TORONTO, March 9, 2016 /CNW/ - Bedrocan Canada Inc.
(Bedrocan Canada) is today launching a personalized insurance claim
concierge service in collaboration with Canadians for Fair Access
to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM).
Jonathan Zaid, the Executive
Director of CFAMM and the first Canadian to have his medical
cannabis covered by a group insurance plan, will work with a group
of Bedrocan clients to identify individuals who may be able to
attain coverage under their pre-existing insurance plans.
Cannabis costs have been routinely covered in some instances,
most notably under the Veterans Affairs health plan. Canadians who
have injured themselves on the job have also been granted coverage
under provincial workers compensation boards on a case-by-case
basis. These are positive signs that can and should be built
upon.
"Medical cannabis should be covered like every other medication,
yet patients often struggle to obtain coverage under their health
plans," said Jonathan Zaid. "This
partnership with Bedrocan Canada, we hope will help enable patients
to successfully advocate for coverage."
Cannabis has been clinically proven to effectively treat a
number of symptoms associated with serious conditions such as HIV
& AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and chronic pain, yet its
users continue to be denied coverage by the insurance industry.
"We see this is as an important first step in a larger process.
Our hope is this personalized service will help to identify case
studies that will successfully engage insurance companies in
understanding both the therapeutic and economic benefits of medical
cannabis use. The goal is to lay the groundwork in the short term
while leading to cost coverage for tens of thousands of Canadians
in the long run," said Marc Wayne,
Bedrocan Canada President. "Whether you're a Bedrocan customer or
not, we are working with medical cannabis patients across
Canada to address this
inconsistency."
In order to apply for the concierge service, Bedrocan Canada
clients are asked to fill out a short survey. The data will be used
to identify applicants who may be eligible for some form of
insurance coverage. Although participants will be identified based
on their potential eligibility for insurance coverage, the
organizations will leverage individual cases that can lead to
systemic change across the industry.
Please visit www.bedrocan.ca/pages/insurance or
www.cfamm.ca/insurance-support/ for more information.
About CFAMM: Founded in 2014, Canadians for Fair Access
to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM) is a federal
non-profit, patient-run organization dedicated to
protecting and improving the rights of medical cannabis patients.
CFAMM's goal is to enable patients to obtain fair and safe
access to medical cannabis with a special
focus on affordability, including private and
public insurance coverage.
About Bedrocan Canada: Bedrocan Canada is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Canopy Growth Corporation (TSX.V:CGC). The company is
focused on medicinal cannabis production and research, including,
the EQUAL Study, which is currently enrolling patients and
evaluating how cannabis is affecting the quality of life of
Canadian patients. Recently, through True Compassionate
Pricing and advocacy and engagement efforts with the federal
government and the insurance industry, Bedrocan Canada has
intensified its commitment to cannabis affordability for all
Canadian patients. Bedrocan's standardized strains have been used
by thousands of patients in seven countries around the world.
www.bedrocan.ca
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SOURCE Canopy Growth Corporation