The Conseil Canadien de la Coopération et de la Mutualité presented a memoir showing the various contributions of health co-ops in Canada and their innovation and contribution to improve the health system and citizens’ engagement.
The memoir includes key recommendations focused on promoting the development of new health co-ops based on partnership with local health networks and offering financial support for the start-ups; clarifying the rules related to the annual members’ fees to health co-ops; recognizing the health co-op members’ investment in terms of annual fees as medical expenses (fiscal impact); supporting the development of new health co-ops in order to enhance innovation in response to community needs and creating a working group dedicated on the study of the value-added role of health co-ops in the development of global health services in Canada.
On the other hand, the Health Care Cooperative Federation of Canada submitted a brief to the Canadian Parliament committee stating the needs that health co-ops are ideally suited to address, the scope of their current work, the advantages offered by their structure, the areas of innovation and a series of recommendations to the Federal and Provincial governments.