Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to address some questions to the Minister of Health and Social Services. I have held off on the health card debate, so to speak, but I have been listening to my colleagues’ comments, questions and concerns, and I have some questions for the Minister with regard to the inability, it seems, of the department to handle health card renewals, for some people at least.
My first question goes to the process that is used by the department and the office in Inuvik. I’d like to know from the Minister what kind of a process is used when a renewal application comes in. Is it a manual process? Is it an automated process? Is there an outline that staff follow and that every staff have access to so that it is the same process that is followed for all applications? Is there a standard that is set? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, it is a standard process. It is a manual process. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Minister for the answer. I would like to know then, if it is a manual process and I’m a worker in Inuvik and I’m processing these applications, do I have a template? Do I have standards, guidelines that I follow so that Mr. Moses sitting next to me is actually doing the same work in the same way that I am doing? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, they do have a guideline, a procedure that they follow so that each application received with the appropriate and correct information is processed in exactly the same way and then is sent out for a card. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Minister again. We made a change to the process of health card renewals. It started, I understand, in December of 2012 or January of 2013. Prior to making that change, I would like to know from the Minister what other jurisdictions were reviewed to set up this new health card renewal process. How did we evaluate what we were doing and what we are now currently doing? What other jurisdictions were canvassed to see what kind of a system would be best for us? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I don’t have that information with me, but I do know that we have looked at other jurisdictions. We recognize that there are various ways that other jurisdictions have gone about renewing their health care or providing health care cards such as decision to go with a picture on the health care card and so on. We have looked at other jurisdictions. Specifically which jurisdictions we looked at and tried to follow, I don’t know which it was. I think we are continuing on with a system that we have developed ourselves. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Minister. I guess I would like to suggest that if we are following a system that we have set up that perhaps is not working very well, then maybe we ought to look at other jurisdictions in a little more detail and perhaps change our system.
In our system, in our process and in these guidelines that staff has, does it identify a standard turnaround time and what that time is from the time the application comes in to when the renewed or new card goes back out to the individual? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, an individual may apply for their health care card in time within four months of their birthdate. The time frame is that if you apply within four months of your birthdate, then the process would run to where you will have your health care card prior to your birthdate. That is the time frame that we are using. Essentially we would, I guess, try to get everything done within those four months, not even longer or not much shorter because we need the time to do the process. At the same time, we have to protect the integrity of the card. Thank you.
From what I hear from the Minister, it sounds as though there is no standard. When an application comes in, there is no turnaround time of, say, five days, from the time that it is received on the desk to when I as a worker have to send it back out. I would suggest to the Minister that that is not a good situation.
He has heard many complaints from Members, and I am sure he’s heard from residents as well. I would like to know whether or not the Minister has done an evaluation of the workload in the Inuvik office to determine whether or not there is adequate staff there. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, earlier on I indicated that perhaps we had a manpower issue in Inuvik because we were hearing some complaints about people not receiving their health care cards on time. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case. The time frame is what the time frame is. The idea is to try to make sure that individuals are getting coverage. That is the objective. Therefore, when we have the window of four months before your birthdate, that is so that individuals are resident of the territory for sure. We figured that four months was a reasonable time that an individual that is living in the Northwest Territories would apply for a health care card and would come within that time frame.
We are processing approximately 100 applications per day. I don’t really set up a system that tries to deal with it in certain time frames. We have the overall time frame. We recognize that if they are coming in at 100 applications per day, we have to move on each application every day. That is essential on how we are going about the process. The time frame is that time frame with the exception of a few people who didn’t get their health care cards on time. Our success rate is very high. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Time for question period has expired. Item 9, written questions. Item 10, returns to written questions. Mr. Hawkins.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to return to item 8 on the orders of the day, oral questions. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent denied
Item 11, replies to opening address. Mr. Hawkins.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent once again, to try to return to item 8 on the orders of the day, oral questions. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent denied
