Simplified medical travel out of country?

1

I’m preparing an adjustment request involving medical travel out of country. I know I can claim airfare and accommodations + meals, but what about car rental (I think not)? If not, do you think it’s allowable to use simplified travel/km based on 3000K distance home: treatment facility (even though they flew)? That would cover the airfare + a chunk of car rental…
Context: cancer diagnosis; travel to Arizona w/ supporting spouse for 3 month course of treatment; BIG $$ claim.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts,

2

The driving km’s would likely not work because they didn’t drive. The car rental expense may be allowed but you might have a claim based on the simplified method (per km). There is a case, Knechtel v The Queen where car rental expenses were allowed but it sounds like CRA didn’t allow it first. The obvious question would be how to allocate the proper cost to the medical expenses.

3

I just had an 18k foreign medical claim denied by CRA for a client who had a knee surgery because the wait domestically would have been 2 years here.

Mind me asking what kind of support documentation you plan on including? Doctors note? Curious.

4

It’s interesting, @Deepinthemoneycall, that you asked about the support documentation. For any medical travel I’ve claimed for clients, although I warn the clients of the rules, including treatment not available locally, I’ve never had CRA ask me to show that the treatment was not available locally. I tell my clients that the reasoning would be (in most case) that the treatment is available locally but only after waiting an inordinate length of time during which the client’s health may decrease. I have noticed recently that Processing Review is asking for more information so supporting this condition may become the norm.

5

I have had CRA question travel expenses, saying there was a cancer clinic in Camrose Alberta, why are they travelling to the Cross Cancer in Edmonton…

6

I had one a few years ago - client had cancer and went to some “alternative medicine” clinic in Germany. CRA asked for supporting documentation regarding comparable treatment available locally. I told the client to get a letter from her doctor stating that nothing similar is offered in Canada. The client’s husband got me the letter, but his wife died in the meantime. I wonder if that convinced CRA to allow the deduction - total of about $12,000.

7

I just completed a review for knee replacement travel medical expenses. Provided letters from all the doctors involved regarding delays of assessments and wait lists, and then did a cover letter to lay out the scene. Accepted with no issues, including simplified claims for attendant expenses for the spouse since you can’t drive after.

8

A doctor’s note hadn’t even crossed my mind (but I’m pretty sure I saw one in the client’s docs).
CRA’s own info on conditions states * It is reasonable, under the circumstances, for you to have travelled to that place for those medical services.
I’d think the 2 year wait would have justified your client’s case?
As I understand it, this WAS a different treatment program than available locally - and then she died anyway. In this case the claim will be >300K so…

9

You’d think… appearantly CRA takes the perspective now of having people suffer rather than seek medical treatment immediately. I’m currently still fighting this.