Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for the question. This is often a misunderstood issue, and it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the role of the clinicians in the administration of medical travel benefits. While our clinicians have an integral role with respect to medical travel, such as making a valid medical referral for the patient and making a recommendation for the escorts, medical travel assistance is a benefit program offered by our government and administered by our medical travel staff. The Medical Travel Policy does not give our clinicians full authority over escort decisions. The criteria for non-medical escorts are stated in the policy, and recommendations for an escort must be aligned with the criteria of the policy.

In June 2019, the Minister of Health and Social Services issued a directive formalizing the delegation of the implementation and administration of medical travel policies, excluding the appeals policy, to the NTSSA by the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services. The directive states that the NTSSA, through the medical travel office, coordinates the medical travel program for all of the Northwest Territories, including Hay River and the Tlicho. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.