In the last budget 2018, we were able to rebase the non-insured health benefits program and also allow for growth to accommodate growing demand and need. It is a needs-based program so it's very difficult as it's not capped. The government has accommodated that growth at this time. Medical transportation is an extremely large benefit. It's the second-largest benefit that we offer. It is very highly utilized; however, the unfortunate piece of that is that where the provincial health systems there has been a centralization of certain services within urban centres, it means that community members unfortunately have to travel farther distances. We always try to encourage joint planning between indigenous peoples and provincial health care systems so that they can talk about where the services could be located. More and more, first nations are interested in creating their own health authorities or bringing services closer to home. Dialysis, as an example, is a service that can really disconnect family members from their families and from their communities and can be a significant hardship for families. While we would offer medical transportation and accommodation in urban centres, it's definitely not the best solution. The best solution is to offer as many services as possible close to home for those clients who have chronic disease.
On May 28th, 2018. See this statement in context.