Minister says veterans on Canada's Invictus team will get health coverage by 2025

Veterans' Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor now says that veterans on Canada's Invictus Games team will get full health coverage by 2025, days after CBC News reported that veterans on the team have to buy their own health insurance.

«We will continue to work with the Canadian Armed Forces, Soldier On, Invictus Games and other stakeholders to ensure … this situation will be rectified before Invictus Games 2025,» Petitpas Taylor told the House of Commons on Thursday.

NDP MP Rachel Blaney raised the issue in the House after CBC News reported that Scott Snow, a veteran who was a member of Canada's 2023 Invictus team, had been left on the hook for thousands of dollars in medical expenses.

Snow went to Dusseldorf, Germany to participate in archery, rowing and wheelchair rugby. During his first rugby match, the wheelchair he was using toppled backwards, slamming him onto the court floor and injuring his head, neck and spine.

Snow finished the game unaware of the damage the fall had caused, but after returning to Canada an X-ray revealed he had a cervical spine injury.

He underwent an operation to fuse his vertebrae together. When the tingling in his legs didn't stop, he had to have a second operation on his lower spine.

Canada's Invictus team is managed by Soldier On, a semi-autonomous CAF program. Soldier On helps ill and injured CAF members and veterans recover through sports, recreational and creative activities.

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) also supports the Invictus program by providing funding to Soldier On, including $16 million to allow Canada to host the 2025 games in Whistler B.C. and fund the team's participation.

The Whistler games will include skeleton bobsled, alpine skiing and snowboarding.

Snow says Soldier On