Sask. patients can’t afford travel cost for breast cancer care: emails

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Leaked emails show some Saskatchewan patients are not traveling out of province for breast cancer care because of costs.

The emails — dated March 3 and March 6, 2025 — are between a patient and a government official and include discussion about out-of-province travel to a Calgary clinic for mammograms. The email exchange was shared with media by the Saskatchewan NDP on Tuesday, with the patient’s name redacted to protect their identity.

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An email address containing “health.gov.sk.ca” is present on one of the two emails while the other has a sign-off that reads “Government of Saskatchewan.”

“I completely agree with you that it is unfortunate that some people can’t participate in this initiative because they don’t have the funds available to pay the costs upfront or they don’t have a reliable vehicle to get them to Calgary and can’t afford airfare,” reads one of the leaked emails.

The initiative refers to a contract signed in 2023 by the Government of Saskatchewan with a Calgary-based clinic to provide mammograms and biopsies. It was offered as a short-term solution to reduce long waitlists for diagnostics in Saskatchewan and included a $1,500 travel reimbursement.

One of the emails refers to the initiative as “completely voluntary,” adding that “there have been patients that chose not to go to Calgary due to costs.”

The Ministry of Health said the current program of sending patients out of province is temporary and acknowledged current compensation may not be adequate, according to an emailed statement provided Tuesday afternoon.

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“While we recognize that travel reimbursement may not cover the entire cost in every case, we are looking forward to the new Regina Breast Health Centre opening in Spring 2025,” said the statement.

It also notes the costs of travel to access services are “not normally insured under the Saskatchewan health system” and that “special consideration is being provided for patients who have agreed to receive breast biopsies” in Calgary.

NDP critic for rural and remote health Meara Conway called on the province to increase capacity at home so the procedures can take place in Saskatchewan.

“The Sask. Party’s Calgary mammogram scheme is failing women and they know it,” Conway said from the Saskatchewan Legislative Building on Tuesday. “The ability to pay is a barrier, and that’s not okay. These are women in urgent need.”

The NDP has been critical of the out-of-province procedures for costing 10 times more than in-province delivery.

Through an order-in-council in early February, the government renewed its contract with Clearpoint Health Network in Calgary, authorizing up to $2.4 million between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026.

alsalloum@postmedia.com

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