Medical Travel and Escorts

A doctor or nurse may recommend someone go with you on medical travel. Escorts will be approved by the regional office.

What is an Escort?

Medical Travel Escorts are essential care partners for clients who require assistance during medical travel. They support the client during their care journey and stay with the patient at all reasonable times.
Escorts play a big role in improving the physical, psychological, and emotional well-being of the patient. They attend all medical appointments with the patient and help in decision-making and care coordination.

In order to qualify to be an escort, you:

Must be an adult aged 19 or older, or a mature minor who is the guardian of the patient.
Must sign and agree to all points in the Escort Travel Agreement document. This will be reviewed with you at the health centre.
Must be able to stay with the patient for a minimum of four weeks.
If escorting a unilingual patient, you must be able to communicate in both Inuktut and English.
Must be well, healthy, and independent. You cannot be an escort for a client if you require an escort for yourself while on routine medical travel.

Escorts will be approved for the following reasons:

You need the legal consent of your parent or guardian.
You have a mental or physical condition that makes you unable to travel alone.
You are a unilingual Inuktut speaking Client travelling to an Approved Centre where interpretive services are not available.
You need an escort to take medical instructions for home medical or nursing procedures.
Travelling for confinement.

If you are an escort, the costs of your travel will be paid for by one of the following government insurance plans:

Nunavut Health Care Plan
Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB)
Extended Health Benefits (EHB)

It is important for you to know which insurance plan is covering your trip, and depending on which insurance plan, coverage and benefits may be different. Medical travel costs may also be paid by Workers’ Safety Compensation Commission (WSCC), your employer health benefits, or other insurance programs.

Appeal Process:

If your request for an escort was denied and you believe one is necessary, ask a clerk at your local health centre or your case manager for an appeal form. Once the form is filled out, Health staff will send it to the appeal department. The decision generally comes within 5 days. Please ensure that all application information is included in the appeal – there is no such thing as too much information.

All appeals are investigation and reviewed by the medical travel appeals division. The Director of Travel Programs makes the final decision based on the appeal itself, and information collected by the appeals team.