Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I had heard from a few constituents, particularly older constituents, who then chose to make it kind of a weekend down with the spouse or something as they were going to have to self-isolate together anyways. I'm really glad to hear that, and probably should have done a little bit more of my own homework before I asked that question. Again, I'm assuming that you had said that the numbers are going up this year for both the Extended Health Benefits and the medical travel benefits. However, there seems to always be quite a range. Is this due to just it's difficult, again, to predict these numbers as was some of the explanation we heard the other day? Thank you.
Debates of March 1st, 2021
This is page numbers 2199 - 2242 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was going.
Topics
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Elkin
Thank you. Yes. When it comes to forecasting, as you know, the main estimates are done almost a year ahead of when we are -- we're reviewing them right now, so we're basing it under information at the time. It is a best guess based on trends, and as the Minister said before, we would be looking at what are the impacts with COVID and will there be a change going forward. This is based on the information we did probably last summer, last spring. This is a forecast based on the previous number of years of trends.
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Katrina Nokleby Great Slave
Thank you, Madam Chair. Can maybe the department comment a little bit on whether they do think it's going to go up or down? I'm just probably assuming healthcare costs always go up, but do they have any sort of idea which way they think it's going? Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to refer this question to Mr. Elkin.
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Elkin
Thank you. Again, they have been trending up just based on the five-year average of number of clients and just the cost of the airfare. Again, the unknown will be what will be, going forward, the impacts of post-COVID, whether it's through the cost of airfare during recovery or with the impact of the change program if we start using more virtual care. Those are things we're going to have to monitor over the next year or so.
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Katrina Nokleby Great Slave
Thank you, Madam Chair. The cost of the flights for people to Edmonton, did they change over the year due to COVID, or were they already set in place for the upcoming year? Thank you, Madam Chair.
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Elkin
Thank you. The airfare travel rates are set through a standing offer agreement, both for medical travel as well as the GNWT travel, as well. Those are set for the period, so they won't change. They haven't changed during COVID because they were through an SOA, standing offer agreement, with the airlines.
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Katrina Nokleby Great Slave
Thank you, Madam Chair. What is the amount of time left on the standing offer agreement, and are there provisions in it for them to raise the prices given that their operating costs have skyrocketed due to COVID? Thank you.
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Madam Chair. This is another question for Mr. Elkin. Thank you.
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Elkin
Thank you. There was a new standing offer agreement government-wide in December of 2020. I don't have the information on how long. They're usually on an annual basis. Presumably, because it was December, it did factor in some of the costs that they're currently incurring. Again, I don't have that detail, but that's the latest SOA.
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Katrina Nokleby Great Slave
Thank you, Madam Chair. Maybe the department could provide that SOA to us, to the standing committee, and maybe the one from before, just so we can see how those rates have increased? I would imagine that they would have to in order to continue to be able to run. I think at this time, I don't have any further questions, Madam Chair. Thanks.