Combined Canada launches supplemental insurance to cover costs standard plans miss
Nearly 2 in 5 Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime, and the average diagnosis costs patients close to $33,000 out-of-pocket — a gap Combined Canada is now moving to address.
The Chubb subsidiary launched Combined Cancer Care this week, a supplemental insurance product covering costs that standard plans typically leave behind, including travel, accommodations, home care, and household bills during treatment and recovery.
The product pays daily benefits of up to $400 directly to policyholders for inpatient and outpatient care, with optional lump-sum diagnosis benefits ranging from $2,500 to $10,000.
Coverage options extend to heart attack and stroke, and policy structures include palliative care and lifetime coverage.
Policyholders also get access to Teladoc Health Canada's Expert Medical Services.
The financial case for supplemental coverage is stark.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, patients face an additional $253 in monthly out-of-pocket expenses on top of lifetime costs, and nearly 80 percent of working-age Canadians report concerns about financial stability or retirement savings following a diagnosis.
The CMAJ projects 254,100 new cancer diagnoses in Canada in 2026 alone, with 87,900 projected deaths.
Vincent Iozzo, chief distribution officer at Combined Insurance Canada, said cancer can have "a profound financial effect on individuals and their loved ones," adding that Combined Cancer Care was designed to bridge those financial gaps with affordable, accessible coverage.
Michelle Duggan, VP of partnerships at the Canadian Cancer Society, said people facing unexpected costs mid-treatment need accessible options, adding that reducing "the overall cost of cancer" requires giving people tools to manage financial pressure.
Combined Canada said the launch is part of a broader strategy to expand its presence in the supplemental health market, coming amid increased collaboration between medical and enterprise communities to improve outcomes for Canadians navigating cancer and other critical illnesses.
