Nunavut signs interim deal on non-insured health benefits with Ottawa

The governments of Nunavut and Canada have reached an interim funding agreement on the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program (NIHB) for Nunavut Inuit.

That includes an additional $190 million from the federal government for medical travel.

The two-yeardeal is retroactive to April 1, 2022, and ends next spring.

In a news release, the Nunavut governmentsaid the agreement is a step in the right direction, but that both governments "recognize it is not a comprehensive solution."

"We must improve access to health services to reduce theneed for medical travel outside of the territory and support health equity for Inuit in the territory," the release says.

Nunavut Health Minister John Main said the negotiations over the agreement have been ongoing "for quite some time."

Main said the two governments reached an agreement right before the end of the fiscal year.

"It came right down to the wire," he said.

Main said he's happy with the agreement and the increase to medical travel funding. Before, there was a gap where the territorial governmentwasn't receiving enough fundingto cover medical travel for Inuit in Nunavut.

"This new agreement largely eliminates that funding gap," Main said.

The money goes to the Department of Health, which uses it to offset the cost of medical travel for Inuit under the NIHB program.

"We have limited services in each community. We need to provide Nunavut residents and Nunavut Inuit access to essential health care," Main said.

He said with the agreement only in place until next year, he's working on what the next NIHB agreement will look like.

"We're hoping that this trend of increased federal recognition of the need and the funding gap...we're hoping this funding continues," Main said.