LEAMINGTON, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - April 1, 2016) - Aphria Inc. ("Aphria" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:APH) is partnering with non-profit organization Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM) to provide insurance claim support and educational services to Aphria patients. The partnership agreement is effective immediately.
In Canada, medical cannabis is only covered by insurance plans for certain groups including military veterans and some individuals involved in workplace accidents. CFAMM will guide Aphria patients, who have existing private insurance, in navigating the process of advocating for insurance coverage for their medication and will provide extended one-on-one support for select Aphria patients.
"Medical cannabis is an effective treatment for many Canadians suffering from a variety of conditions but unfortunately, the majority of them are paying out of pocket for their medication," said Jonathan Zaid, executive director of CFAMM. "We are thrilled to have Aphria join CFAMM's insurance claim support program and are looking forward to helping their patients advocate for private insurance coverage for medical cannabis."
"Following cancer treatment, my medications were fully covered through private insurance but all of them had awful side effects," said Beth Harris, medical cannabis user and Patient Care Supervisor at Aphria Inc. "I now use medical cannabis which is very effective in managing my symptoms including neuropathy, insomnia, bone pain and muscle pain. I am hopeful that insurance providers will consider medical cannabis as an eligible expense."
According to Health Canada, medical cannabis is used to treat symptoms of several conditions including: cancer; HIV/AIDS; multiple sclerosis; chronic non-cancer pain; insomnia and depressed mood associated with chronic diseases; symptoms encountered in the palliative/end-of-life care setting; and any other condition as authorized by a health care practitioner.i
Existing Aphria patients, with private insurance, interested in obtaining the extended one-on-one support services from CFAMM should visit cfamm.ca/insurance-support. Patients will be required to complete a short survey and eligible applicants will be identified and contacted.
About CFAMM
Founded in 2014, Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana (CFAMM)/Canadiens pour l'accès équitable à la marijuana médicale (CAEMM) is a federal non-profit, patient-run organization dedicated to protecting and improving the rights of medical cannabis patients. CFAMM's goal is to enable patients to obtain fair and safe access to medical cannabis with a special focus on affordability, including private and public insurance coverage. For more information, visit www.cfamm.ca.
About Aphria
Aphria Inc., a company continued under the laws of the Province of Ontario and based in Leamington, Ontario, is in the business of producing, supplying and selling medical marijuana pursuant to the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (the "MMPR"). Under the MMPR, Health Canada is responsible for the oversight of commercial medical marijuana growers such as Aphria. Aphria's common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol "APH". For more information, visit www.aphria.com.
i Health Canada. "Consumer Information - Cannabis (Marihuana, marijuana)" Retrieved from: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/marihuana/info/cons-eng.php Accessed March 30, 2016.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.