S-2041453Charles III2025An Act to establish a national framework on heart failureNational Framework on Heart Failure ActNational Framework on Heart Failure Act20255

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Senator MARTIN4422402

SUMMARYThis enactment provides for the development of a national framework to support improved access for Canadians to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart failure.

PreambleWhereas heart failure is a growing concern in Canada, with close to 100,000 new diagnoses each year — a disease burden similar to advanced cancer and AIDS that causes tens of thousands of deaths annually;Whereas heart failure is the third-leading cause of hospitalization in Canada — following childbirth and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — and remains a leading cause of death, particularly among women, for whom it is second only to cancer and ischemic heart disease;Whereas, despite the availability of diagnostic and management tools for heart failure, disparities in heart failure care and outcomes exist due to inequities in access to care, treatment and support;Whereas federal and provincial coordination, investment and information-sharing are needed to improve prevention, diagnoses, screening, access to care and evaluation of heart failure care to prevent death, reduce complications and prevent inequities for people with the condition;Whereas such investments can save the health care system hundreds of millions of dollars each year;And whereas the Parliament of Canada recognizes a coordinated and patient-centric approach is important to improve heart failure outcomes across the country;Now, therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:Short Title

Short title1This Act may be cited as the National Framework on Heart Failure Act.

Interpretation

Definitions2The following definitions apply in this Act.Indigenous governing body means a council, government or other entity authorized to act on behalf of an Indigenous group, community or people that holds rights recognized and affirmed by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. (corps dirigeant autochtone)Minister means the Minister of Health. (ministre)

National Framework on Heart Failure

Development3(1)The Minister must develop a national framework to support improved access to heart failure prevention, diagnosis, management and evaluation, to ensure better health outcomes for people in Canada and to reduce the financial and operational burdens on the health system.Content(2)The framework must include measures to(a)promote early detection and accurate diagnosis of heart failure and ensure equitable access across all demographics and regions;(b)enhance patient and caregiver education and support — including mental health resources — throughout the heart failure care continuum;(c)encourage guideline-directed medical therapy and multidisciplinary care and the integration of technological solutions for remote monitoring and virtual health care visits;(d)address disparities in care, especially in rural, remote and underserved communities;(e)address the data gap with patient outcome–driven research, planning and performance reporting;(f)build a health data infrastructure — including a national heart failure registry and optimization of the Canadian Community Health Survey — to guide care delivery, monitor outcomes and ensure effective resource planning; and(g)define national health care system-level performance indicators, including system-level data and patient-reported outcome measures like quality of life and functional status.Consultation(3)For the purposes of developing the framework, the Minister must consult with representatives of provincial governments, Indigenous governing bodies, health care professionals, researchers, patient advocacy groups, patients, patient caregivers, research and health care professional associations and other relevant stakeholders.Conference(4)No later than 12 months after the day on which this Act comes into force, the Minister must hold at least one conference with the persons referred to in subsection (3) for the purpose of developing the framework.

Report to Parliament

Tabling of framework4(1)Within 18 months after the day on which this Act comes into force, the Minister must prepare a report setting out the framework on heart failure and cause that report to be tabled before each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed.Publication(2)The Minister must publish the report on the Department of Health website within 10 days after the day on which it is tabled in Parliament.

Report5(1)Within five years after the day on which the report referred to in section 4 is tabled in Parliament, the Minister must prepare a report on the effectiveness of the framework on heart failure. The report must also address and include the current state of heart failure diagnosis and treatment, and it must provide conclusions and recommendations regarding the framework.Tabling of report(2)The Minister must cause the report prepared under subsection (1) to be tabled before each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed.