Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today is about medical travel co-payments. All residents in the Northwest Territories are eligible for territorial health insurance coverage. However, sometimes not all insured services are available in the communities or in the North. In these instances, people have to travel to the nearest centre that can provide the insured service.
Mr. Speaker, the cost of this medical travel is not always fully covered. Some residents have to pay a co-payment when they travel outside of their home communities for medical reasons. If you are a federal or territorial government employee, or if you work for one of the larger companies, Mr. Speaker, then you likely pay dues into a private insurance plan that will pick up the $250 co-payment.
Mr. Speaker, registered Indians and Inuit registered in the Northwest Territories have their co-payment paid by the Government of Canada under the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program. The Extended Health Benefits Policy and the Metis Health Benefit Policy provides the co-payment for indigenous Metis residents as well as for seniors, infants under two years of age and those residents who are verified indigent.
Who is not covered, Mr. Speaker? Typically, non-aboriginal or non-indigenous aboriginal people who do not work for the larger companies or who do not pay into a private insurance plan. Many of these residents will qualify to have the co-payment waived if their illness is a specified illness listed under the Extended Health Benefits Program.
Mr. Speaker, it seems that for the apparently small number of residents who are left to pay the co-payment by themselves, this government ought to be able to find a way to reduce the cost to those individuals. Often these people are employed in low-paying service jobs and do not meet the means test to qualify as indigent, but yet they cannot readily afford a payment of $250. This is especially so if more than one trip is necessary.
If the appropriate insured service is not available in the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker, then perhaps we should look at a mechanism to provide group insurance that includes all people who cannot afford a co-payment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause