Vision Care Framework
The purpose of this document is to clearly define the benefits and criteria associated with the provision of vision care benefits to Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) Program clients.
In this document, NIHB refers to the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program or the appropriate First Nation or Inuit representative recognized through a contribution agreement with FNIHB.
This document will be updated as required to meet the needs of the NIHB Program. The vision care benefits funded by the NIHB Program are the goods and services described in this document.
The Non-Insured Health Benefits Program (NIHB) of Health Canada recognizes an individual's right to control who has access to his or her personal information and the purpose for which that information will be used. The Program is committed to protecting an individual's privacy and safeguarding the personal information in its possession. When a request for benefits is received, the NIHB Program collects, uses, discloses and retains an individual's personal information according to the applicable privacy legislation. The information collected is limited only to information needed for the NIHB Program to provide and verify benefits.
As a program of the federal government, NIHB must comply with the Privacy Act, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Access to Information Act, Treasury Board policies and guidelines including, the Treasury Board of Canada Government Security Policy, and the Health Canada Security Policy. The NIHB Privacy Code addresses the requirements of these acts and policies.
Objectives of the NIHB Privacy Code:
- to set out the commitments of the NIHB Program to ensure confidentiality through responsible and secure handling of personal information collected for program delivery, administration and management; and
- to foster transparency, accountability, increased awareness of the NIHB Program's privacy procedures and practices.
The NIHB Privacy Code is based on the ten principles set out in the Canadian Standards Association, Model for the Protection of Personal Information (The CSA Model Code) which is also schedule 1 to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). This is commonly regarded as the national privacy standard for Canada.
The Privacy Code can be found on the Health Canada website, or contact your First Nations and Inuit Health Branch Office.
The Non-Insured Health Benefits Privacy Code will be reviewed and revised on an ongoing basis as Federal Government privacy policies, legislation and/or program changes require. The Program would be pleased to receive stakeholder advice on the Code at anytime.
To be eligible to receive benefits under the NIHB Program a person must be:
- a registered Indian according to the Indian Act (effective December 2002 this includes Innu members of Davis Inlet and Sheshatshiu); or
- an Inuk recognized by one of the Inuit Land Claim organizations - Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Makivik Corporation or Labrador Inuit Association. For Inuit residing outside of their land claim settlement area, a letter of recognition from one of the Inuit land claim organizations and a long form birth certificate are required; or
- a James Bay Cree and Northern Quebec Inuk who lives permanently outside the area covered by the James Bay Northern Québec Agreement or who was not living in the territory at the time the agreement was signed; and
- currently registered or eligible for registration under a provincial or territorial health insurance plan; and
- residing in Canada or a student or migrant worker outside of Canada who is registered or eligible for registration under a provincial or territorial health insurance plan.
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