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MIGRAINE MODE

Advocacy letter for people

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Home » Advocacy letter for Botox Patients

If you rely on Botox treatments for medical reasons such as chronic migraine, dystonia, or spasticity but can’t afford the cost, you’re not alone. Many Canadians face financial barriers to accessing this essential care. This letter is designed to help you advocate for support—whether from a clinic, healthcare provider, or financial assistance program. Botox isn't just cosmetic; for many, it’s a life-changing treatment. Use this letter to explain your situation clearly, highlight your medical need, and request access to more affordable options or compassionate pricing.

Make Your Voice Heard ! - Botox

This form can be used by Canadian patient advocates to contact their local government representatives and
provincial health minister.

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  • Dear [Name of the Government Representative will be added automatically]

  • I am writing as a person living with chronic migraine and as your constituent to raise concerns about the lack of equitable access to Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) for people living with chronic migraine who rely on public drug coverage. 

    Migraine is a common and disabling neurological disease that affects more than 5 million Canadians. Chronic migraine, defined as headache on 15 or more days per month, with migraine features on at least 8 days, is particularly disabling and can have a profound impact on a person’s ability to work, care for their family, and participate in everyday life. 

    Botox has been an approved treatment for chronic migraine in Canada since 2011 and is an established, safe, effective treatment option; Yet access remains highly inequitable across the country. 

    Currently, Ontario and Alberta are the only provinces where public drug programs provide any pathway to coverage for Botox for chronic migraine, and access in Ontario is through an Exceptional Access Program. People living in other provinces generally have no public coverage pathway. In addition, some private insurers mimic coverage criteria on public plan policies, meaning that even people with private insurance may have no coverage and are left to pay the full cost out of pocket. 

    This creates a lottery based on postal codes where access to an established treatment can depend on where a person lives or the type of insurance they have and not on their medical needs. 

  • My experience with migraine

  • Consider sharing: 

    • What your life was like before receiving effective preventive treatment. 
    • How many migraine or headache days you experienced. 
    • What treatments you tried and the challenges you faced accessing care. 
    • What changed after starting an anti-CGRP medication. 
    • How effective treatment has affected your ability to work, attend school, care for your family, participate in activities, or simply live your life. 

    For example: 
    “Before starting [treatment], I experienced approximately [X] migraine days each month. Since starting treatment, my migraine days have decreased to [X], allowing me to [return to work/spend more time with my family/participate in activities/etc.].” 


  • I am asking our government to take action to ensure people living with chronic migraine have equitable access to Botox by: 

    1. Establishing public coverage for Botox for chronic migraine for patients who meet evidence-based clinical criteria.
    2. Streamlining eligibility and authorization requirements so that patients do not face unnecessary delays or have to repeatedly demonstrate that they have failed multiple treatments before accessing an appropriate therapy.
    3. Ensuring continuity of treatment. Patients who are benefiting from Botox should not lose access simply because they have improved. Treatment policies should recognize that improvement is the goal of therapy and not a reason to discontinue an effective treatment.
    4. Aligning coverage policies with current Canadian clinical guidelines and evidence and allowing treatment decisions to be made collaboratively by patients and their healthcare providers.

    For people living with chronic migraine, effective treatment can mean the difference between being unable to work, care for a family, or participate in daily life and being able to live more normally. 

    Without public or adequate private coverage, many Canadians simply cannot afford this treatment. This is not equitable healthcare. Where someone lives should not determine whether they can access an established treatment for a disabling neurological disease. 

    Expanding access to effective preventive treatment can reduce disability, improve quality of life, support workforce participation, and potentially reduce the use of other healthcare services. It can also help ensure that healthcare providers can focus on providing care rather than navigating unnecessary administrative barriers. 

    As my elected representative, I am asking you to advocate for equitable public coverage of Botox for chronic migraine and to support policies that ensure Canadians can access effective treatment based on their medical needs and not their postal code or ability to pay. 

    Thank you for taking the time to consider this important issue. I look forward to hearing what steps you and your government will take to improve access to care for people living with chronic migraine in our province. 

    Sincerely, 

     

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