TL;DR: Most Canadian patients receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) travel outside their home community to access treatment, because hospital-based programmes are concentrated in roughly a dozen Canadian cities and a typical treatment course runs 20 to 40 daily sessions over 4 to 12 weeks. This guide explains how to use provincial medical travel grants, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) travel benefits, interprovincial reciprocal billing, hospital guesthouses, and the medical expense tax credit to manage the cost and logistics of an HBOT treatment trip.
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes. Last reviewed: 2026-05-29.
Why HBOT patients travel for treatment
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in Canada is delivered through two parallel systems. The first is the public hospital-based programme network, which operates in roughly a dozen tertiary hospitals across seven provinces and covers the 14 conditions recognised by Health Canada under provincial insurance. The second is the private outpatient clinic network, which serves a wider geography but is generally self-pay because most extended-health insurance plans do not cover HBOT as a named benefit.
For a standard treatment course, plan for 20 to 40 sessions of 90 to 120 minutes each, typically 5 days per week. That translates to a 4 to 12 week travel commitment. Emergency indications such as carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, and gas embolism are treated immediately at the closest 24/7 chamber and may involve interprovincial air-ambulance transfer, which is generally fully covered by provincial health insurance plus the relevant emergency transport programme.
Distances matter. A patient in Thunder Bay needing HBOT for a diabetic foot ulcer typically travels to Toronto General Hospital, which is over 1,400 km by road. A patient in Yellowknife may be referred to Edmonton’s University of Alberta Hospital. Patients in Prince Edward Island, Yukon, and Nunavut have no in-province hyperbaric chamber and are routinely referred interprovincially through their provincial or territorial medical travel programme.
Provincial and territorial medical travel programmes
Every province and territory has some form of medical travel assistance for residents who must travel for hospital-based care that is not available locally. The specific programme name, eligibility threshold, and reimbursement rate vary significantly. The following table summarises the major programmes that have been used to fund HBOT travel.
| Province or territory | Programme | Typical scope |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Northern Health Travel Grant (NHTG) | Mileage and accommodation grant for Northern Ontario residents travelling 100 km or more to specialty care. |
| British Columbia | Travel Assistance Program (TAP) | Discounted travel via partner airlines, ferries, and bus lines for patients referred by a physician for medically required care. |
| Alberta | Northern Travel Reimbursement and Cancer Care Alberta travel grants | Mileage and accommodation for northern residents; oncology-specific travel grants for patients referred to Edmonton or Calgary. |
| Saskatchewan | Family Health Benefits supplementary travel | Out-of-province travel reimbursement for low-income families and specific eligibility categories. |
| Manitoba | Northern Patient Transportation Program (NPTP) | Covers ground, air, and accommodation costs for northern Manitoba residents referred to Winnipeg or out-of-province centres. |
| Quebec | RAMQ déplacement et hébergement | Reimbursement for travel and accommodation when the closest qualified facility is outside the patient’s region or province. |
| New Brunswick | Medavie Blue Cross travel reimbursement (specific programmes) | Programme-specific travel allowances tied to particular clinical referrals. |
| Nova Scotia | No general provincial medical travel programme | Out-of-pocket travel costs; partial coverage available through some workplace plans, VAC, or charitable foundations. |
| Prince Edward Island | Medical Travel Assistance (out-of-province referrals) | Reimbursement for travel and accommodation when referred outside PEI for specialty care. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Medical Transportation Assistance Program (MTAP) | Travel and accommodation reimbursement for residents referred for medically necessary care unavailable locally. |
| Yukon | Travel for Medical Treatment | Covers approved travel and accommodation for Yukon residents referred outside the territory. |
| Northwest Territories | Medical Travel Policy | Comprehensive coverage of approved travel for NWT residents referred outside the territory. |
| Nunavut | Government of Nunavut Medical Travel | Full coverage of approved travel and accommodation for Nunavut residents referred to southern centres. |
Application processes vary. Most programmes require the referring physician to complete a travel grant form documenting the medical necessity, the closest qualified facility, and the inability to receive the same treatment locally. Patients should ask the referring clinic for the form at the same appointment that produces the HBOT referral. Hospital social workers at the receiving facility often help patients navigate retrospective reimbursement claims.
Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) travel benefits
Veterans Affairs Canada covers travel costs for veterans receiving treatment for a service-related condition. The coverage extends to mileage, public transit, parking, meals, and accommodation when the treatment is delivered more than a defined distance from the veteran’s residence. HBOT for late effects of radiation, problem wounds, traumatic brain injury (in jurisdictions where VAC has approved off-label coverage), and post-traumatic stress disorder (in jurisdictions where HBOT is being trialled under VAC pilot programmes) may qualify for travel benefit reimbursement.
Eligible veterans should contact VAC before scheduling treatment to confirm coverage. The relevant programme is the Veterans Affairs Canada Treatment Benefits Programme, accessible through the My VAC Account portal or by calling 1-866-522-2122. RCMP members and qualifying family members may also be eligible through parallel programmes.
Interprovincial reciprocal billing for HBOT
Interprovincial reciprocal billing is the federal-provincial agreement that allows Canadians to receive medically necessary hospital-based care while temporarily outside their home province, with billing handled directly between the two provincial insurance plans. Quebec opted out of the reciprocal billing system, which means Quebec residents pay upfront for out-of-province hospital care and seek RAMQ reimbursement afterwards. All other provinces and territories participate.
For HBOT, reciprocal billing typically covers the treatment cost itself at recognised hospital programmes for the 14 Health Canada-recognised indications. Travel, accommodation, meals, and any non-hospital expenses are not covered by reciprocal billing and must be claimed through the patient’s provincial medical travel programme, VAC if eligible, or paid out of pocket. Confirm the receiving hospital’s reciprocal billing status before travelling. Some private clinics are not on the reciprocal billing schedule even if they accept their home-province public insurance, so patients from out of province may face higher out-of-pocket costs at private facilities.
Where to stay during HBOT treatment
Many tertiary hospitals offer on-site patient and family accommodation at significantly reduced rates compared to commercial hotels. The largest network is the Canadian Cancer Society Lodge programme, which operates patient residences in many of the cities where HBOT is delivered. While the Lodges prioritise oncology patients, HBOT patients with cancer-related indications such as late effects of radiation and osteoradionecrosis frequently qualify.
- Toronto: Lodge that Gives at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Ronald McDonald House for paediatric HBOT.
- Vancouver: Easter Seals House and the Cancer Lodge of BC, both serving patients referred to Vancouver General Hospital.
- Edmonton: Hope Lodge at the Cross Cancer Institute, serving patients at the University of Alberta Hospital.
- Calgary: The Canadian Cancer Society Lodge and patient family lodging at Foothills Medical Centre.
- Winnipeg: CancerCare Manitoba patient hostel.
- Montreal: Several CHUM and McGill University Health Centre partner residences.
- Halifax: Cottages at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre.
- St. John’s: Daffodil Place patient residence operated by the Canadian Cancer Society.
If patient lodge accommodation is unavailable, hospital social workers and admissions coordinators frequently maintain a list of nearby hotels with negotiated medical patient rates. Ask at the time of booking the HBOT referral.
Medical expense tax credit for HBOT travel
Travel costs for medical treatment may be claimed as a non-refundable medical expense tax credit on a Canadian federal income tax return when the patient must travel at least 40 km one way to receive treatment not available closer to home. Eligible expenses include public transit fares, mileage at the CRA prescribed rate, parking, meals during long travel, and accommodation. If the patient must travel 80 km or more one way, the cost of a companion’s travel may also be claimed if the patient is unable to travel alone.
Keep itemised receipts for the entire treatment course. The medical expense credit aggregates across the tax year, so a 6-week HBOT travel stay can produce substantial credit. The Canada Revenue Agency publishes the eligible mileage rate annually in its medical expense guide.
