Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's been some time, I believe since September 2024, that the health department has changed the extended health benefits program, even though it was intended to roll in around May of that year of 2024. The pharmacists have pointed out, even as of recently, that the program still has problems and people are not accepting their full rights of say. In other words, they're not getting their prescriptions fully filled or they're considering other options because of this co-pay system.
Mr. Speaker, my question really is for the Minister of health, asking what type of review did they intend to do to see the impacts of this extended health benefits change to northern residents? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure if the Member is asking the review that we're currently doing or the review that was done extensively prior to the release of the changes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you. I will go back to the Member from Yellowknife Centre to clarify.
The review after the changes were made. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that review is currently in its final stages as the one year was as of September, and we committed to doing the review for the first year, and I said that it would probably take about six months to analyze all the data. And I have not received the analysis as of yet, so that should be coming shortly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If the Minister could explain to the House why it takes six months to review this particular data. Like, what's the threshold or issue? I know this has been top of mind for many Northerners because the one-year anniversary was September of 2025, and now we're talking six months since then. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are many areas within the extended health benefits, and there are many bans within the extended health benefits, so we are reviewing that right now. And as it is six months, we have been in session, so I haven't been doing a lot of briefings. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. What's the type of -- the mandate that this particular review? I've seen pharmacists say this doesn't work, constituents say this doesn't work, and no one seems to be happier. So I am not sure who this change of extended benefits has changed more for. And what's the mandate of the review process? Is it to consider other options, or is it just a double down? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this change was raised to ensure that we could continue having a sustainable program in the Northwest Territories. So what we did know prior to going into this is that there were many people in the Northwest Territories that did not get access to any benefits because they didn't have a specific disease earmarked in the specified disease category so that when we did the changes, the senior benefits remained the same, so they get all full benefits, and anybody under that category, excluding non-insured, so First Nation and Inuit and Metis -- those that have Metis benefits in Northwest Territories are excluded as they get all those benefits through those programs. So right now, part of the analysis is those that have been previously, we're analyzing that -- we're previously, and the new -- how many new people have come into the system. And you know what, as part of the review, it is working with pharmacists and ensuring that we're here getting those feedbacks. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
