Overall Status: In Progress 

Timeline: Fall 2024 – Fall 2027

What we are doing

We are working to modernize the medical travel process to make it easier to understand and navigate, helping residents access the care they need.

This includes incorporating medical travel into the Extended Health Benefits (EHB) Policy which will improve how support is delivered. The goal is to:

• Improve the experience for residents and providers
• Reduce confusion
• Make processes and policies easier to understand

How we will do it

• Review and clarify medical travel support policies, processes, and exceptions
• Improve how we communicate medical travel information to residents and staff
• Develop service standards to make expectations and timelines clearer
• Strengthen monitoring and evaluation of medical travel support
• Review boarding home and air ambulance contracts for improvement opportunities
• Confirm funding and staffing to support sustainable delivery

Progress to date

Review of medical travel benefits, exceptions, and appeals

Status: In progress
Timeline: Fall 2024-Winter 2026
Notes:

We are reviewing processes for benefits, exceptions, and appeals to reduce confusion and streamline decision-making. 

Work completed or underway:

• Initial inventory of processes for benefits, exceptions, and appeals (completed – Spring 2025)
• Policy consideration summary table developed (completed – Spring 2025)
• Process mapping and documentation with system partners (completed – Spring 2026)
• Validation of workflows with regional leadership (completed – Winter 2026)
• Scoping reviews of boarding home and air ambulance contracts (in progress – target Winter 2026)
• Development of a new Medical Travel manual and service standards (in progress – target Winter 2026)

Update the Medical Travel Policy

Status: In progress
Timeline: Fall 2024-Fall 2026
Notes:

NTHSSA-administered medical travel benefits for residents with a valid NWT health care card and no other benefits or private insurance for medical travel, are currently coordinated under the NWT Medical Travel Policy. Starting September 1, 2026, co-ordination will occur under the Extended Health Benefits Policy.

Work completed or underway:

• Drafting updated policy with clarifications and improvements (in progress – target Winter 2026)
• Implementation planning (completed)
• Communications planning for public rollout of revised policy (completed)
• Development of updated performance indicators (in progress – target Winter 2026)
• Implementation and rollout of updated policy and monitoring framework (planned – Fall 2026)

Update to NIHB Agreement related to Medical Travel

Status: In progress
Timeline: 2025-2026
Notes:

We have signed a new two-year agreement with the federal government to administer the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program in the NWT. This agreement has an end date of March 31, 2027.

Work completed or underway:

• Negotiating the agreement with the federal government (completed – Spring 2026)
• Coordinating continuous improvement and efficient program delivery (ongoing)
• Monitoring progress and reporting on overall performance (2026 onward)