Ontario narrows out-of-country drug funding rules after cancer patient court victory

Alex Shved, a 37-year-old father from Toronto with Stage 4 melanoma, is heartbroken after the Ontario government revised its rules for out-of-country medical coverage to exclude his treatment. In September, an Ontario court had quashed the province’s decision to deny funding for Shved's last-resort therapy in the U.S., which could cost around US$600,000. However, on Tuesday, new amendments to Ontario’s Health Insurance Act were announced that further restrict eligibility for such treatments. Under these revised rules, out-of-country treatment will only be funded if the drug and its administration are already approved in Ontario, temporarily unavailable locally, and travel is necessary to avoid death or irreversible damage. Shved feels "betrayed" by this move, stating it's incredibly disappointing that the government did not help residents like him access vital treatments promptly.