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Record of Discussion - 27 October 2022

Thursday, October 27, 2022
12:00 - 14:30 (ET)

Care and Support Advisory Group Members

  • Major (Retired) Bruce Henwood, National Council of Veteran Associations
  • Major (Retired) Jorma Hamalainen
  • Major (Retired) Rod Holowaty
  • Marie Andrée Malette, Canadian Caregivers Brigade
  • Sergeant (Retired) Andrea Newton
  • Walter Callaghan
  • Alexa Pasha, Royal Canadian Legion

Regrets

  • Ken MacLaren
  • Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class (Retired) Debbie Eisan, Aboriginal Veterans Autochtones
  • Lieutenant (Retired) Sylvain Bouliane, VeteransCanada.ca
  • Mary Boutette, The Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre
  • Major (Retired) Linda Lander, Canadian Military Intelligence Association

Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs

  • Erika Lashbrook Knutson, Press Secretary, Minister’s Office

Veterans Affairs Canada Officials

  • Jane Hicks, A/Director General, Service Delivery and Program Management (Co-chair)
  • Toby Hill, Project Officer, Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach, Communications Division (scribe)

Presenters

  • Pam Forrester, Manager, Federal Health Claims Processing Services Re-contracting
  • Kim Andrews, Senior Director, Health Care Programs
  • Linda MacLean, Acting Manager, Strategic Policy Disability and Health Benefits Policy Directorate

Observer

  • Walter Semianiw (attended on behalf of member Ken MacLaren)
  • Kandace Bogaert, Office of the Veterans Ombudsperson

Opening Remarks in Plenary

(Members of all six Ministerial Advisory Groups met in plenary and both the Minster and the Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs brought greetings and provided updates. The Assistant Deputy Minister, Commemoration and Public Affairs discussed procedural items and how to conduct the vote for a Member Co-chair. Members were then transferred to their individual Advisory Group meeting.)

  • The Deputy Minister welcomed the members and acknowledged that the land from which he was speaking is unceded Mi’kmaq territory; he also acknowledged the ancestral and unceded territory of all Inuit, Métis, and First Nations people and took a moment to recognize the importance of these lands that we all call home.
  • He thanked the members for their understanding given that the meeting was rescheduled from September to October. He also acknowledged the value of stakeholder feedback and highlighted the important role of advisory group members to contribute and influence positive change. The Deputy Minister then introduced Minister Lawrence MacAulay.

Remarks from Minister MacAulay

  • Minister MacAulay welcomed members, thanked them for their commitment, and acknowledged that the work of the advisory groups will make a real difference. He also highlighted that the advisory groups are a space to speak freely and share thoughts and ideas to help the Department live up to its commitment to respect and deliver care to Veterans and their families.
  • The Minister acknowledged the ongoing priority of reducing the backlog, which has decreased by 50 percent since 2020. He also highlighted the recent 43 million dollar investment to address the evolving needs of Veterans.
  • The Minister thanked those who helped secure Juno Beach as commemorative grounds and acknowledged their importance for education.
  • He highlighted the success of the new Mental Health Benefit, which offers automatic support to Veterans to ensure they receive the help where and when they need it.
  • The Minister highlighted key priorities from his mandate letter, including improving performance and client experience for Veterans and their families, ensuring Veterans have access to benefits and services, recognizing and commemorating the efforts of Veterans with a focus on underrepresented Veterans, addressing Veterans homelessness, and launching the Veterans employment strategy.
  • The Minister acknowledged that there is a lot more work to do, and that he and the Department value the Ministerial advisory groups as key assets in ensuring progress continues. He acknowledged the evolving needs of the Veteran community and wants to hear from members on how the Department can best serve Veterans and their families. The advisory groups were created to provide the Department insight, advice, and recommendations on the issues facing Veterans and their families, so it’s important that members speak freely. He then thanked members for their commitment and contributions.

