Travel Grants

    • Who is eligible for a travel grant?
      You are eligible if all of the terms below are met:
    • you are an OHIP- insured Ontario resident on the date of treatment, and your primary place of residence is in the districts of Algoma, Cochrane, Kenora, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, or Timiskaming;
    • a northern physician, dentist, optometrist, chiropractor, midwife or nurse practitioner has referred you before the travel takes place;
    • you are referred to a medical specialist who is certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), or a Winnipeg (Manitoba) physician enrolled on the Manitoba Health Specialist Register and permitted to bill as a specialist; or a physician who holds a specialist certificate of registration issued by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) in a recognized medical or surgical specialty other than family or general practice, or you are referred to an approved health care facility-based service under the Health Insurance Act for treatment by a provider in the facility (e.g. a midwife for hospital childbirth; technician for PET scan, or chemotherapy); and
    • the nearest specialist or approved health care facility able to provide the type of care you require in Ontario or Manitoba is at least 100 kilometres from your area of residence.
    • How the grant program works?
      If you qualify, your grant will be based on the distance you travel:
    • at least 100 kilometres (km) one-way road distance to access a medical specialist or approved health care facility services that are not available locally.
    • You do not qualify for a travel grant if:
    • the health care service is not an OHIP- insured benefit
    • the care is related to a Workplace Safety and Insurance Board claim
    • medical services and/or travel costs are paid by your employer
    • another government program or organization pays for your travel e.g.: First Nations Band/Federal Government, etc.
    • the health care services have to do with a private insurance company – for example there is third party liability for medical travel costs, such as medical services related to a motor vehicle accident
    • you travel round trip by ambulance
    • the health care service is provided by a non-RCPSC certified medical specialist, and/or non-RCPSC certified physician in Winnipeg (Manitoba) who is not enrolled on the Manitoba Health Specialist Register; or the health care service is provided by a physician who does not hold a specialist certificate of registration issued by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) in a recognized medical or surgical specialty other than family or general practice or not in an approved health care facility
    • the nearest specialist/approved health care facility is within 100 kilometres of your area of residence.
    • What costs does the NHTG program help pay?
      Travel: 
      Approved travel grants are paid at 41 cents per kilometre based on return road distance travel between your area of residence and the location of the nearest medical specialist, or approved health care facility that can provide the service. There is a deductible of 100 kilometres on your trip.
      Refer to “How is the travel grant calculated?” in the web site for further information.Accommodation Allowance
      The NHTG Program also offers an accommodation allowance of $100.00 per eligible trip to patients whose:
    • one-way road distance to the closest specialist or approved health care facility who are able to provide the required services (e.g. hospital for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)) is at least 200 kilometres
    • you must submit an accommodation receipt in your name to prove you paid an accommodation expense. For a child under 16 years of age, an accommodation allowance receipt can be in the name of his/her parent/guardian.
  • Note: you can apply for only one travel grant and one accommodation allowance for each round trip you take for medical treatment. The grants do not pay all of your expenses, such as meals.
    Will the NHTG Program cover all my travel costs?
    No. The grant helps you pay for some travel related costs, including travel, and accommodation, but does not cover all expenses, such as meals.
  • Please refer to the website listed above for further information