Thank you, Mr. Bell. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Not at this point, I can't. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Bell.

Okay. If we are going to truly analyze this option and this is something that we really are serious about pursuing, we are obviously going to have to get some costing of this and quite soon. We have been looking at this problem for quite some time. I know one of the Members asked for information on the co-payment and what, in fact, we collect each year and how many of these $250 payments amount to this $1 million that we talk about. So we are going to need accurate information, we are going to need accurate costing, if we are going to talk about the expansion of this program. When we get that information and that costing, we will see that it really is a small segment of residents of the Northwest Territories that are excluded unfairly and when we have that information, we can talk about the value in having an equitable system and an equitable plan that covers everybody and doesn't exclude anybody. If we have the costing information on that, we can then weigh it out. I think it's going to show that it really wouldn't cost us very much money to do the right thing and expand this program. So I hope the Minister will pursue this and pursue it with vigor and handle this quickly because I think we need some information. Time is running out and I know Members on this side of the House are interested in pushing for this kind of equal coverage for all residents.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. I didn't hear a question there, general comments mostly. Mr. Miltenberger, would you like to respond to that?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I accept the exhortation from the Member and we will pursue this with vigor in close consultation with the Social Programs committee.

Okay. Page 6-23, total contributions, $9.849 million. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. When we get the program delivery details, it shows on 6-22, that there is $3.675 million in extended health benefits. Metis health benefits and the indigent health benefits have been separated out and medical travel is separated out. Could we get a listing of what is included in extended health benefits, please?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Is the Member asking for us to provide him information or does he want us to read through the list? We have the policy here that we could share. It's quite a number of pages to it, but we would be glad to share that. We've already committed in the House earlier today to table in the House the information requested by the Member in addition to the various programs under the supplementary health benefits program. So I need some direction. What would the Member like? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Dent, could you clarify your request?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Perhaps the Minister could just list off some of the key points that are in the policy and then when he tables it tomorrow, we will have a complete copy of the package.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, maybe I will just list off the schedules to give a broader sense. There are six schedules, one for specified disease conditions; one for drug benefits; one for medical travel benefits; one for medical supplies; appliances and prosthetics benefits; hearing aid and eyeglass benefits; and another for dental benefits. Then there is the preceding preamble that outlines some of the schedules and the detail and it speaks to escorts and schedules which are fairly thick. The disease ones go from alcohol dependency, alphabetically all the way down to Wegeners Granulomatosis and dozens of diseases in between. Drug benefits, I imagine, would be the same.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Dent.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That's the basic information I was looking for. This 3.6 million, who gets the coverage that is provided? As I said the indigent health benefits are listed separately and the Metis health benefits listed separately. So who qualifies to get the extended health benefits, the $3.6 million?

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It applies to seniors or if there are individuals with specified diseases.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under the Metis health benefits, the dollar amount of $404,000, does the Minister have any idea how many beneficiaries of that program that covers?

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Chairman, we have numbers but not immediately before us, but we can provide those to the Member if she would like.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mrs. Groenewegen.

Under the extended health benefits and the portion for seniors related to Pharmacare formulary, I have heard lately, and I don't know if it's true, that the list of pharmaceutical vitamins and various items that are available to seniors at no cost under extended health benefits are available to every senior in the Northwest Territories regardless of need. It's not a needs-based thing. I understand that the formulary for people covered under the NIHB Pharmacare, status Indians and Inuit, it's far less comprehensive. So, in fact, there is quite a gap between what's available to aboriginal recipients under NIHB versus what's available under the territorial government's program which is available to everyone. Is that the case?