Canada Life denied amputee coverage to RCMP officer injured in the line of duty. Advocates say he’s not alone
CBC
When retired RCMP constable Jason Hydamacka heard the news that the insurance money for his amputated leg was coming, he sat in his truck and cried.
Hydamacka had been in pain for years following an accident he suffered in the line of duty.
This past summer, his lower right leg was amputated as a result. But he was twice denied $55,000 in Canada Life accidental loss insurance because the insurer said he needed to have the amputation within two years of the injury to qualify.
Hydamacka's amputation came five years after the initial accident, following multiple failed surgeries and many sleepless nights in chronic pain.
Several days after CBC News contacted Canada Life about Hydamacka’s denial of his accidental loss insurance, he received a call from the company saying that two cheques were on their way —one for $50,000 and another for $5,000.
In a statement, Canada Life said “While we cannot comment on the specifics due to privacy, coverage decisions must follow the RCMP’s plan directive."
"Canada Life understands the long and difficult recovery journey associated with an accident such as this, which is why we worked with the RCMP to deliver a solution for the plan member.”
The insurer did not answer CBC News questions about why it revised its decision.
Hydamacka was injured in his hometown of Elkford, B.C., in November 2019 while performing a routine traffic stop that would change his life forever.
Hydamacka was in pursuit of a man accused of selling drugs when he tackled him to the ground, landing hard on the ice and packed snow.
An egg-sized lump later developed on his lower right leg — the start of a deeply painful five-and-a-half year medical journey that ended in the amputation of his limb.
Hydamacka — now 54 — was originally denied his accidental loss payment from his insurer, Canada Life. A letter from the company, reviewed by CBC News, said he was not entitled to a payment for loss of limb, because the amputation occurred more than two years after the injury.
“According to the information on file, we are advising that the injury you sustained is not considered a covered loss within the meaning of this policy,” the letter said
“I just expected maybe a little bit more empathy from them,” Hydamacka told CBC News before Canada Life reversed its decision.
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