Reform NIHB and reduce backlog
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to acknowledge NIHB is failing, consult First Nations to implement a detailed reform plan, and enact urgent temporary measures to clear backlogs and restore medical travel and healthcare access.
Why we would sign this petition
- Would restore reliable access to medical transportation and care for NIHB clients, reducing missed appointments and immediate harms.
- Would require consultation with First Nations rightsholders, helping ensure reforms reflect affected communities’ needs and rights.
- Temporary urgent measures would provide immediate relief while a long-term reform plan is developed and implemented.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Implementation likely requires additional funding and operational capacity not specified in the petition, which could delay or limit results.
- Clearing backlogs and overhauling NIHB is complex and may take longer than petitioners request, reducing short‑term effectiveness.
- Temporary fixes could divert attention and resources from sustainable system redesign or from addressing broader determinants of Indigenous health.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons Healthcare is a Treaty Obligation of the Crown and a human right; The Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program is meant to close the health gap and support the health needs of Indigenous people not covered though other health plans; Across northwestern Ontario, NIHB clients are frequently missing medical appointments because of the lack of travel and accommodation arrangements, and service providers are in precarious financial positions due to the long turnaround times for approvals; These challenges have real impacts on the health outcomes of First Nations people; and The negligent state of NIHB is a continuation of Canada’s ongoing genocide against the first peoples of these lands. We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Acknowledge that NIHB is in a state of crisis and is failing to ensure that First Nations people have access to adequate healthcare and medical transportation services; 2. Develop and implement detailed plan to identify and address the issues at NIHB in a timely way, in consultation with First Nations rightsholders; and 3. Implement temporary, urgent measures to alleviate the NIHB backlog and restore reliable healthcare and medical transportation access to NIHB clients until long-term reforms are fully in place. 1. Acknowledge that NIHB is in a state of crisis and is failing to ensure that First Nations people have access to adequate healthcare and medical transportation services; 2. Develop and implement detailed plan to identify and address the issues at NIHB in a timely way, in consultation with First Nations rightsholders; and 3. Implement temporary, urgent measures to alleviate the NIHB backlog and restore reliable healthcare and medical transportation access to NIHB clients until long-term reforms are fully in place.
Government response
No government response is available yet.