Mr. Speaker, I do appreciate the plight of the children as well as of other residents in the Territories who are looking to have dental surgery.
We should remember that dental surgery is not an insured service. There are limits to what the government offers in terms of health care benefits. This is another case where NIHB has capped the amount of money they are willing to pay. It is $200,000 here, $300,000 there. Over the years it adds up to millions.
I am putting this issue on the list of things I need to discuss with the federal Minister of Health and social services. I also would like to suggest that when it costs $952 to do a procedure, most of the money goes to the dental surgeon. The services that surgeons and dentists provide are provided in their private clinics, and they cover the operating costs for that. We are willing to let them use our hospitals, but we’re asking them to come and work with us and be willing to cover some part of the cost of doing that. At the end of the day, they’re the ones who are getting most of the compensation.