Canada’s healthcare systems are under increasing pressure: a rapidly aging population, new demands for services, fiscal challenges, and awkward interfaces between publicly and privately funded services are among the challenges to which Canadians must adapt. Sound research and advice from independent sources will be integral to achieving desirable policy outcomes. The C.D. Howe Institute’s Healthcare Policy Initiative is an ongoing program to produce research, analysis and events to raise the level of debate around Canadian healthcare and to help motivate policy improvements. The program will address critical issues such as: international lessons on financing and incentives; defining the services provided under public plans; incentives and funding arrangements for hospitals and healthcare providers; federal and provincial policy on pharmaceuticals; options for primary-care reform; access and quality of care. As with all the Institute’s work, the program aims to provide research that is rigorous, evidence-based, and peer-reviewed, recommendations that are relevant, constructive, and timely, and communications that are clear, authoritative and practical.

Co-Chairs

Janet Davidson

Don Johnson Fellow-in-Residence

Neil Fraser

Former President, Medtronic of Canada Ltd.

Members

Mehmood Alibhai

Director, Patient Access & Healthcare Policy, Boehringer-Ingelheim Canada Ltd

Richard Alvarez

CEO, Richard Alvarez & Associates

Angela Behboodi

Director, Government Affairs and Advocacy, Amgen

Åke Blomqvist

Research Fellow

Jessica Brcko

Director, Global Government Affairs and Public Policy, Sun Life Financial

Charles Brown

President and CEO, LifeLabs

Jennifer Chan

Executive Director, Policy and Government Affairs, Merck Canada

Karen Cutler

VP, Head of Underwriting and Claims, Chief Underwriter, Manulife

Tony DiEmanuele

President and CEO, Mohawk Medbuy

Sheri Dodd

President, Medtronic Canada

Content

Research Papers