Positions on Public Policy

The Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation understands Canada’s health care and charitable environments. Our position statements on public policy are one of the ways we demonstrate our support of stakeholders.

The Foundation advocates in the best interests of patients. We encourage patients and all Canadians to exercise their right to advocate respectfully for one’s self and for improvements to our health care system.

Resuming Restorative Surgery after COVID-19 Pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic begins to stabilize and health care decision-makers face challenges regarding prioritizing surgeries, the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation is advocating for the many thousands of orthopaedic patients who continue to live with debilitating pain every single day. Read More.

Surgical Wait Times

Canadian patients must often endure lengthy wait times – sometimes a year or more – before they have their surgery, which can cause physical, emotional, and economic burdens for those patients and their families. We believe Canadians need and deserve timely access to quality orthopaedic care. Read More.

Timely Access to Quality Medical Innovations

Because of lengthy regulatory approval times and limited health care budgets, patients may not always receive the best medicine or medical device to suit their needs. We support regulatory reform to ensure patients have access to the best available medicines and medical devices for their needs – not simply the lowest-cost option. Read More.

Cross-Border Sales of Prescription Medication

Cross-border sales of prescription medication and the challenges this activity creates have the capacity to reduce the quantity available and increase their costs to Canadians, thus adding another stumbling block to accessing quality orthopaedic care. We believe that further public debate is necessary to clarify public policy and future action on the issue. Read More.

Personal Privacy Legislation

Since digital data is so easily transferred from one computer to another, government has responded with legislation to protect privacy. We support such legislation protecting personal privacy in proper balance with supporting a charitable organization’s ability to achieve its socially beneficial mandate. Read More.