SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Changes to supplementary health benefits have been delayed once again.

Sandy Lee, minister of Health and Social Services, announced Tuesday afternoon in the legislative assembly that the plan to implement co-payments for people who earn more than $50,000 annually will be pushed back one month from the original start date of Sept. 30.

"I am interested in reviewing those items and improving on the program we have presented." - Health Minister Sandy Lee

Lee said the public and regular MLAs have voiced concerns about issues such as approaches to prevent employers and individuals from dropping third party insurance to collect government benefits, and the issue of accumulated high costs and a capped threshold.

"I am interested in reviewing those items and improving on the program we have presented," Lee said.

A working group of ministers and regular members will be formed to analyze the concerns and discuss possible solutions.

"This working group will use our government's consensus approach to finalize the planning for and ensuring a smooth transition to a new program," Lee said, adding the group will go back to cabinet and the Priorities and Planning Committee in June with recommendations.

However, one MLA, who has championed the fight against the changes, said this suggested delay could be all for not.

Glen Abernethy, MLA for Great Slave, said the proposed changes, which Lee has said is better than the health plan offered to territorial government employees, will allow residents with third party insurance through their employer to drop their plan, bringing a potentially large increase in cost to the government.

Abernethy said Tuesday he is cautiously optimistic about the suggested delay, pointing out Lee said the new implementation date may be "on or before" Nov. 1 and could end up being implemented on the original Sept. 30 date.

"If we want to make changes to what she is proposing, we're going to need time to make the changes," he said. "So on or before does make me nervous.

"It means, hopefully, she's actually listening."

The planned changes have faced a flurry of criticism from both MLAs and the public. Under the proposed plan, seniors who currently receive full benefits from the government would be forced to pay a portion of their medical needs if they earn over a yet to be determined income threshold - expected to be around $50,000. Seniors, who currently get supplementary health benefits for free, have opposed that idea from the beginning. Opposition culminated when 150 people marched on the legislative assembly May 11 and a petition bearing 3,000 residents' signatures was tabled.

David Wind, spokesperson for the Yellowknife Seniors' Society, said while the delay is welcomed, he is not optimistic favourable changes will be made to the proposed policy. Wind pointed to the first time seniors forced the new plan onto the shelf last year. He said at that time the government had a longer period for review and to make changes with very little progress.

"There wasn't a whole lot of change that was satisfactory," he said. "They weren't listening to the people they asked. "This is not a policy people favour and ... people are interested in protecting the universality of health care and not have one group of residents treated different than other groups."

Wind said he hopes this gives MLAs a chance to have their concerns thoughtfully considered.

"It was really a very short time frame that the department and the minister had set for implementations and it excluded the ordinary MLAs from having a proper say on the issue," Wind said. "Hopefully they'll be able to pressure the department of the folly that cabinet has been on now."