The Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister of Labrador Affairs, is pleased to highlight changes to the mileage assistance rate for the Medical Transportation Assistance Program as announced in Budget 2025: Smarter. Stronger. Better.
Patients who travel more than 500 kilometres a year to access specialized medical care under the Medical Transportation Assistance Program are now entitled to a $0.25 per kilometre rate for private vehicle travel, a five-cent increase from the $0.20 rate. The 500-kilometre annual deductible period runs from April 1 to March 31. This new mileage rate is available for eligible kilometres driven on or after April 1, 2025.
Over 20,000 trips, or seven million kilometres, have been covered through the Medical Transportation Assistance Program during the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
The Department of Labrador Affairs is committed to ongoing improvements for the medical transportation assistance program. Since assuming responsibility for the program in 2023, continuous enhancements have been made to ensure it provides strong benefits to those who must travel for medical care. Some of these enhancements include in-province flight vouchers, enhanced assistance rates and an increase to accommodation per diem rates. See the backgrounder below for more details.
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“This latest change is just one example of how our government is improving the Medical Transportation Assistance Program for the benefit of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who need to leave home for important medical services. By increasing the kilometre rate for those who must travel excessively, we hope to alleviate some of the financial strain allowing individuals to focus on their health and getting well.”
Honourable Lisa Dempster
Minister of Labrador Affairs
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Medical Transportation Assistance – Labrador Affairs
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BACKGROUNDER
Budget 2025: Smarter. Stronger. Better contains $1 million additional funding for the medical transportation assistance programs to build on the significant enhancements launched in 2024. Previous enhancements include:
- An In-Province Flight Voucher Program established in partnership with PAL Airlines. The voucher program offers Labrador-Grenfell Health Zone clients $1,000 upfront towards their first eligible airfare costs plus an assistance rate of 75 per cent towards any additional eligible airfare costs between $1,000 and $8,000; and 85 per cent towards costs greater than $8,000, accumulated from April 1 to March 31.
- These enhanced assistance rates also extend to clients and escorts in the Labrador-Grenfell Health Zone who travel out of province.
- The upfront voucher is part of a new fast-track process where applications can be processed within two business days.
- Elimination of $400 family deductible on first $400 of eligible costs for Island health zone residents who travel out-of-province; plus enhanced assistance rates to mirror those offered to clients and escorts in the Labrador-Grenfell Health Zone when travelling by air.
- Claimable per diem for purchased accommodations increased to $150 per night in-province and $175 per night out-of-province.