Closing Plenary Remarks

  • The Deputy Minister thanked Minister MacAulay and then provided some additional updates and recent developments, specifically the unveiling of the final bronze caribou monument was unveiled in Gallipoli in September.
  • He addressed a recent news story on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) and underlined that the Department took immediate action to apologize to the Veteran and immediately investigate.
  • The Deputy then provided updates on recent senior appointments at VAC, including Ken MacKillop, the new Associate Deputy Minister, and Pierre Tessier the new Assistant Deputy Minister of Strategic Policy, Planning, and Performance.
  • The Assistant Deputy Minister, Commemoration and Public Affairs, then spoke to procedural items concerning the terms of reference for the advisory groups and the in-camera selection of member co-chairs. She also referenced the Code of Conduct which members are expected to adhere to.
  • Advisory Group members were then transferred to their individual breakout rooms.

Care and Support Advisory Group Meeting

In camera selection of Member Co-chair

As quorum was not met, the group unanimously decided to appoint Bruce Henwood as acting Member Co-chair until such time as a vote can be held.

Welcome and Roundtable Introductions

Once consensus was reached on the Member Co-Chair, the VAC Co-chair joined the breakout session to officially open the meeting. She thanked the members for their involvement and then had members, observers, and presenters do a roundtable introduction.

Presentation: Federal Health Claims Processing Services (FHCPS) Re-contracting Consultation

The Manager, FHCPS Re-contracting, and the Senior Director, Health Care Programs gave a presentation to update on the re-contracting consultation and process for the Federal Health Claims Processing Services. The current contract was awarded in January 2014 and ends in July 2026. A draft Request for Proposal (RFP) was posted on the Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) Canada Buys website this month for stakeholder and industry feedback.

Consultations have been held with Veterans and subject matter experts, with the CAF and RCMP leading consultation with their stakeholders directly. The goal is for the new contract to be easier to use and to allow easier access for Veterans to view information, upload documents, receive electronic mail etc. through a Participant’s Portal. The contractor will be incentivized to hire Veterans and Indigenous applicants as a priority.

Feedback/Comments from Members

  • Ideally would have a dedicated toll-free number that people can call if having issues with system
  • Would prefer to see a time limit for payment included in RFP and not just “timely manner”
  • Recommendation for health spending/lifestyle spending account for minor health-related purchases
  • Timeline and requirements for extensions of treatments for ongoing issues presents a problem for many Veterans. Waiting for renewals for services such as massage, physiotherapy, wound care therapy, etc. can put them in crisis.

Presentation: Modernization of Health Benefits

The Acting Manager, Strategic Policy Disability and Health Benefits presented on Modernization of Health Benefits. Prior to the meeting, Members received an overview of the Veterans Health Care Regulations that outlined the three main programs authorized by these regulations, including: Treatment and Supplementary Benefits, Veterans Independence Program, and Long Term Care. She noted that the Regulations have been in place since 1980 and have not been substantially renewed since that time.

Three questions were posed for discussion and feedback:

  • What health benefits are required to support the needs of the current Veteran demographic?
  • Do you feel that there are gaps in VAC’s suite of health benefits?
  • Are you aware of any best practices or innovative initiatives in relation to health benefits that VAC should be aware of?

Feedback/Comments from Members

  • Too much bureaucracy at VAC, need to simplify access to services
  • Provider rates are out-of-date and many Veterans are having to pay out of pocket for services
  • Would like to see Zoom appointments continue as a funded option post-pandemic
  • Concern re. consistency of access to benefits and eligibility requirements between provinces. VAC treatments benefits are national but what insurance covers, rates, and who can prescribe what differs from province to province.
  • Immediate support for urgent medical needs must be available, particularly for mental health crises.

As time ran short, members were encouraged to send any further feedback to the co-chairs after the meeting.

Next Steps

The VAC co-chair thanked the members for their participation in the discussions. She indicated that the next meeting would likely take place in late January and said that dates would be proposed for consideration. The members asked if the meeting would take place virtually or in person and everyone indicated a preference for an in-person meeting, if possible. The majority of members live in the Ottawa area, which would make it an ideal location to meet.

The VAC co-chair again invited feedback and also encouraged members to visit the Let’s Talk Veterans site to review the consultations taking place and to read the issues of the online Salute! Magazine.

Meeting adjourned at 15:44 AT.

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