Overview

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that, if left untreated, can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure and even liver cancer. In Ontario, there are approximately 110,000 people who have been infected with hepatitis C, including 35,000 people who do not know they have been infected.

A person infected with hepatitis C through the blood supply in Ontario may be eligible to receive a one-time lump sum payment of $25,000 from The Ontario Hepatitis C Assistance Plan (OHCAP) .

Applying for the plan

Eligibility

The plan is available to:

  • anyone who may have contracted hepatitis C virus (HCV) through the blood supply in Ontario before January 1, 1986, or between July 2, 1990 to September 28, 1998
  • a person who was secondarily infected (secondary) with HCV through a primarily infected spouse, long-term sexual partner, or their mother (vertical transmission during gestation or childbirth). This primarily infected person (primary) must have contracted HCV through the blood supply in Ontario, and must have applied to and received compensation from OHCAP for the secondary to be eligible to apply for compensation through OHCAP
  • a legal representative of an estate of an individual who contracted HCV through the Ontario blood supply prior to January 1, 1986, or between July 2, 1990 to September 28, 1998

How to apply

To apply you need to:

  • complete and sign the applicant and physician forms
  • provide a copy of a positive HCV public health laboratory result

To submit the necessary documents, you can email them or mail them to:

Ministry of Health
Ontario Hepatitis C Assistance Plan
Box 751
77 Wellesley Street West
Toronto ON M7A 9Z9

All information collected by Ministry of Health for the purposes of this application process is kept confidential, as per the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Application forms

Primary/Secondary Application forms:

Estate Application forms:

Appointment of Designated Representative form:

Additional information

The application process can take over 12 months to complete. The length of time depends mainly on the availability of hospital and transfusion records.

OHCAP compensation does not impact eligibility for other programs such as social assistance, Trillium Drug Benefit or family benefits.

OHCAP compensation is not considered income by Revenue Canada and are not taxable.
Each eligible applicant will receive a one-time lump sum of $25,000. An applicant who is not eligible for compensation can choose to have that decision independently reviewed by the OHCAP Review Committee.

Resources

The following resources provide additional information on Hepatitis C: