Scantlebury Wealth Management

It is probably a question that has not occurred to anyone recently.  I often ask people that simple question: can I review your disability insurance? If you haven’t guessed, the answer is usually a polite refusal. People often tell me that they have enough insurance, that their group insurance is fine and it works or that they have no need of disability insurance. In that same breath, I can also say that I have lost count of the number of people who have run into trouble later. That later account usually doesn’t come from the same people to whom I have asked the question. It usually comes to my attention from a friend, a colleague or someone we have in common.  The story comes to my ears as a health event; one that was “unanticipated, unpredictable and unexpected”. It is seen as an incident that could not have been foretold. It could be a white collar professional who started experiencing the pains that come with fibromyalgia or polymyalgia, or a blue collar professional who e...

Most Canadians tend to be reassured by Canada’s universal healthcare system. We are so reassured that we hold a simple belief: if we get sick, all we need to do is go to the hospital. The system will take care of the rest. To be fair, our public health care system does excel at immediate emergency care, basic hospital stays, and standard physician visits. However, increasingly, many of us are finding that it has critical vulnerabilities. This is especially true when it comes to surgical wait times and the approval of new medications, treatments and therapies. Accordingly, if someone’s provincial health care coverage falls short, patients face a grim ultimatum: wait while their health deteriorates, or pay out-of-pocket for private or out-of-country treatment. Increasingly, an unimaginable situation is becoming increasingly common: spending $200,000 now for out-of-country treatment, so that you could appeal a decision by your provincial government later. For most families, absorbing such...

Canada finds itself at an unprecedented demographic crossroads. A growing segment of the population now belongs to the "sandwich generation": individuals between the ages of 30 and 60 who find themselves simultaneously supporting dependent children and aging parents. In many modern households, due to remarriages, late-in-life births, or increased longevity, caregivers are often juggling three or even four generations at once. In such a busy environment, there are the usual distractions. There are the usual dental appointments to clean teeth and add crowns. There are medical appointments for bumps, bruises and check-ups. Someone has to do the cooking and the grocery shopping, while simultaneously ensuring that the car gets taken to the mechanic to change the oil, or the tires. Kids have to be taken to extracurricular activities, like basketball try-outs, dance or piano recitals, soccer or hockey lessons. In this modern world, there is very little time for rest, let alone to th...

Medical science is evolving at a historic pace. Breakthrough treatments that were once deemed impossible are now becoming a reality, offering families renewed hope in the face of devastating diagnoses. However, these medical advancements highlight a critical truth about modern healthcare: innovation comes with a significant price tag, and public health systems cannot always cover every cost immediately. Just look at the Lecanemab (brand name Leqembi) - a groundbreaking disease-modifying therapy for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease - and its recent journey through Canada's approval process. This drug's journey is important because it provides one simple example of why personal financial protection, specifically Critical Illness Insurance, is no longer optional in Canada. In February 2026, Canada's Drug Agency - a pan-Canadian health organization, created and funded by Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial governments - issued an initial preliminary draft recommending ...