Sandy Lee

The programs that we have for the NWT residents, whether it be NIHB, the federal government’s NIHB, Metis Health Benefits and Supp Health, that makes it so there is no need for catastrophic drug coverage. So what the Member is talking about is other things like people in low income, people can’t afford. So if you are talking about how to compare between the three programs and finding equity, that is part of the recommendation of the Joint Working Group and we need to look at those and look at the proposal. Thank you.

Whatever she wants to do and she’s suggesting these policy changes. As it is now, the Supp Health Policy that would have come into effect on November 1st has been rescinded. Everything is status quo until we change anything. If we need to include anything or change anything else, that’s a policy change. So we need to do more work on that and I’m making a commitment, as I did in my Minister’s statement, that we are working to come back with a proposal on the recommendations made by the Joint Working Group and anything else. Until we bring in new policies, the status quo remains.

The Member knows that NIHB is not part of this program and although NIHB encourages people to have third-party options and when they do, they are asked to go to that first. One of the suggestions made that we want to look at is to require all Metis health and supp health... Well, it’s no longer supp health, it’s now extended health benefits which is what’s in place. We will look at how we can implement requiring third-party insurance and allowing or encouraging people to go through that process first. So that will be part of the work that we’ll be doing moving forward.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I stated in my Minister’s statement, I will be coming back next week with more information on the work plan or the time frame within which the recommendations made in the Joint Working Group report need to be reviewed and considered, so I will be looking into that. Thank you.

That’s the expectation that we live under on everything we do. So we will be following those. Thank you.

The group purchasing of drugs and equipment is an initiative that’s going across the Territories. I’ve had discussions on that with the standing committee. All of the jurisdictions are looking to see how we could reduce costs of essential pharmaceuticals and equipment. This government is engaged in that. Premier Roland was part of that discussion among the First Ministers. We are also part of that agreement of the western provincial Health Ministers. We are part of that agreement. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the residents should be comfortable in knowing that their Minister of Health and Social Services and this government is working hard to look at our system and make system changes so that we make our health care system sustainable. We were also successful in obtaining $15 million from the federal government over the next two years. I have spearheaded bringing together western provincial Ministers of Health so that we look at group purchasing. I am also working with all of the chairs of the health authorities, because we now understand very clearly that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Monfwi, that Bill 8, Social Work Profession Act, be read for the third time.

Mr. Speaker, yes, we would do that wherever possible and wherever appropriate. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, that is a valid suggestion. It is an important suggestion. It is something that I think we need to consider. But, at the moment, Mr. Speaker, I think we could go far and we could do fine efficiencies by combining, for example, purchasing, where really the dollars count. We organize in the back offices so that we lessen the duplication and redundancy. We are making sure that each health facility only provides a service that it should. So the Stanton Hospital should become the territorial hospital that it was meant to be and it is meant to be, that any services that could be done...