Debates of October 26, 2004 (day 28)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services and it is with respect to the medical travel policy that is overseen by his department. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pose a few questions to the Minister just so that this creates public awareness about this and, also, obviously to find out if there is anything that can be changed to fix this discrepancy for our students.

Mr. Speaker, if a student was home during a school break, saw a doctor in their home community who had then referred them for medical treatment which turned out to be scheduled after they had returned to school, would this be considered as being instigated from inside the territory or would it be covered by medical travel? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 304-15(3): GNWT Medical Travel Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that seems very clearly to me like a hypothetical question.

Ohhhh. Shame.

But…Hearing silence from the Speaker I will carry on.

---Laughter

Mr. Speaker, if a student is at home and they are sick and they have to be referred south, if I understood the question, that would be medical travel as far as I am aware. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 304-15(3): GNWT Medical Travel Policy

Mr. Speaker, this student is at home, in their home community, in Hay River -- this is so to make it not hypothetical -- and they have a doctor’s appointment and it is determined at that appointment that they need further medical attention, which is not available in their community or in the Northwest Territories. So a referral is made to a southern doctor, but in the meantime the student goes off to their post-secondary education in Grande Prairie. Now, is there medical travel available for that student to go from Grande Prairie to Edmonton for the procedure, as it would have been if they were in Hay River when they traveled? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The question is, I guess, borderline whether it is hypothetical or not, but I’ll give the Minister a chance to answer maybe if the policy does address that particular situation. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 304-15(3): GNWT Medical Travel Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is asking me for a technical, detailed question very specific to a certain circumstance, and not being an expert on the medical travel detail I am not able to answer that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you. Maybe I could inform the Minister of his policy for medical travel within the Department of Health and Social Services. If the medical travel to a southern institution does not originate from the Northwest Territories, then it is not covered and people understand that when they go on vacation, that’s why they buy medical travel insurance, but these students are normally residents here and are out for a very specific purpose: to pursue their post-secondary education. So does the Minister feel that that policy is comprehensive and adequate to address the needs of students attending post-secondary school? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mrs. Groenewegen, I’ll give you a chance to maybe rephrase your question so that you are actually asking the Minister for his opinion on something. Would you care to rephrase your question, Mrs. Groenewegen?

Supplementary To Question 304-15(3): GNWT Medical Travel Policy

Okay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger, revisit the medical travel policy of this government to ensure that students who are attending post-secondary education outside of the Northwest Territories are covered by medical travel? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 304-15(3): GNWT Medical Travel Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member has raised an interesting question; one, obviously, that I must become more conversant on. So, yes, I will review the issue.