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C S A M E M B E R H A N D B O O K
The CSA
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The CSA actively lobbied governments to adhere to the
Canada
Health Act
when provinces and territories reduced out-of-country
coverage, thereby putting upward pressure on insurance prices. When
the consultation process proved fruitless, we brought court action to
defend our rights.
CSA monitors border-crossing issues and defends the rights of all
Canadians to travel freely. When the United States Immigration and
Naturalization Service (INS) proposed sweeping changes to their
B-2 visitors’ visa policy that threatened to reduce from 182 to just
30 days the amount of time Canadians could travel to the United
States, the CSA immediately contacted the Canadian Department of
Foreign Affairs and the INS itself. We partnered with individual U.S.
governors, state chambers of commerce and tourism boards to express
our concern and to remind them of the positive economic impact
which Canadian travellers have on their communities. Remarkably,
many of the offices that the CSA contacted were unaware of the INS’
proposed changes. Our efforts resulted in this issue being placed
before the U.S. Congress, discussed at the Canada/U.S. trade meeting
and thoroughly dealt with in the international media. An invitation
for the CSA to appear before
the U.S. House Small Business
Committee on Capitol Hill in
Washington resulted in the CSA
being given a letter stating that
Canadians, otherwise eligible to
enter the United States, would
not be hindered by the proposed
regulations.
The CSA defended the rights and
privileges of travelling Canadians
residing in all provinces and
territories. Provincial reductions to
the duration and reimbursement
of health-care coverage and
prescription allotment were
opposed and important change
was effected.