Tom Beaulieu

I definitely think it’s well worth advertising this. I think that it is something that I could advise the department to start working with the authorities to get the word out to people who are going to travel outside our jurisdiction, to ensure that they are carrying medical travel insurance. I think it would be well worth doing that, even if it only prevents one person from having to pay huge medical bills as a result of an accident or something like that.

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Physician funding is restricted by the Financial Management Board, so that funding is not used elsewhere. However, we are making a business case for three authorities including the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, to the Financial Management Board to create flexibility within physician funding.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, we can keep the Member advised. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I have no issue with the medical travel people talking to the hotels to see if something like this can be established for our medical travel patients. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don’t have the calculations on a percentage basis; however, the amount paying out to the Charlotte Vehus Home, $1.459 million, and the total funding allocated to this line object was $912,000. It was necessary to put $547,000 into it. The change, I guess, in percentage would be moving from $912,000 up to $1,459 million.

In the Billy Moore Home the change is from total funding of $383,000 up to $686,000, for a total adjustment or increase of $303,000. We’ve never had less, this has never cost less than the total funding since what we have recorded here. Even since 2005...

The bank is managed and established by the Canadian Blood Services. If we are going to proceed with any campaign or any programs, it would be working with the Canadian Blood Services.

Thank you. It’s an award, it’s an RFP process. Through the request for proposals we determine which is the best value to the authorities and it’s awarded based on that. So this deficit funding, essentially what happens is when the health authority has a contract that they have to continue to run these two homes almost like a non-discretionary funding, in essence there’s just no possible way that we could get the costs from running these two homes from approximately $2.1 million down to $1.2 million and expect to continue to run these two homes. So this money is put in for that.

As I said...

Although you can donate anywhere in Canada, the NWT government does not specifically have a program dedicated to stem cell. However, we have advised the authorities and have shared information with the authorities, that should somebody in the authorities and within their various authorities across the Territories want to donate stem cells, then they have that ability to do so, and we provided that information. As far as an awareness campaign to the general public, we haven’t done anything on that at this time.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Built into the contract is an escalation of 2.9 percent, an annual increase. I think that so far that contract has been moving along, from our understanding, between Stanton and the provider. I don’t believe we have done a review, but I could check to see if the review has been done and advise the Minister, but I don’t know if there’s been a review done recently.

I know there is a standard of practice, like I have indicated earlier, for the health practitioners to see the patient. However, I’m sure that this happens. I’ll have the deputy minister contact the CEO from the health authority to ensure that is happening across the Sahtu.