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

When retired RCMP constable Jason Hydamacka heard the news that the insurance money for his amputated leg was coming, he sat in his truck and cried.

Hydamacka had been in pain for years following an accident he suffered in the line of duty.

This past 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.

Hydamacka’s amputation came five years after the initial accident, following multiple failed surgeries and many sleepless nights in chronic pain.

Several days after CBC News contacted Canada Life about Hydamacka’s denial of his accidental loss insurance, he received a call from the company saying that two cheques were on their way —one for $50,000 and another for $5,000. 

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

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

The insurer did not answer CBC News questions about why it revised its decision.

Hydamacka was injured in his hometown of Elkford, B.C., in November 2019 while performing a routine traffic stop that would change his life forever. 

Hydamacka was in pursuit of a man accused of selling drugs when he tackled him to the ground, landing hard on the ice and packed snow. 

An egg-sized lump later developed on his lower right leg — the start of a deeply painful five-and-a-half year medical journey that ended in the amputation of his limb. 

Hydamacka — now 54 — was originally denied his accidental loss payment from his insurer, Canada Life. A letter from the company, reviewed by CBC News, said he was not entitled to a payment for loss of limb, because the amputation occurred more than two years after the injury. 

“According to the information on file, we are advising that the injury you sustained is not considered a covered loss within the meaning of this policy,” the letter said 

“I just expected maybe a little bit more empathy from them,” Hydamacka told CBC News before Canada Life reversed its decision. 

Hydamacka appealed the denial and was rejected again. 

“While we can certainly appreciate that your care team was attempting to save your leg during the procedures you underwent, the actual amputation took place beyond the contractual limitation date of 730 days,” said the appeal letter from Canada Life. 

Hydamacka’s amputation occurred in July 2025, more than five years after the injury. 

“This wasn’t an issue of sitting around with a form and not mailing it. I was continuously trying to fix this injury and it seems like trying to get better shouldn’t be punished,” said Hydamacka. 

“I don’t think many people have a similar outcome to me. And I would seem to be unique enough that they would want to look at it and say, ‘This isn’t what this two-year policy is meant to encompass.’”

Advocates say Hydamacka isn’t alone — amputees are often denied funding because the timelines for an amputation rarely line up with the time limits set by insurers.

“The decision to amputate is unimaginable and it should absolutely not be rushed for an individual,” said Aimee Brennan, a case assistant in the advocacy program at The War Amputations of Canada (War Amps) — a charitable organization supporting amputees. 

Hydamacka’s diagnosis and treatment was delayed as the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic postponed nonessential surgeries and pushed Canada’s health-care system to a breaking point.

At his fifth doctor’s appointment in Elkford, Hydamacka was diagnosed with a fiscal tear, where the muscle in his leg was bulging through and rubbing against two nerves. 

Before the accident, Hydamacka would go camping and hiking with his wife and their three teen boys. But now, simple tasks like mowing the grass or sleeping through the night felt impossible. 

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

In 2022, over a year after the accident, Hydamaka underwent his first surgery to repair the fiscal tear — which only worsened after the procedure. He had a second surgery in January 2023, but continued to suffer chronic pain. 

In January 2025, Hydamacka and his medical team made the decision to amputate. 

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

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

In July 2025, Hydamacka had his lower right leg amputated at a hospital in Calgary, and his pain stopped for the first time since the accident. 

“This really saved my life,” said Hydamacka. “There’s no other way to say it really.” 

Finally, he could sleep through the night. 

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

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

“I think one of the main reasons that insurance companies deny accidental dismemberment or different insurance challenges that we see amputees facing is just a lack of education,” said Brennan. 

“Amputation is, it’s such a small percentage of the population,” she said.

Sivan Tumarkin is the co-founding partner of Vancouver law firm Samfiru Tumarkin LLP and specializes in insurance cases. 

Tumarkin said when people appeal their insurance denial, the company doesn’t often have an incentive to change their stance — but decisions aren’t set in stone.

“There is a lot of times grey area, and there is room to negotiate and maneuver,” said Tumarkin. 

“It’s not an independent process.”

Hydamacka said he’s thankful to the people who stood up for him during the insurance process.

“That actually means more to me than the money,” said Hydamacka.

“Just somebody standing up and saying, ‘Hey, let’s do right for somebody.’”

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

“That would be a dream, would be to make that happen without worrying about the money part,” he said.