Wendy Bisaro

Thank you, Ms. DeLancey. Mr. Dolynny.

Thanks to the Minister. I didn’t mean a committee that was established almost a year ago. I hope he meant terms of reference for including bariatric surgery under our insured services.

Since we don’t currently provide insurance coverage for bariatric surgery, I’d like to know from the Minister if an individual in the NWT chooses to improve themselves, chooses to go and get the surgery done on their own and pay for it on their own, why do we not then assist them with any follow-up procedures, follow-up consultations that are required because there is very often, following the surgery, several...

One last question. It has to do with the administration of supplementary health benefits, which I understand is done on this page. I’ve said this before, there was quite an involved investigation, consideration. There was a joint working group that looked at the administration of our supplementary health benefits, and there were a number of recommendations that came out of it. Some of them have been implemented, and I think they were changes to the good.

But we still have a certain segment of our population which has no supplementary health benefits coverage. I would like to know from the...

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Beaulieu.

They also ask for continuation of funding to hold their bi-annual meetings for culture and heritage. They also ask to provide support for ongoing training and networking opportunities. All of these asks are something that we as a government can do that won’t require much financial support. Maybe we don’t need another ministerial portfolio, but to consider an expansion of the Cultural Circle awards to include heritage I believe is certainly doable. I urge the Minister to seriously consider the requests from the NWT’s nine heritage and culture societies and to copy Members of this House on his...

Thanks, Ms. DeLancey. Noting the clock, Members, I will call a halt for today and I will rise and report progress. Sergeant-at-Arms, will you please escort the witnesses from the Chamber. Thank you, witnesses, for your attendance.

Thanks, Mr. Beaulieu. Ms. DeLancey.

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Mr. Yakeleya, your time is up. I’ll put you back on the list, if you wish. Next on my list is Mr. Dolynny.

Thanks to the Minister. The Minister mentioned a number of things that the department is hopeful will create a reduction in the cost of our medical travel. Could I get an indication from the department as to how much money we are, how much federal money is going into medical travel at this point and can I get an indication of what kind of cost savings the Minister is talking about when he mentions the programs that he mentioned.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a number of questions on this page. I wanted to start off with looking at the federal funding that we have, which is due to expire in a year’s time, give or take. The information that we have currently indicates that much of the federal funding is being used for supplementing, I guess, our medical staff, doctors, nurse practitioners and the other large piece is supplementing our medical travel.

I mentioned in my comments the other day that I’m quite concerned with the fact that we haven’t yet got an extension of this federal funding. I appreciate the fact that the...