Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Improving the overall reliability of the medical travel system requires addressing delays, strengthening coordination, ensuring clear communication standards and reducing avoidable repeat travel. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Can the Minister provide the average and maximum wait times for medical travel approvals over the past fiscal year, and explain what actions are being taken to reduce delays for patients who need to travel urgently?
What specific steps is the department taking to streamline coordination with non-insured health benefits (NIHB), especially for cases waiting on NIHB escort or travel approvals, and how many medical trips were delayed last year due to pending NIHB decisions?
What portion of medical travel expenditures in the last fiscal year was driven by avoidable travel, such as repeat trips caused by appointment cancellations, inadequate pre-screening, or delays in diagnostic services, and what measures is the department implementing to reduce preventable travel?
Can the Minister outline what service standards, if any, exist for communication with patients regarding itinerary changes, cancellations, or approval updates, and how often were those standards met over the past fiscal year?
What proportion of medical travel cases last fiscal year involved repeat travel for the same medical issue due to cancelled appointments, incomplete treatments, or diagnostic follow-ups, and what strategies are being implemented to reduce unnecessary repeat travel?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Range Lake. Written questions. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
