Summary#

This bill orders the federal Minister of Health to create a national strategy for eye care with provinces, territories, Indigenous groups, and other stakeholders. The plan may cover prevention, treatment, and vision rehabilitation (training to help people live with vision loss), plus faster review of eye‑related drugs and devices. The Minister must table the strategy within 18 months, publish it, and table a 5‑year follow‑up report on results. It also designates February as Age‑Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Awareness Month.

• A national eye care strategy must be developed and tabled within 18 months (Tabling of strategy (1)).
• At least one conference with provinces, Indigenous groups, and stakeholders is required (Conference (4)).
• The strategy may include training needs, better data and research, information‑sharing, and measures to enable faster federal review of eye drugs/devices (Content (2)(a)-(d)).
• A report on effectiveness is due within 5 years after the strategy is tabled (Report (1)).
• February becomes “Age‑Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month” each year (Designation).

What it means for you#

• Households and patients

  • No immediate change to public coverage, wait times, or services. The bill creates a plan, not new benefits (Content (2)).
  • You may see earlier access to new eye treatments if Health Canada adopts faster review processes for eye‑related drugs and devices (Content (2)(d)). This is optional, not guaranteed.
  • Public messaging about AMD (a disease that can cause central vision loss) may increase each February due to the awareness month (Designation). The bill does not fund campaigns.

• Health professionals (optometrists, ophthalmologists, rehab providers)

  • The strategy may identify training and guidance needs for prevention, treatment, and vision rehabilitation (Content (2)(a)).
  • Expect potential new best‑practice guidance and more coordination across jurisdictions. No new licensing or practice mandates are created by this bill.

• Researchers and data stewards

  • The strategy may promote research and improve data collection on eye disease and rehabilitation (Content (2)(b)).
  • No research funding is created in this bill; any support would depend on future decisions.

• Drug and device manufacturers

  • The strategy may include measures so the Minister can rapidly examine eye‑related submissions under the Food and Drugs Act (Content (2)(d)). Standards for safety and efficacy do not change in this bill.
  • Any regulatory process changes would be set out later in the strategy or existing authorities.

• Provinces, territories, and Indigenous governments/organizations

  • You must be consulted in developing the strategy and invited to at least one conference (Development (1); Conference (4)).
  • The strategy aims to promote information and knowledge sharing across jurisdictions (Content (2)(c)). It does not require provinces/territories to adopt specific programs.

Expenses#

Estimated net cost: Data unavailable.

• No explicit appropriations, new fees, or revenue changes appear in the bill text.
• Required activities with likely administrative costs (no figures provided):
  • Develop and table a national strategy within 18 months (Tabling of strategy (1)). Data unavailable.
  • Hold at least one conference with provinces, Indigenous groups, and stakeholders (Conference (4)). Data unavailable.
  • Publish the strategy and, within 5 years, table a report on effectiveness (Publication (2); Report (1)). Data unavailable.
• AMD Awareness Month is a designation only; the bill does not fund related campaigns (Designation).

Proponents' View#

• A national plan will improve coordination, reduce gaps between regions, and support equitable access to prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation (Development (1); Content (2)(c)).
• Identifying training needs can raise quality of care and support for people living with vision loss (Content (2)(a)).
• Better research and data will help target interventions and track outcomes over time (Content (2)(b)).
• Enabling rapid examination of eye‑related drugs and devices could shorten time to patient access for new therapies (Content (2)(d)).
• Regular reporting creates accountability for progress and keeps Parliament informed about results (Tabling of strategy (1); Report (1)).
• AMD Awareness Month can boost public awareness and earlier detection, which proponents argue may prevent severe vision loss (Designation).

Opponents' View#

• The bill uses “may include” language and sets no binding program changes or funding, so it could yield plans and reports without concrete service improvements (Content (2)).
• Health care delivery is provincial. A federal strategy may duplicate existing provincial frameworks or have limited effect without provincial adoption (Development (1)).
• “Rapid examination” of eye‑related submissions could strain regulator capacity or shift priority away from other conditions without added resources (Content (2)(d)).
• The 18‑month timeline for the strategy and a 5‑year effectiveness report may delay any practical benefits (Tabling of strategy (1); Report (1)).
• With no appropriations in the bill, any conferences, data work, or regulatory process changes depend on future budgets or internal reallocations, creating implementation risk (No explicit appropriations in bill text).