What a typical HBOT treatment trip looks like
The structure of an HBOT travel stay depends on the indication and the referring hospital’s protocol. A typical course for a recognised condition such as a diabetic foot ulcer or late effects of radiation runs 20 to 40 sessions of 90 to 120 minutes each, scheduled 5 days per week. Patients can usually drive themselves home after each session, although temporary near-sightedness during the first 1 to 2 weeks of treatment is common and resolves after the course ends.
- Before you travel: Confirm the receiving hospital has your referral on file, confirm a start date, secure accommodation, and apply for any travel grant you qualify for in advance where possible.
- First week: Initial assessment, baseline imaging or wound photography, and the first 4 to 5 chamber sessions. Expect to spend 2 to 3 hours per day at the hospital including chamber time, briefing, and decompression rest.
- Weeks 2 to 5: Daily chamber sessions with weekly progress reviews. This is the routine phase. Some patients return home on weekends if travel distance and treatment scheduling allow.
- Final weeks: Tapering frequency in some protocols, repeat imaging or wound measurement, and discharge planning back to the referring physician. The receiving hospital sends a discharge summary to the home physician for ongoing wound care or oncology follow-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drive home immediately after each HBOT session?
Most patients can drive themselves home after each session. Temporary near-sightedness in the first 1 to 2 weeks is the most common limitation; if your visual changes are pronounced, ask the hyperbaric unit for advice or arrange a driver until the symptom stabilises. Patients who feel fatigued after sessions should plan accordingly.
Are travel grants paid in advance or as reimbursement?
Most provincial medical travel programmes are reimbursement-based: you pay out of pocket, keep itemised receipts, and submit a claim either monthly or after the treatment course ends. A few programmes offer advance payment for accommodation when paid through the hospital directly. Confirm the process with your provincial programme at the time of application.
Does interprovincial reciprocal billing cover the HBOT treatment itself?
Yes, for medically necessary hospital-based HBOT delivered at a recognised hospital programme for one of the 14 Health Canada-recognised indications. Reciprocal billing does not cover travel, accommodation, or meals. Quebec residents must pay upfront and seek RAMQ reimbursement because Quebec opted out of the reciprocal billing system.
If I am a veteran, should I claim through VAC or my provincial programme?
If the indication is service-related, VAC is generally the more comprehensive benefit and is typically the right path. If the indication is unrelated to military service, your provincial medical travel programme applies and you cannot double-claim. Contact VAC early to confirm coverage before travelling.
Can my spouse or family member’s travel be covered?
Many provincial medical travel programmes allow a companion travel allowance when the patient is medically unable to travel alone, when the patient is a child, or when the travel distance exceeds a defined threshold. The federal medical expense tax credit also allows companion travel claims for trips of 80 km or more if a companion is medically necessary. Document the medical necessity in advance with a physician note.
What if I cannot afford the out-of-pocket portion of travel?
Hospital social workers at the receiving HBOT centre are the right first point of contact. They maintain awareness of provincial charitable foundations, disease-specific patient assistance programmes, the Canadian Cancer Society lodge network, and religious organisation patient-family ministries that can fill financial gaps. Some private HBOT clinics also offer payment plans or charity-care reductions on a case-by-case basis.
Related resources on Canada Hyperbarics
- HBOT coverage by province: provincial public insurance details, extended health benefits, auto insurance, workers’ compensation, and VAC coverage.
- Facilities directory: interactive map of 33 Canadian HBOT facilities by city and province.
- Conditions treated with HBOT: the 14 Health Canada-recognised indications and the clinical evidence behind each.
- FAQ: 79 patient-facing questions about treatment, safety, billing, and access.
Medical disclaimer: This page is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Travel programme eligibility criteria, reimbursement rates, and application procedures change over time. Confirm details with the relevant provincial programme, VAC, or your treating physician before making travel commitments. For emergency hyperbaric indications such as carbon monoxide poisoning or decompression sickness, call 911 immediately.