Yukon seeks public feedback on health-care system changes
Last Updated: Friday, November 14, 2008 | 1:13 PM CT
CBC News
The Yukon government wants to know what people think about having to pay health-care premiums and for medical travel, just two recommendations in a new report on the territory's health-care system.
The 260-page report, prepared by a committee of Yukon government officials and health researchers, gave more than 40 recommendations on how to improve the current system, which it says is not sustainable and has to change.
The recommendations include:
- Charging health-care premiums for services.
- Increasing payments for long-term care.
- Making it tougher for Yukoners to qualify for pharmacare programs.
- Charging for medical travel.
"The recommendations that are in the report itself is not necessarily something that the government will embark upon at this time or even into the future," Premier Dennis Fentie said Thursday, after the report was tabled in the legislative assembly.
Instead, Fentie said he wants Yukoners' feedback on those recommendations first.
"Consultation will happen, and a public discussion on health care will happen, and that is just the way it is," he said.
Health Minister Glenn Hart said he is putting a committee together to study the recommendations, and gather input public input before reporting back to the legislature.
"A steering committee of health-care and medical professionals, and finance and First Nation officials, [will] be established to undertake this dialogue with Yukoners," Hart said.
Hart said the committee will then present a report, with its findings, to the legislature during the spring session.
