medical situation. A friend in HR has told me I will be passed over in the hiring process due to the risk of additional insurance costs on the benefit health plan that my family could incur.

Then there are the incidental costs: parking is a $12.00 to $16.00 daily rate at the Hospital; multiply that over several weeks of daily and weekly visits, add to that family travel and accommodation costs to and from the city for treatment are over $1,000 per month. They're non-deductible too unless Pace is declared incapable of traveling alone.

The best solution is to stay healthy.