Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on questions that Ms. Bisaro was asking about bariatric surgery and weight loss program to the Minister of Health. He has indicated he has a committee and they’re doing some reviews. I’m looking for a timeline when we can see some implementation to the changing of the act and the funding of these types of surgeries.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once the determination has been made that we will add this bariatric care or obesity or in the whole area of those being overweight to the insured services and how we deal with obesity into insured services, then we will make a decision on when and how we will go through the process. Part of the process would be if an insured service is added, then it will be more cost. Once that determination is made by the Medical Association and by the department that bariatric services will be added, then we will come back to the House for more money to carry out that service.
I appreciate the Minister’s answer, but in that answer there’s no indication of any kind of timeline. Are we expecting to see this in a month? Three months? Are we expecting to see it in the fall? Or are we going to deal with it in another Assembly?
I don’t want to be throwing out dates guessing at these things. All I can say is that bariatric surgery is on the agenda for the team of individuals or the committee that has the NWT Medical Association and the department on it looking at the system now. I’m hoping that it doesn’t take years to come out with something. However long it does take, it would be once we’ve decided that this would be an insured service in the system, then we come back through the regular business planning process. However long it takes for us to add this and get this approved through the business planning process, considering all the other pressures on the system, then we will have a better idea of when this can be approved. It may be in the next business cycle. If it’s in the next business cycle, it will be a year from now.
I appreciate the timeline there. I’d also like to ask the Minister if, to speed the process up, they have looked at any other jurisdictions such as Alberta and Quebec who are funding some of these types of surgeries.
I don’t have that information, but I’m assuming that when we move into any area that may have already been covered by other jurisdictions that we do look at best practices. If we haven’t looked at best practices, then I’ll ask the committee to look at best practices in this area.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final supplementary, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have no further questions but I do look forward to seeing that happen sooner than later.
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
