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The NWT government created an online calculator and postponed the feedback deadline again after continued criticism of the proposal to change health benefits.
The Territory is proposing changes to its benefit system to cover those who cannot access health insurance through work or other forms of government insurance.
With an estimated 2,200 NWT residents unable to receive benefits, the Territory said its proposal would “ensure that all residents who need health benefits have them.”
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But some residents say the territory is cheating on how its proposal to abolish the Specific Disease Condition Program would require some people with serious pre-existing conditions to pay out of pocket before benefitting. It is said that there is
The NWT Disabilities Council is the latest group to criticize the proposal.
The council’s Executive Director, Denise McKee, said the new approach proposed by the GNWT “results in entrenched discrimination, is oppressive and unreasonable…understanding the tragic impact on people with disabilities.” No,” he said.
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McKee said the proposal would force low-income families to pay co-payments and co-payments, potentially exhausting third-party insurance before receiving territorial benefits.
The Board of Disabled Persons is also concerned that the proposal would appear to require third party insurance. Denying people access to government benefits if they can’t get them threatens to violate the Charter, he said.
“Even if insurance is approved, residents with pre-existing conditions may receive higher premiums and inadequate coverage compared to residents without pre-existing conditions. This has multiple negative consequences. ,” the Council wrote.
Finally, the council said, “not capping out-of-pocket costs for medical supplies and equipment needed to maintain a medical condition or disability is the exact opposite of providing benefits.”
“It creates real risks of worsening health conditions, reduced labor force participation, increased social isolation and increased reliance on state-sponsored assistance,” the council concluded.
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Other Comic Book Examples
On Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services extended the feedback deadline to November 23rd.
That criticism focused on the complete lack of examples in the literature accompanying the proposals that emphasized that some people may have less access to benefits. Focus on residents with increasing access.
“Additional examples and calculation tools have been developed to help residents understand how the proposed changes will affect them,” the region said in a news release.
“A virtual Town Hall will be held in mid-November to explain the proposed changes and answer residents’ questions. Details of the City Hall event will be provided in the coming weeks.”
More information: GNWT Health Subsidy Proposal Feedback Webpage
The GNWT website about the proposed changes includes some additional comic strip examples, which attempt to address some of the scenarios raised by the proposal’s critics.
Online calculators, meanwhile, ask residents for basic details related to their income and circumstances, and they show you annual deductibles, family maximums, and out-of-pocket costs.
The deductible is the amount that must be paid for medicines before benefits from the community begin. At this point, many are asked to pay out-of-pocket costs until they reach their family limit. After that, the benefit program will cover all medication costs. for the rest of the year.
There is no deductible for single residents with an annual income of $40,000. According to the calculator, they will receive benefits immediately and pay a 30% copay until their annual expenses reach $600.
Residents earning $70,000 have a $1,100 deductible. This means that you will pay that total for your medicines before the copayment process begins. Their annual maximum is $2,000, at which point the Territory Program will pay in full for the remainder of the year. .
The deduction for a household with a net income of $200,000 is $8,000, and the calculator states: After that, there is no self-pay. Once you reach the $8,000 cap, you will be paid from your local benefits program.
The Territorial Government adds a disclaimer that the calculator is only a tool used to estimate costs. It is not intended to be used,” the website states.
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