Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I am not sure I understood all of that. Maybe I will just switch tack for a moment, and then I might come back to that. Metis health benefits line here, there was a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that Metis people are now to be considered Indigenous people under the Constitution and entitled to the same rights as other Indigenous peoples. Has there been any progress on discussion of Metis health benefits funding from the federal government? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No. Every opportunity I have or every time I meet with the federal Ministers, I mention it. I indicate our desire to have them come to the table and cover the Metis health benefits. There has been no official response to date. I will continue to raise it every opportunity I get when I am in Ottawa or when I meeting with federal Ministers. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I support full coverage for our Metis residents, but does this come up in other jurisdictions? Does it come up at FPT, Federal-Provincial-Territorial meetings of the health ministers? It is not being discussed or addressed in any way? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I have had the conversation with my FPT colleagues, as well. They obviously would like to see it happen as a result of the Daniels case. We are in a slightly different position, given that we are already expending money in this area and they are not. We are the only jurisdiction in the country that provides NIHB-equivalent services to Metis people. I just remind the Member the case wasn't just about healthcare. It was about Metis services and all that. We are just a part of that. We raise it all the time, and so do the other PT ministers. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the response from the Minister. Is there any likelihood that we are going to be able to recover any of this funding that has been expended over the years from the federal government, or is it too early to say? Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would love to say yes, but honestly, we have had no indication at this point. I will continue to bring it up. If the opportunity presents itself, I would be happy to explore or discuss back pay on that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Mr. O'Reilly.

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I have no further questions on this section. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Simpson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have something I would like to clear up. Following up with Mr. O'Reilly's line of questioning, non-insured health benefits and the Metis health benefits, it is my understanding that, while they are almost identical, there are differences between the two when it comes to what is covered, things like certain dental procedures. Am I correct in this assumption? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, our supplementary health benefit programs are intended to mirror the benefits provided by NIHB exactly. That is the extended healthcare benefits, the indigent health benefits, and the Metis health benefits. For us, in these areas, Alberta Blue Cross does administer our supplementary health benefits on our behalf. We do provide to Alberta Blue Cross our NIHB fee schedule. We give that to Alberta Blue cross every time it is updated, which is about once a year. We gave the most recent updated schedule in February of 2018. Alberta Blue Cross moves and acts on that fee schedule. I am not aware of any individual drug or coverage or any discrepancies that exist. If the Member has examples of discrepancies that exist, I will look into that to figure out what is going on, but the program is intended to mirror NIHB.

I will say I have had some people approach me who have had some level of confusion. We need to remember that our programs are paving the last resort. There are a large number of people out of there who are getting more than what is available through our supplemental health programs, but they are getting it through their private insurance provider or, if they are a GNWT employee, their GNWT employer, which is quite a bit different than what is available through NIHB. We need to make sure we are talking apples to apples when we are having this conversation. If the Member is aware of specific cases, please let me know. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Mr. Simpson.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is what I was trying to discern. Exactly what I said, the non-insured health benefits and the Metis health benefits compared equally if they are exactly the same because I hear anecdotally issues about, for example, things like dental work is the one that has come up. If that is the case, if there are things like that, I would assume the department would be on top of it and look into this type of stuff. I would like some confirmation from the department. Do they look for cases like this? Is it possible that a case like this exists where someone with NIHB and the Metis benefits would receive different coverage? Is that a possibility? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Minister Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Never say never, right? By design, the answer is no. Our supplemental health programs mirror NIHB. We share the NIHB formularies with our provider, which is Blue Cross, so that they can ensure that they are providing services that are consistent. From time to time, is it possible that something sneaks through? I cannot say that it does not, but we are not aware of any at this particular point. So what I am asking is, if Members are aware of a case where something is provided by our supplementary health program as opposed to an another third-party insurance, please let us know and we will look into it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Anything further, Mr. Simpson?

Yes, one. I will follow up with the Minister. One final question; this might be more for the Department of Justice, but: are extended health benefits extended to people who are remanded or incarcerated in territorial corrections centres? Thank you, Mr. Chair.