Medical insurance in Canada

[rubyc1234]

Today I went on the Canadian Breast Cancer Network site and they list an insurance company which will cover metastatic people and there is no requirement that you be stable for so many months to be eligible. It is called Clear Compare.ca Each case is individually assessed but it sounds as if the prices are reasonable.

I also called the Canadian Cancer Society to see if any conferences on MBC occur in Canada and the advisor said that she did not know of any. She did refer me to the American sites. I just loved the one I just attended in NYC on Oct 5th.

Are any of you in a MBC support group? I cannot seem to find one here in the Greater Toronto Area which seems ridiculous as for sure there must be

other women here with this illness.

[mariootsi]

I can't find one in CT either!

[rubyc1234 in reply to mariootsi]

Well, late afternoon after I wrote this I found 1 group listed for Ontario in Guelph. They meet about a half hour from where I live. I called the number and a lovely lady talked with me and welcomed me to the group. However, they are mostly women who had a primary diagnosis of breast cancer and who have been treated .I said I was reluctant to go as I do not want my story to discourage them. She said she knows 5 or 6 women with mets and sh e is willing to ask them if they would be interested in forming a MBC group. I am hoping they say yes and something comes of this.

[mariootsi in reply to rubyc1234]

Good luck! I hope they say yes! It is so important to be able to personally be able to meet other mbc women!

[Valisa in reply to rubyc1234]

I am approx. half hour from Guelph as well and would be interested if this group forms.

[rubyc1234 in reply to Valisa]

Where do you live. I am in rural Georgetown/Milton area. That would be great.

[Valisa in reply to rubyc1234]

I am in Southeast Cambridge. Not that far away.

[rubyc1234 in reply to Valisa]

There is a Living Beyond Breast Cancer Conference in Hamilton on Fri Oct 25th. I am going to go to it and they say it is for all stages of cancer but reading the itinerary there is nothing that specifically is about mets. It sounds more geared to those trying to prevent mets. I am going to go anyway with this group I just connected with online in Guelph.

I would love to meet you. Perhaps we could link up for coffee/ lunch whatever. You may be younger than me. I am 66.

[Valisa in reply to rubyc1234]

I sent you a private message on your profile with more contact information. Looking forward to connecting.

[Topaz_77]

Thank you for this. I hope you don’t mind if I share it to my group as there are some ladies there who need to see it. It’s an online support group but maybe it will suffice for you until you find an offline one: facebook.com/MBCsupport/

[rubyc1234]

Interesting! I phoned after getting your message and was denied over the phone. He fed all my info into the computer and it came back and said I could not be covered. He did not know why and said that they have in the past covered breast cancer patients with METS. I was not asked where the mets is and I am not undergoing any investigative procedures which he asked about. I answered no to having other medical conditions. Maybe the fact that I am seen every 3 weeks is the reason? Maybe it did not like the countries I am going to?

I am disillusioned as to their claim that they cover MBC patients. I think I am pretty straight forward. He did say that they do not like us on IV, but I am on oral chemo.

Terminal illness is defined as having 6 months or less to live. He did clarify that. I am certainly not terminal at this point! Thanks for prompting me to give these people a call. I am ticked!

[rubyc1234]

I feel the same way. We try to be optimistic and are told there is good reason to feel so and yet these kinds of things really do impact us in a negative way. I feel well and just put on a big Thanksgiving dinner for my family after returning from NYC but no I cannot get medical insurance for travelling. As far as I am concerned there are many illnesses out there which people have that could cause their deaths ahead of my own. My sister is a very unstable diabetic. Now she would not be classified as terminal but she has lots of issues and I would not be surprized if she passes ahead of me.

I also have to wonder whether exercise and good nutrition have any play in preventing recurrence. It tends to make me feel like a failure when I did as I was told and experienced metastasis. I ate well, walked daily, took Vitamin D and Tamoxifen for 5 years. I was stage 2 and told there was a 70% chance I would not see the cancer again. I was good for 15 years, but it returned.