Provincial funding welcome news
Three years and 13 days — a time of high stress and many questions. Now, says Yarmouth resident and father Derek Lesser, there is reason to celebrate.
Three years and 13 days from the time his daughter Julia was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, or CML, the Nova Scotia government announced funding in its provincial budget to assist cancer patients with the cost of take-home cancer medications.
In the provincial budget last week, the government announced $846,000 to create a new takehome therapies cancer program to help patients pay for high drug deductibles and co-payments, with an additional $2 million per year over the next three years. The government will also work with its colleagues in the other Atlantic provinces on a longer-term solution.
“The money they are investing will mean that the most any Nova Scotian will pay for cancer medication taken at home will be four per cent of their net income,” says Lesser, which will remove a huge financial burden. “For someone in Julia’s shoes and her career, it would probably be under $2,000 per year maximum instead of a potential $29,000.”
When Lesser’s daughter was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, it was, obviously, a shock. But also shocking to the family was
that the government’s provincial health plan covered cancer treatment delivered intravenously in a hospital setting, such as chemotherapy or radiation, but didn’t cover take-home treatments like pills and injections.
Lesser’s daughter has been doing fine throughout the years because of the drug she takes.
With advancements in cancer treatment, an increasing number of effective cancer treatments can be taken at home.
Although the Nova Scotia Pharmacare program has provided financial help, assistance has been based on income levels. At certain income thresholds, deductibles and co-payments are a requirement. People with cancer, Lesser has said, shouldn’t have
the added stress of wondering how — or even if — they can afford treatment.
On behalf of all cancer patients, he started lobbying hard for changes. Over the years he has written letters, had meetings with ministers and in the spring provincial election he ramped up awareness on social media. He said local MLAs Zach Churchill and Chris d’Entremont helped champion the cause.
The Western Nova Scotia Cancer Support Network Lesser started on Facebook – which is advocating for cancer radiation services to be available at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital – also drew attention to making coverage of take-home cancer medications a cause.