The provincial government is introducing a pilot program to help cover travel and accommodation costs for low income people who need to travel to other parts of the province for surgery.
People will get 57 cents a kilometre when using their own vehicles, accommodation costs of up to $85 a night if travelling more than 50 kilometres one-way as well as transportation and accommodation costs for someone to travel with the patient if necessary.
To be eligible, people have to have a confirmed surgery or endoscopy/cystoscopy procedure date, have a gross family income of less than $35,000 a year and not have private insurance that covers travel or accommodation costs.
The pilot program begins a week from today and will run for a year.