Travel is possible for people who are on dialysis. We would encourage you to travel as you are able; however, it does take some planning ahead of time.
Lions Camp Dorset is a unique resort that offers a vacation opportunity
for dialysis patients and their families! Call the camp directly or ask your dialysis nurse or social worker for more information.
"Travelling on PD" YouTube video
Some things to know about travelling on Hemodialysis:
If you want to travel you will need to find a dialysis unit to accept you as a “visitor”. Centers in popular tourist areas may need 3-months notice and most centres usually have a first-come first-serve policy.
So if you’re hoping to get away don’t leave your plans too late!
You are responsible to find a dialysis unit, for any costs incurred for your treatment and for making a decision about travel insurance.
If travelling is in your future, please ask to speak to a renal social worker who can walk you through what you need to know and provide you with a “Hemodialysis Travel” brochure.
If you are an Ontario resident and eligible for OHIP, the cost of dialysis treatments are covered by OHIP. If you want to travel outside of the province and you require dialysis treatments, you should review the Service Ontario website. You will find information detailing OHIP eligibility, what costs are covered for out or province travel and what costs are not covered by OHIP. There are also recommendations about private medical insurance:
You are strongly advised to purchase additional health insurance every time you leave Canada to cover any expenses in excess of the limited funding provided by OHIP.
The Kidney Foundation of Canada publishes a document called “Insurance Tips for People with Kidney Disease”
Cost for travelling within Canada: In Canada, the health coverage agreement among the provinces allows you to be dialyzed anywhere in Canada at no additional cost to you. Your province is billed directly for the service. In some areas, private clinics have opened, and not all of the costs may be covered by OHIP. Be sure to find out the exact costs ahead of time so there are no surprises. It is wise to check with OHIP to find out if all charges will be covered in the private clinic you plan to visit.
Cost for travelling Abroad: If you are traveling outside of Canada, OHIP will cover $210.00 (Canadian dollars) for every dialysis treatment received. You can apply to the Kidney Foundation for an interest free loan to cover this cost (up to a maximum of 12 treatments). However, you will have to cover any additional costs (i.e. blood work, medications, physician visit) and submit these to the Ministry of Health for reimbursement. These costs should be established in advance of your trip so you can adequately prepare for these expenses.
Some things you need to know about travelling on Peritoneal Dialysis:
Ease of travel is one of the reasons people choose Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) as their choice for dialysis. LHSC has a partnership with Baxter Corporation to supply and deliver what you need to do dialysis in your home. Baxter also has an extensive global distribution network which enables them to deliver across Canada and around the world. With the help of Baxter's Program, patients can successfully continue their PD therapy while exploring the world abroad, including Alaska and Hawaii and cruises from any port, domestic or international. At this time, there is no deliver cost to you for 1-2 trips/year made within Canada or for 1 trip to the United States. For additional trips and alternate locations, patients will be charged by Baxter for cost of the delivery. Patients should talk to their dialysis team and Baxter HomeCare Services Travel Specialist to learn more. Feel free to email Baxter at HomeCare@Baxter.com for queries regarding travel within Canada, and to Renal_Travel_Orders_Canada@Baxter.com for queries regarding your international travel plans.
