SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Laura Rose, president of the Hay River Soup Kitchen, said it seems the government is going in a reasonable direction from what she has heard about the proposed changes to the supplementary health benefits program.

"The people who are doing the most complaining are the ones who have got more income," Rose said, adding they can afford to pay a little bit more for their health.

Most seniors have good pensions, she said.

Rose said seniors considering leaving the NWT because of possible changes to the program might want to think again, because all governments in Canada are pinching here and there to save money.

The proposed changes are not a big topic of discussion among people receiving help from the Soup Kitchen, she added, noting many of them are poor and already receive assistance from the program, or are aboriginal people covered by a separate program.

In Inuvik, only one member of the public - also a government employee - showed up to a March 29 information session on the proposed supplementary health changes.

In the Beaufort Delta region, there are 110 people who receive health care coverage under the Department of Health and Social Services' seniors benefits program. Seventy-six are residents covered for specific conditions - the most common of which are diabetes, asthma and mental illness.

If implemented, these changes would provide coverage for non-aboriginals who don't fit into those two groups, as aboriginal people across the territory are already covered.

Derek Lindsay, a former mayor of Inuvik, said as a non-aboriginal person he supports a user-pay system based on income for all individuals, similar to some systems in the provinces.

"We should all be contributing toward the health care. I believe in that," he said.

He said the proposed changes, which would see high income-earners paying for a portion of their health care bills while low-income-earners are fully covered, are unfair.

"Is that fair? I don't think so. Because you'll get people who will take advantage of that situation," Lindsay said.

The department estimates there are about 2,000 non-aboriginal people who don't qualify for territorial health coverage and don't receive third-party benefits.