Thank you, Mr.
Speaker.
Obviously, we do want to do as much as we can for our residents, but especially children who are suffering from pain. What should be kept in mind is that dental services are not an insured service
anywhere in Canada. Nobody gets dental service from the government. I, on the other hand, a Minister with a heart, am trying to do something about it.
Mr. Speaker, right now dental services, including dental surgeries, are covered by third-party insurance, whether it’s private insurance or NIHB in the case of aboriginal children. Surely, as the Minister of Health, I know better than to ask any doctor for a pay cut. That is not what I’m asking them to do.
What I’m saying is: for any regular dental service for adults, they are able to be done in private dental clinics, and dentists, as business operators, cover those costs. We’re not asking them to take a pay cut; they will get all the insured services there. The outstanding fee has to do with the use of the hospital. We are asking to see if we could have some negotiation on that, because they are getting covered for everything.
Because this is not a government program, we are looking at creative ways of doing it. I am considering all options, and I’m talking to everybody I can to solve this situation. I agree with the Member that we need a solution for all those children — 120 in the South Slave region; we have children in Yellowknife, all over the North — and I’m trying to look for ways to solve that.