Ottawa Keeping Close Tabs On Medical Trips By Taxi

Ottawa Keeping Close Tabs On Medical Trips By Taxi

Thursday, August 07, 2008 at 15:22

Health Canada is defending how it reimburses taxi operators for medical trips from remote reserves.

A Canoe Lake taxi owner says the department’s First Nations and Inuit Health Branch has been second-guessing his travel claims.

Joe Durocher says on occasions when he’s forced to make three trips on the same day into Meadow Lake — the department has only been paying him for one trip, instead of three.

Durocher is upset he’s losing money because the department decides after the fact that the trips should have been combined.

But FNIHB regional director Peyasu Wuttunee says taxi operators know that the department is striving to be efficient.

Wuttunee admits there will be times when trips can’t be combined — but says his department reserves the right to make that determination on a case-by-case basis.

Wuttunee is also encouraging taxi operators to maintain close communication with travel coordinators.