u/Easy_Replacement4861

Looking for guidance from anyone with experience with OHIP Out-of-Country prior approval, Regulation 552 appeals, or HSARB hearings.

The situation, as briefly as I can put it.

I received a fatal fetal diagnosis at 22 weeks gestation following a Fetal Echocardiogram at SickKids. The diagnosis was made approximately five weeks after my anatomy scan first flagged concerns. The delay was due to wait times for diagnostic appointments at McMaster Maternal-Fetal Medicine and at SickKids, not due to any choice on my part.

By the time I sat for the consultation at Women's College Hospital in Toronto, which is the only centre in Ontario performing D&E procedures at my gestational age, I was at 23+1. The earliest tentative appointment offered was May 20, which would have placed me at 24+3, three days before the WCH institutional cutoff of 24+6, with the Victoria Day statutory holiday inside that buffer. The appointment was not confirmed and there was no flexibility in the booking window. I was told that if anything shifted the date past the cutoff, I would have to travel out of country, because no other Ontario provider performs the procedure at that gestational age.

I made the decision to travel to a clinic in Washington, D.C. for the procedure, which took place on May 13 and May 14, 2026. I paid out of pocket for the procedure and travel. The procedure itself cost approximately $14,000 CAD.

What I have done so far.

I submitted the OHIP Out-of-Country prior approval application after the fact, with supporting documentation from the McMaster MFM team, the SickKids consult, and the WCH consultation summary. I have not yet received a response.

I understand that under Regulation 552, the Ministry can fund out-of-country care only when the service is not available in Ontario or when delay would cause death or significant irreversible tissue damage. I also understand that prior approval is typically required, with emergency-circumstance exceptions interpreted narrowly.

My questions.

1. Has anyone here had experience with retroactive OHIP Out-of-Country approval where prior approval was not feasible due to the compressed timeline between diagnosis and the medically necessary travel?
2. If my application is denied, what is the realistic likelihood of success on appeal to the Health Services Appeal and Review Board, given that an Ontario provider was tentatively available within the gestational window but with no flexibility for any disruption?
3. For the CRA medical expense tax credit, is there any risk that the existence of a tentative Ontario appointment would be used to disqualify the claim on the basis that substantially equivalent care was available in Ontario, even if that appointment was not confirmed and had no buffer? I have read the Income Tax Act provisions and the CRA folio but the application to this specific situation is unclear.

I am not looking for sympathy or judgment about my decision. I am looking for honest legal assessment of where I realistically stand on these two reimbursement pathways.

Thank you.

Hi everyone,

I'm from Ontario and I recently had to travel to Washington DC for an abortion because the care I needed wasn't available in my own province.

At 19 weeks, soft markers showed up on my anatomy scan. By 22 weeks, MFM confirmed a serious fetal anomaly, and a fetal echo at SickKids confirmed a rare cardiac diagnosis. This was a wanted pregnancy. I made the decision to terminate at 22+4.

When I got to Women's College Hospital in Toronto — the only Ontario centre that performs D&E at this gestation — the earliest date they could offer me was May 20, which would have put me at 24+3, only three days inside their 24+6 cutoff, with the Victoria Day holiday compressing the schedule further. They told me that if I missed that window, my only option would be to travel outside Canada. No other Ontario provider was available; I asked, I escalated, I advocated. I was told WCH is the only centre doing these procedures in the province and that patients travel from as far as Sudbury to get there.

I made the call from the WCH waiting room and got an appointment at Dupont Clinic in Washington DC for May 13–14. I paid out of pocket for the procedure, flights, hotel, and meals. The total cost is significant and I'm now trying to recover what I can.

I've already contacted Action Canada, Abortion Care Canada, and the NAF Hotline. I have heard back from Action Canada and Abortion Care Canada who informed me that they do not reimburse after the fact. I'm pursuing the CRA medical expense tax credit and looking into an OHIP after-the-fact submission. Even the OHIP out of the country / out of province informed me that they do not reimburse for abortion procedures after the fact. I have been informed that I should have received approval from them prior to getting the abortion. If anyone has been through something similar and knows of:

• charities, funds, or grants I may have missed
• experience with OHIP out-of-country emergency claims that were approved retroactively
• US-based abortion funds that have helped Canadian patients
• any other practical advice

I would be incredibly grateful. I'm happy to share more detail privately with anyone who has been through this or works in this space.

Thank you for reading. The lack of access to this care in Ontario is something more people need to know about.

Hi everyone,

I'm from Ontario and I recently had to travel to Washington DC for an abortion because the care I needed wasn't available in my own province.

At 19 weeks, soft markers showed up on my anatomy scan. By 22 weeks, MFM confirmed a serious fetal anomaly, and a fetal echo at SickKids confirmed a rare cardiac diagnosis. This was a wanted pregnancy. I made the decision to terminate at 22+4.

When I got to Women's College Hospital in Toronto — the only Ontario centre that performs D&E at this gestation — the earliest date they could offer me was May 20, which would have put me at 24+3, only three days inside their 24+6 cutoff, with the Victoria Day holiday compressing the schedule further. They told me that if I missed that window, my only option would be to travel outside Canada. No other Ontario provider was available; I asked, I escalated, I advocated. I was told WCH is the only centre doing these procedures in the province and that patients travel from as far as Sudbury to get there.

I made the call from the WCH waiting room and got an appointment at Dupont Clinic in Washington DC for May 13–14. I paid out of pocket for the procedure, flights, hotel, and meals. The total cost is significant and I'm now trying to recover what I can.

I've already contacted Action Canada, Abortion Care Canada, and the NAF Hotline. I have heard back from Action Canada and Abortion Care Canada who informed me that they do not reimburse after the fact. I'm pursuing the CRA medical expense tax credit and looking into an OHIP after-the-fact submission. Even the OHIP out of the country / out of province informed me that they do not reimburse for abortion procedures after the fact. I have been informed that I should have received approval from them prior to getting the abortion. If anyone has been through something similar and knows of:

• charities, funds, or grants I may have missed
• experience with OHIP out-of-country emergency claims that were approved retroactively
• US-based abortion funds that have helped Canadian patients
• any other practical advice

I would be incredibly grateful. I'm happy to share more detail privately with anyone who has been through this or works in this space.

Thank you for reading. The lack of access to this care in Ontario is something more people need to know about.