Hospice palliative care is paid for in different ways across Canada. If you are considering hospice palliative care, it is important for you and your family to find out how your care will be paid for and what level of financial assistance may be available.

Who pays for hospice palliative care often depends on where the care is provided. Hospice palliative care units are increasingly common across Canada. Costs vary depending on the location of the inpatient facility (in a hospital, long-term care facility, or free-standing facility).

Hospice palliative care provided in your home may be covered by your provincial or territorial health care plan as part of a home care program. But the provincial plans may not always include the cost of medicines and equipment used in home care. There may also be restrictions on the number of hours allowed for home-based hospice palliative care.

You may also use private health insurance or your own funds to pay for home-based hospice palliative care. In some cases, assistance from social agencies, service clubs, local cancer societies, and other similar organizations may be available.

Hospice palliative care provided in a hospital is usually covered by provincial health care plans. These plans cover the costs of care, including medicines, medical supplies, and equipment needed while you are in the hospital.

In long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, residents are usually required to pay for some part of their care. The costs vary depending on the facility.

Although most hospice palliative care services are provided as part of a provincial health care plan, some people may be eligible for services provided by the federal government. This includes veterans and peoples living on reserves and in Indigenous communities.

For more information

To help people find hospice palliative care services, Health Canada and the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) provide the Directory of Hospice Palliative Care Services online at www.chpca.net/family-caregivers/directory-of-services.aspx. The directory provides a listing of programs and services, contact information, and the locations for which they provide care.