Julie Green

Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the intention is to look at individual income at this point. But what I want to stress is that this is not a program at this point. It's a discussion. We have provided four months worth of public consultation, and that now extends until November the 23rd. There are many ways to participate, including a town hall that will take place in mid November with more information to come. So if people feel that there should be a different way of calculating income, that it should be household income or some other form, then certainly that input is welcome...

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I appreciate the question. The data was arrived at using income figures supplied by the NWT Bureau of Statistics. The target group for this initiative is people who don't have any insurance of any kind, so the examples were geared towards a lower income threshold. However, there is now a tool on the site which people can enter their income into, and they will find out what level of copay they will be required, if any. Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this is a very important role, and I appreciate the Member's efforts to do this work as well, for his constituents. I don't see reason that the medical social worker would not go and see people where they are, but I'm not familiar with their work flow, but it makes sense that it would be broader than just having people attend the health centre or the building that flooded downtown in order to obtain services. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you for the question. NTHSSA offers adult services which is social work services for people who are not children or youth, often people who are street involved. That position does not exist at the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority right now. I think there are some of the staff in the authority who are assisting people who need these services off the side of their desk, so not a proper medical social worker position. Thank you.

Thank you for the comment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for the question. So the GNWT provides services to individuals who need a diagnosis and treatment for an underlying medical condition that is preventing pregnancy from taking place, and this is part of our insured health services. So if that service is required here, it would be provided here. And if is required in the south, then medical travel would pay for that to happen in the south. So that's the "why aren't I getting pregnant" answer.

In terms of assisting people who don't have underlying medical conditions to get pregnant, that is not part of insured...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I apologize to the Member but I'm not able to answer that question; I'll have to take it on notice. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, falling pregnant is not a medically necessary intervention provided by our healthcare system, and we have no plans to change that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I appreciate the question from the Member. We've done a jurisdictional scan, and there are some large jurisdictions with big populations and big revenue bases that can support specialized services such as fertility treatments. But that is not the case here, and fertility treatments are not covered. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the repositioning on the site doesn't deal with the problems I mentioned around maintaining essential services to the building. Certainly repositioning could happen, but the maintenance of service is the first thing that needs to happen. What we're waiting for, and I know other departments are waiting for as well, is the new flood maps that will be created as a result of this flood. And the bottom line here is that if the building is not insurable, it can't be built in that location. Thank you.