Overwhelmed by inflation, rising costs, more Quebecers need help to cover medical travel

Every few months, Nicole St-Jean and her nine-year-old son, Vincent, fly to Quebec City from their home in Sept-Îles, Que., to see specialists for issues related to his severe gastric reflux, asthma and allergies.

Their visits often last two weeks because Vincent can tolerate only one or two appointments a day. He has autism spectrum disorder and is sensitive to sensory overload, said St-Jean.

All that time away is expensive and requires a lot of planning.

A few years ago, a hospital social worker connected St-Jean with Hope Air, a national charity that provides free air travel to patients in financial need.

Since then, the charity has covered all of their flights and travel expenses.

Without Hope Air's help, St-Jean says it would be unaffordable for her to go back and forth to Quebec City.

"We'd have to cancel some (appointments) and try to prioritize which ones to go to," said St-Jean, who has four other children. "But it would be hard."

It's a predicament faced by many Quebecers who need to get medical treatment that is not available in their region.

Although the province reimburses some travel expenses, patients need to pay upfront.

"When you leave, you don't necessarily have that money in hand," said St-Jean. "You get it when you come back, but the province doesn't reimburse the full cost."

In 2023, Hope Air provided over 400 return flights for patients in Quebec as well as hotel stays, meals and ground transportation.

In flights alone, that "represents close to a 30 per cent increase, year over year," said Mark Rubinstein, Hope Air's CEO.

Founded in 1986, the charity helps patients access treatment for a wide range of issues, including cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's. More than a third of the patients are children who have to travel because of serious health problems.

In Quebec, the charity typically relies on donations and corporate sponsorship, but growing demand means that without an investment from the province, it may need to suspend or reduce its programs, said Rubinstein.