LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - The first of a series of town hall meetings about proposed changes to supplementary health benefits barely got past the basics on Tuesday evening.

Dana Heide, assistant deputy minister for the Department of Health and Social Services, was faced with a lot of uncertainty and confusion from the eight people who gathered at the community hall in Fort Simpson to hear about the changes. Some of the residents in attendance told the bureaucrats to start with the basics.

The territorial government wants to create a supplementary health benefits program that is based on net family income and family type, said Heide. Coverage for supplementary health benefits would be provided to everyone up to a certain income level. Above that level, families and individuals would pay for a portion of the cost. The income threshold would change depending if the resident is single, part of a couple or a couple with one, two or more dependent children.

"The question becomes what's fair," said Heide, referring to the income threshold.

There's also a question of what the co-payment arrangement would look like, he said.

The government wants to change the current system for a number of reasons including the fact that more than 2,000 residents don't have supplementary health benefits or third-party coverage. Many of these residents can be classified as "the working poor," according to Heide.

"If you can't afford it you're out of luck if you don't have third-party benefits," he said.

The proposed changes will not affect insured health benefits or aboriginal and Metis residents. The changes would combine the three programs that currently provide supplementary health benefits to certain groups of non-aboriginal people.

The three programs include the Seniors' Benefits Program, Indigent Health Benefits and extended health benefits for specified medical conditions. The changes would allow all non-aboriginal residents to access services such as coverage of certain prescription drugs, medical supplies and equipment, limited dental and vision care and ambulances and medical travel.

The concept behind the changes is that access should not be based on age, medical conditions or on being poor, said Heide. By charging people with higher incomes, benefits can be opened up to people closer to the bottom of the income scale, he said.

Tom Wilson, a village resident and the president of the NWT Seniors Society, said the society was hoping to see the numbers the government has in mind so that negotiations can take place.

"There's absolutely no conspiracy here whatsoever," said Heide. "I just want to hear what you have to say."

Wilson contended that the changes are still taking place on the backs of seniors. The society's stance is that seniors, regardless of their net income, should not be charged for the benefits they currently have.

"It's not on the backs of seniors, it's on the backs of high income earners," said Heide.

Despite the fact that no suggestions were made about the income threshold or co-payments, Heide said the meeting was a success.

"I think it was good education for everybody," he said. "We dispelled some myths."

Five more town hall meetings will be held in regional centres in the territory over the next two weeks. Residents have until April 7 to provide input on the proposed changes.

All of the information gathered will be used to make a proposal to the government sometime in April or May, said Heide. The plan is to implement the changes by this September.