Continued financial support if you need to travel within Nova Scotia for surgery.
The province has extended the In-province Travel Assistance Pilot Program to Support Surgical Access to reduce out-of-pocket costs for low-income patients.
It’s for scheduled surgery, endoscopy or cystoscopy procedures and related appointments.
The program began in 2023 and is now extended to May 31, 2025.
It provides reimbursement for:
– transportation costs at $0.58 per kilometre when using personal vehicles
– accommodation costs of up to $85 per night if travelling more than 50 kilometres (one-way)
– transportation and accommodation costs for someone to travel with the patient if necessary.
To be eligible for the program, you must:
– have a confirmed surgery, endoscopy or cystoscopy procedure date
– be on the Nova Scotia Health wait list for surgery, or an endoscopy or cystoscopy procedure
– be a resident of Nova Scotia with a valid health card
– have a gross family income of less than $35,000 per year
– not have private insurance that covers travel or accommodation costs.
In 2023-2024, 43 patients received financial support through the program.
