I move that the Minister of Health and Social Services work with the federal government to clearly define the dollar allocation to all aboriginal people in the western territories.
Debates of Feb. 24th, 1998
This is page numbers 1041 - 1091 of the Hansard for the 13th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was chairperson.
Topics
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1074
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1074
The Chair Jane Groenewegen
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Your motion will have to be typed and translated for the Members. If the committee agrees, what we could do is continue on this activity, if there are Members wishing to speak to it, and just stand the motion down until it is returned to us in typed and translated format. What is the wish of the committee?
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1074
Some Hon. Members
Agreed.
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1074
The Chair Jane Groenewegen
Agreed. Okay, thank you. Is there anyone else who would like to speak to health insurance programs? Mr. Roland.
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1074
Floyd Roland Inuvik
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. The issue that Mr. Krutko spoke on does raise some concerns when you look at the availability of health care to everybody in the Inuvik region. As the deputy minister informed, there is some ongoing work in that area. If they could go a little further, there is a couple of conflicting numbers or maybe there are two different areas, but the Minister when he first came back, mentioned a $90 million figure and the deputy minister followed up with, I believe, a $37 million figure of $29 million in billing and another $8 million in another area. Could we have that information as to which number is correct or is it a combination?
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1074
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1074
Ramsden
Madam Chairperson, the numbers I am using are from page 6-22, some point in our future. Included in the $91 odd million is an estimate of revenue under the Canada Health and Social Transfer, which is a transfer of funds from the federal to the territorial government, in broad form.
Included in that $91 million is some $12.4 million and some $2.27 million that comprised the non-insured health benefits, which is simply the sum equal to the amount of money the federal government places into its supplementary health benefit program called the Non-Insured Health Benefit Program. We have already spent some considerable time there. There is also a figure of $1.7 million in revenue related to the vocational rehab for Disabled Persons Program which is a federal program but again, is a broad form transfer with criteria around support for the disabled.
The numbers I spoke to are a piece of the gross figure of $91 million. Thank you, Mr. Ramsden. Mr. Roland.
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Floyd Roland Inuvik
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. In the area of the Beaufort Delta, the ongoing work that will at some point impact the residents and possibly the rest of the territories, what has been going on in that area, when it comes to funding that is being provided? We have heard many times that for different structures, unless the federal government will come up with the money, there are no new dollars. You were saying earlier, the funding that is provided to the regional health boards is public funds. Can you clarify with the discussions that are going on, if this is the approach that has been taken? Thank you.
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Ramsden
The manner in which Cabinet directed us to participate in this process was with a view to constructing financing and resourcing of public form of delivery of health care. Health and social service deliveries, as the Member will know is only part of the whole discussion around regional governance. We have had a series of discussions in both the health and the social service area around the interest of the three parties, because there are three parties at that table; federal, territorial and aboriginal groups as well. All of the discussions we have had have been around the public system. Thank you.
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Could the Minister or someone else in his delegation indicate the types of changes which have been implemented or are going to be implemented for dental care that will be offered to treaty people? I am assuming it is through the non-insured health benefits.
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I will try to summarize my answers from before. Basically, what has happened is Health Canada has centralized their approval back from all jurisdictions back to a central approval centre in Ottawa. The major change is the predetermination level of service is decreased to where there is a treatment plan which the value is $600 or more, in a 12-month period. Primarily, that type of procedure has to be authorized before it can be undertaken, along with whatever else was in the schedule that required authorization out of Ottawa. Thank you.
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe the Minister indicated that anything over $600 in the course of a 12-month period needs to go to a central agency for approval. Is that correct?
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, that is correct. As I indicated, it is not just our jurisdiction but Non-insured Health Benefits Programs across the country, where these changes came into effect. Thank you.
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Have there been any noticeable problems with this process? It seems to me, particularly in areas where they do not have a dentist available on a daily basis, if you have to send things out for approval to a central location before you are able to do work for more than $600.
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, certainly I believe it has made the process a bit more cumbersome in that, for timing. First of all getting the approval, which I had indicated from our understanding, takes about four to six weeks, once the request is put in. Then having, if the Member is correct in, communities where there may not be a dentist, having to wait for a dentist to return or having to send the individual out and coordinating the travel so that the services can be available. It will certainly add to the length of time it is going to take for an individual, once they are assessed, to the time they receive their full treatment. Thank you.
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075
Roy Erasmus Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Would this also potentially add to the cost of services?
Committee Motion 21-13(5): To Establish Guidelines And Standards For The Operation Of All NWT Health Boards
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 1075