N.W.T. medical travel rates going up for some patients

Effective June 1, rates for some patients heading south for medical travel are going up.

The N.W.T. Department of Health and Social Services announcedchanges to the program in a news release on Thursday.

The change is to the co-payment the deductible patients have to reimburse the Northwest Territories for travel costs. The co-payments impact patients who do not have medical travel benefits through their insurance plans, and people who are not considered "low income."

Currently, patients who must cost-share the travel pay $125 for a one-way flight; that is going up to $200.

The department has expanded the low income threshold "to acknowledge different family compositions and living circumstances." Currently, residents whose family income is less than $80,000 a year are considered low income. That has been raised to $85,000.

The threshold for individuals is going down to an income of $70,000 a year or less,from $80,000.

"The new definition will decrease the number of people who may have to contribute a co-payment," the statement said.

The department said the programhasremained relatively unchanged since 1995. It said the change in ratesalign with current travel costs.

"A new Exceptions Policy is also being implemented to provide a formal process to consider exceptional circumstances of individual cases," the statement said.

"This change will provide improved timeliness, responsiveness and allow for more client centred service delivery within the administration of the Medical Travel Program."