Paying a $1 million medical bill

We’ve all heard stories of sticker shock from patients who have received expensive medical bills south of the border. But you may be surprised to hear that it can happen here too. This is the story of a Hamilton woman who is struggling to pay nearly one million dollars for her brother’s cancer care.

In August 2012, Jane Sumwiza’s brother Clement Rwagamba came to Hamilton from Rwanda for her son’s wedding.

He had previously been diagnosed with sciatica. But about two weeks into his visit, he became very ill.

Jane: “We took him to Juravinksi in emergency and immediately they found it wasn’t a sciatic nerve but it was cancer, multiple myeloma.”

Juravinski Cancer Centre began treatment right away. And for the next four and a half months, Rwagamba was kept under close watch until his condition improved. But because he’s not a Canadian citizen, Rwagamba isn’t covered by OHIP.

Jane: “The bill is 900-thousand dollars. Almost a million dollars.”

As a pastor in Rwanda, Rwagamba is only paid enough to maintain his home. So Sumwiza is taking responsibility for the cost of her brother’s treatment: “But it’s so huge, I don’t even know where to start. Like it’s almost a million dollars.”

Sandra Licata is the Hamilton Health Sciences Director of Finance: “When a patient presents themselves requiring emergency care, in Canada we do not refuse care.”

HHS Director Licata wouldn’t speak specifically to Rwagamba’s case, but says when patients must pay out of pocket for treatment, the hospital ensures they find a way recover the cost of care by working with patients on a case by case basis: “Certainly there are going to be instances where we can’t recover the cost but we do our very best to ensure we do.”

Sumwiza has barely paid off any of the hospital bill as she is now funding her brother’s chemotherapy treatment in Rwanda. But she will be working out a payment plan with the hospital in January: “I really thank them very much. I know the bill is big but they really did a great job.”

In non-emergency situations, Licata says patients who are not covered by insurance have to pay up front for treatment in Canada. Sumwiza says while doctors in Rwanda are providing chemotherapy, they are not equipped to follow up with her brother’s progress. That’s something he may go to South Africa for because he already owes too much here.