HCCC Response to the 2020 Fall Economic Statement

Canadian patients living with illness and disease need our support now more than ever before.

Ottawa – December 2, 2020

Health charities have been supporting people living with complex conditions and diseases in unprecedented ways throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while struggling with the realities of revenue and job losses throughout the sector. “Our primary concern is for people living with diseases and their families. Health charities are challenged with decreasing revenue from donors at a time when we are seeing an increase in demand for our services.” said Connie Côté, CEO of the Health Charities Coalition of Canada.

HCCC member charities have been meeting with parliamentarians to call on the government to create a $131 million funding program to support people living with complex conditions and diseases. This would include a $103 million funding program to support research initiatives that are at risk and $28 million to support patient programming and services as a result of COVID-19. “We must maintain supports for people and caregivers living with disease while maintaining investments in important research to support not only those suffering today, but to protect the gains made in health research already”, Côté added.

HCCC also supports other measures that parliamentarians are taking to help, including Bill C-256, the Supporting Canadian Charities Act, that was tabled this week by MP Marty Morantz. Opening up new streams of revenue for charities by providing capital gains relief is welcomed in a year where so many charities have been impacted by COVID-19.

HCCC was disappointed to see that the Fiscal Update on November 30, did not include direct supports for health charities. This is needed immediately so that health charities can protect the supports and vital health research that Canadian patients urgently require.