Canada Life denies disability coverage to RCMP officer injured in the line of duty. Advocates say he’s not alone

When retired RCMP Constable Jason Hydamaika heard the news that insurance money was coming for his amputated leg, he sat in his truck and started crying.

Hydamaika had been in pain for years after an accident he suffered while on duty.

Last summer, his lower right leg was amputated as a result. But he was twice denied $55,000 in Canada Life Accidental Loss Insurance because the insurer said he needed to have the amputation within two years of the injury to qualify.

Five years after the initial accident, after several failed surgeries and many sleepless nights in chronic pain, Hydamaca underwent amputation.

Several days after CBC News contacted Canada Life about Hydemaica’s denial of accidental loss insurance, they received a call from the company saying two checks were on their way – one for $50,000 and another for $5,000.

In a statement, Canada Life said, “While we cannot comment on specifics due to confidentiality, coverage decisions must follow the RCMP’s planning direction.”

“Canada Life understands the long and difficult recovery journey associated with this type of accident, which is why we worked with the RCMP to deliver a solution for the plan member.”

Insurer did not respondCBC News questions why it revised its decision.

a miserable night

Hydamaika was injured during a routine traffic stop in his hometown of Elkford, BC in November 2019, which changed his life forever.

Hydemka was chasing a man accused of selling drugs when he knocked him to the ground, landing hard on packed snow and ice.

She later developed an egg-shaped lump on her lower right legg-thThe beginning of an extremely painful five and a half year medical journey, which ended with the amputation of his limb.

hydamacka – now 54 – thOriginally refused accidental loss payments from its insurer, Canada Life. A letter from the company reviewed by CBC News says he is not entitled to payment for the loss of the limb because the amputation occurred more than two years after the injury.

“Based on the information on file, we are advising that the injury you sustained will not be considered a covered loss under this policy,” the letter said.

“I just expected a little more sympathy from them,” Hydamaika told CBC News Before Canada Life reversed its decision.

Haidamaika appealed the denial and was again rejected.

“While we can certainly appreciate that your care team was attempting to save your leg during the procedures they performed on you, the actual amputation occurred beyond the contractual limitation date of 730 days,” Canada Life’s appeal letter said.

hydamacamputee ofThe incident occurred in July 2025, more than five years after the injury.

“It wasn’t an issue of sitting around with a form and not mailing it in. I was constantly trying to heal this injury and feel like people who are trying to get better shouldn’t be punished,” Hydamaika said.

“I don’t think many people have the same outcome as me. And I seem to be unique enough that they would look at it and say, ‘This is not what this two-year policy is meant to cover.'”

War amps say amputee claims are often rejected

Advocates say Hydameca is not alOne – amputees are often denied funding because there are rarely set deadlines for amputationsThis is the time limit set by the insurers.

“The decision to have a leg amputated is unimaginable and should never be rushed into for a person,” said Amy Brennan, a case assistant in the advocacy program at The War Amputations of Canada (War Amps) – a charitable organization supporting amputees.

Hydameca’s diagnosis and treatment were delayed as the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic postponed non-essential surgeries and brought Canada’s health-care system to the brink of collapse.

During her fifth doctor’s appointment in Elkford, Hydamaika was diagnosed with a fibular tear, where the muscles in her leg were bulging and rubbing against two nerves.

before the accidentnt, hydeAmica used to go camping and hiking with his wife and their three teenage boys. But now, simple tasks like cutting the grass or sleeping through the night seemed impossible.

Bad days turned into bad weeks and then into bad months.

In 2022, more than a year after the accident, Haidamaka underwent his first surgery to fix the financial crisis – which got worse after the procedure. He had a second surgery in January 2023, but the pain continued.

In January 2025, Hydamaika and his medical team made the decision to harvest the organs.

“That was a big word to hear,” he said.

“You have to understand what kind of situation you’re in where talking about losing a limb feels like a good option,” he said.

In July 2025, Hydemaica hit its bottom Correct His leg was amputated in a Calgary hospital and his pain stopped for the first time since the accident.

“It literally saved my life,” Hydmacka said. “There’s really no other way to say it.”

Finally, he could sleep through the night.

More disability education is needed

The accident forced Haidamaika into early retirement, making the last few years a financial “nightmare”.

Brennan said War Amps has seen cases like Hydamaca’s before.

“I think one of the main reasons that insurance companies deny accidental amputations or the different insurance challenges that we see individuals with disabilities face is just a lack of education,” Brennan said.

“Amputations, it’s a very small percentage of the population,” he said.

Do not do itLawyer says to accept all insurance denials

Sivan Tumarkin is co-founding partnerVancouver law firm KRAmfiru Tumarkin LLP specializes in insurance matters.

Tumarkin said that when people appeal their insurance denials, the company often has no incentive to change its stance. – But decisions are not set in stone.

“There are times when there is gray area, and there is room to negotiate and maneuver,” Tumarkin said.

“This is not an independent process.”

Hydamaika said he is grateful to those who stood up for him during the insurance process.

“It really means more to me than money,” Hydmacka said.

“Just someone standing up and saying, ‘Hey, let’s do right by someone.'”

With some of the insurance money, Hydamaika wants to take his kids on a road trip and buy a rooftop tent for his truck.

“It would be a dream to do it without worrying about money,” he said.