Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last fall, the Department of Health and Social Services went out to consult on their extended health benefits policy. And on first glance, it seemed that the plan was to expand coverage and means test it, something I had no opposition to. But upon a closer reading, it was clear that that plan was to do that at the expense of the specified disease conditions in the schedule to that policy, Mr. Speaker; something I do oppose.
And, Mr. Speaker, so the department tabled their “what we heard” report and in that report, it was pretty clear that there was support for expanding coverage to provide all NWT residents with access to supplementary health and drug benefits but not by removing existing programs or reducing coverage for residents currently on the specified disease condition program.
Mr. Speaker, I have heard many stories from constituents who have these specific diseases who are worried about the increased cost this will place on them, who are worried about how it will affect coverage, who are worried about whether they will continue to be on the drugs. Mr. Speaker, this is not the stress we want to put on our residents. I support expanding, you know, drug coverage and if those liberals would get their act together, maybe we would see a pharmacare program and that would be the proper step. Mr. Speaker, I'll have questions for the Minister of health of whether we are actually going to listen to the feedback we got in the “what we heard” report or whether this is just going to be another whatwedidn'tlistento report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
