Range Lake

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 3)

Yes, I will undertake to do that.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, that Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Dental Auxiliaries Act, be read for the first time.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 3)

Dental services are the responsibility of the federal government under NIHB Program, as it is the federal responsibility to provide dental care to our aboriginal residents all across Canada, including the NWT. Where there are medical emergencies, if it’s medical it could come under GNWT responsibility. We do respond to medical emergencies and we do cover for medical travel. I think part of it is billed to NIHB and part of it is covered by GNWT.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a formal motion in the House is a recommendation to the government, we will undertake to respond to this motion within the timeline provided. In the meantime, I would like to just advise this House about the fact that we do offer a continuum of services for adults with developmental disabilities, including FASD. Access to these services is not dependent on a diagnosis. The types of services that we provide include day and work programs, adult respite, employment enhancement programs, group homes and supported living programs. Access to these services is...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I did undertake to look into this last week. I have to be honest; I haven’t had a chance to have a direct discussion on that issue as of yet, but I will undertake to talk to my deputy minister, who is also the PA of the hospital, as well as the Aboriginal Elders Advisory Committee there and see how we can accommodate providing fish and other traditional food at the hospital. Thank you.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 3)

The Member is absolutely right; we want to have consistency across the programs that our extended health benefits should be in line with what is covered under NIHB. The improvement to NIHB, if needed, should be advanced as well. But those programs should go up together. I’m not sure if our extended health benefits are much more lucrative than the other.

The point is, we need to open this discussion so that people understand what the extended health benefits are. These are extra benefits that are being provided and there are some people in our system who are not able to access that at all...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 3)

Yes, if services can be provided either in Inuvik or Stanton, I will ask the staff to make sure that they consider both options. Also, yes, I agree with the Member that we do need to do more and better to have a more smooth transition of patients, that we need to keep better track of what’s being cancelled. Just better coordination. That is something that my deputy minister and I are focusing on, because we are reviewing the Medical Travel Program. I hope to report back to the Member on how we can improve that.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is the first time that I’ve heard the specific facts that the Member has stated. I will be happy to work with the Member and see how we can improve that.

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 3)

The consultation that we are doing right now on the basis of the public discussion paper we have out there is geared toward having a discussion about that, explaining what our extended health benefits are doing right now. Right now anybody who is over 60 or with a specified condition that is on the list gets 100 percent coverage no questions asked, as long as they have NWT health care. What the program does not provide is for those who are not 60 or who are not eligible for the specified medical condition and they do not have insurance coverage. Even if they don’t have any insurance coverage...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 5th Session (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We spend about $8 million for non-aboriginal residents of the Northwest Territories. We spend a couple of million dollars for Metis health. The aboriginal residents of the Territories receive their extended health benefits through NIHB, which is a federal program.