Cancer patients will no longer have to pay for oral treatment and support drugs, saving more than 4,000 Manitobans thousands of dollars on their road to recovery.

Through CancerCare Manitoba’s new Home Cancer Drug Program, patients will get 100 per cent of their oral treatment drugs paid for when receiving treatment at home.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, cancer patients face costs of up to $13,000 plus additional expenses, like anti-nausea and pain medication.

Michael Geiger-Wolf said his cancer drugs from his 2003 diagnosis cost $20,000 a year.

“(I would think) do I feel $10 pill sick or do I feel $300 pill sick? Both of those were options. On many occasions, I chose to be sick rather than pay for that pill,” said Geiger-Wolf.

Geiger-Wolf said it was hard for him to choose between getting better and his family’s finances. He is now battling cancer for the second time and will not have to pay for the same drugs this time around, saving his family tens of thousands of dollars.

“The plan is to insure that individuals that are on their battle with cancer can focus on that battle,” said Health Minister Theresa Oswald, who along with Premier Greg Selinger, was at the Canadian Cancer Society announcement on Thursday morning.

The plan was promised Tuesday in the 2012 Manitoba Budget.
Manitoba is the second province in the country to provide this kind of payment for treatment, following Saskatchewan.