A Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) from Windsor is one of four Opposition members introducing a bill designed to help with healthcare-related travel.
Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky is one of four co-sponsors of Bill 117, the Access (Assistance for Care, Commuting and Essential Specialized Services) Act of 2026.
If passed, the Access Act would require the Ontario Ministry of Health to establish a grant program to help defray the costs of eligible Ontarians who must travel for healthcare unavailable close to home.
In an announcement on Wednesday morning at Queens Park in Toronto, Gretzky said Bill 117 is a remedy for people already facing a financial crunch.
"We are in a cost-of-living crisis, and no family should have to choose between paying their bills and accessing essential medical care," said Gretzky. "Access to healthcare should never depend on your postal code or your income."
Under Bill 117, applicants must be Ontario residents referred for care by a primary care provider and must show that private insurance or WSIB does not cover travel costs. Patients must also travel at least 100 kilometres from home to access care.
OHIP currently does not cover travel related to obtaining healthcare.
Patients must also apply within 12 months of travel and provide all receipts and documentation.
Natalie Mehra of the Ontario Health Coalition added that travelling for healthcare is more common than people realize.
"I think all of us know people who have had to travel great distances for healthcare, many of them elderly, many of them families with children, who have to come into Toronto, into Ottawa, or to the other large centres for specialized care," said Mehra.
The bill is co-sponsored by Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas, Ottawa Centre MPP Catherine McKenney, and Hamilton Centre MPP Robin Lennox.
According to the Ontario Legislature's official website, Bill 117 has undergone first reading and was ordered for second reading.
