COPD Canada's Letter Writing Campaigns

One of the things we at COPD Canada undertake is to write  letters (as a collective voice) to agencies and Government officials.  Below is a summary of a few of those campaigns and the results:

  March & April/09 - Two seperate Letter Campaigns ; one from the Executives of the Network  and another from the Members  for a total of 202 letters sent.:  19 responses received  as follows: 

• Minister of Health   Manitoba

• Minister of Health PEI

• Minister of Health  Nova Scotia,

• Minister of Health, Sask.

• Minister of Health, NB

• Minister of Health, ON

• Federal Health Minister

• Federal Dept of Finance

• Federal Minister of Finance

• Minister of the Environment

• PEI Dept. of Health

• Premier of Prince Edward Island

• Premier of Manitoba

• Premier of Sask.

• Lung Assoc's of NS & Alberta,

• A physician in Sask,

• Northern Health in BC

• Ministry of Health Svc, BC; Valerie Tregillus, Exec Dir

• Eastern Health, Nfld,

BEST Response goes to the Alberta Lung Association & a Sask. Family Physician

Worst:  Stephen Harper /Aide

Federal Election (Fall 2008)   - You really  DON'T want to know..

Members wrote to the various parties, specifically addressing COPD and what their plans were to address this 4th leading killer in Canada...

The BEST Response...goes to  Diana Cabott, Liberal Party Candidate, Kelowna Lake Country (Kelowna BC)  

WORST (actually a tie...  Stephen Haprper (PM of Canada) who supplied "canned responses; not much different than a couple of years ago ) and The Canadian Action Party. 

MOST Responses  goes to the NDP....   with "generic"  responses including one which they must have assumed it was to the Lung Association. It too however was generic. They did however, in all fairness,  send a "post" election letter to one of our members though not a "pre" election letter to this same member.

  The College of Physicians & Surgeons of 10 provinces

We wrote to each; asking them to encourage/urge their membership to become more aware of "recognizing" and "testing" for COPD by utilizing Spirometry and to further urge their members learn more about this disease and the management of same.  More particularly the front liners....our family Dr's.

Of the 10 we contacted; only 4 have responded to date. 

British Columbia; Alberta and 2  letters from Manitoba

Letters Written to Tony Clement (Health Minister for Canada) re:  COPD as a National Crisis

Replies 1 

   Letters Written to the Prime Minister of Canada:  Stephen Harper

We received 3 identical "form letters" from his Aide  w/o substance

The Ministers of Health - Each Province

Our latest round was to the Ministers of Health (each province) asking several things.  1) Does your province cover the costs of lung transplants 2) Do you cover the cost of travel to a facility that performs same 3)  Do you cover the cost of meds; more specifically on-going anti-rejection meds.

(Please understand that at times it's difficult to "decipher" what Govt bureaucrats are actually saying; we have interpreted as best we can.)

NOTE:  ALWAYS check with your provincial Dept's of Health/provincial medical plans.  Do not assume the accuracy below; we cannot and do not guarantee it.  This is intended as general info only.

Alberta: Lung Transplants & LVRS is an insured service available to all qualifying Albertans under the AHCIP at no cost to the patient.   Travel expenses are not covered.  Anti-rejection meds are covered (though regular prescription drugs are not covered)

Manitoba - responded with a very brief polite letter but did NOT address our questions. (Perhaps they feel it isn't important enough)

Saskatchewan -  Transplants are covered; travel expenses are not covered.  Certain anti rejection meds are covered/fall under the Saskatchewan Prescription Drug Plan.  For additional coverage info you can contact the Drug Plan at 306-787-3317

Ontario - LVRS & Lung Transplants are cover by OHIP.  .  Travel costs are not covered though grants are available to assist the residents of the Northern part of the Province.  Anti rejection meds.  'People may be eligible for drug coverage under the Ministry's drug programs (the Ontario Drug Benefit) ODB and (Trillium Drug Programs) TDP. 

For info on ODB coverage - 866-811-9893  TDP 800-575-5386

ODB & TDP covers some anti rejection meds.

Quebec - Supplied several links

Nova Scotia - Transplants are covered (done in Ontario).  Travel is NOT covered.  4 anti rejection meds are covered as well as oxygen (if you're on some form of social assistance )

British Columbia - was very confusing and with each question they ultimately referred us to websites.

Re: Lung Transplants http://www.transplant.bc.ca/pre_lung.htm

Travel Assistance http://www.hlth.gov.bc.ca/msp/mtapp/index.html

Oxygen Therapy - (the responsibility of the individual health authorities - not the Ministry) http://www.healthservices.gov.bc.ca/scosec.index.html

No mention of anti rejection meds

As of July 12/07 - no responses were received from the Minister's of Health for the other provinces. 

This page last updated February, 2010