Inuvik (Oct 03/03) - A consent form issued by the federal government to aboriginal people has sparked the ire of Inuit and First Nation groups across the country.

The form is issued to all recipients of Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) and was originally designed to help curb abuse and misuse of prescription drugs primarily with off-reserve clients.

Nellie Cournoyea, chair and CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, said leaders and government wanted to deal with the issue, but the consent form over-stepped the bounds of the original good intentions.

"We all agreed to address the issue," Cournoyea said. "But when we come out to the final issue, everything is included."

She said the allegations of misuse were not directed at Northerners, but since NIHB is a federal program, all recipients were asked to comply with the new regulation.

"This is a national program under the Indian and Inuit health policy, so when something happens in one place, you get painted with the same brush." She said they set out to try and address the situation, but more and more was added to the consent form.

"You get dragged into a more global government want list and it takes a tremendous amount of time to keep tracking it," she said. "From a narrow issue we all agreed to, everything got thrown into the pot; all-of-a-sudden you're consenting to have anything and everything being accessed to your personal file -- it's so far-reaching into their personal affairs."

The government argues that since it's a totally government-paid insurance, they need access to this information, but Cournoyea says other universal health care programs don't require such consent.

"NWT, Alberta and OHIP in Ontario are not asking for consent forms to allow broad access to personal medical information," she said.

Cournoyea stops short of calling the consent form "unconstitutional," but both Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) are looking at that possibility.

The AFN says the form "undermines an individual's rights and freedoms" and says Health Canada has not clearly explained how the information would be used.

Anne McLellan, minister of health has set a extended cut-off date to March 1 to reach an agreement with aboriginal leaders on an alternative form and what the new consent form should include.