The Honourable Wayne Easter, Solicitor General of Canada; the Honourable Dr. Rey D. Pagtakhan, Minister of Veterans Affairs; the Honourable Mike Currie, Minister of Development and Technology; and Mr. Paul Dowie, Chief Operating Officer, Government Programs for Atlantic Blue Cross Care (ABCC), announced today that ABCC will soon be tenants in the Atlantic Technology Centre (ATC). The expansion of the Atlantic Blue Cross Care office to Charlottetown is a direct result of the $100 M Federal Health Claims Processing System contract with Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) that was awarded last spring.
Solicitor General Easter stated, "This announcement demonstrates the Government of Canada's commitment for employment opportunities and economic growth for Prince Edward Island while enhancing the capabilities of Veterans Affairs Canada to serve its clients."
"Working with our partners, the Government of Canada is committed to meeting the health care needs of the clients of the three federal departments," said Minister Pagtakhan. "Veterans Affairs Canada has built a solid reputation for providing quality benefit administration. Through Blue Cross, we are enhancing that reputation by delivering our health benefits in a timely way to Veterans and our other clients, while at the same time contributing to on-going economic development on Prince Edward Island with an additional 30 jobs being created to process the health benefits for the three federal departments."
"This is an excellent example of how the investment we have made in the infrastructure at the ATC pays off for Islanders," said Minister Currie. "By providing the kind of information technology this company requires, we have been able to support the creation of jobs in this key sector."
In March 2002, Veterans Affairs Canada signed a $100 million contract with ABCC for the development and administration of the Federal Health Claims Processing System. The new system will allow for on-line claims payment and enhance claims management services such as on-line prescription drug claims processing in the delivery of health benefits for Veterans Affairs Canada, the Canadian Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Eligible clients are able to present their health card to receive a prescription drug, for example, and within minutes a pharmacist anywhere in Canada will be able to electronically access Blue Cross' approval network and fill the prescription with no out-of-pocket cost to the client or additional paperwork.
"Our increased presence in PEI reflects our commitment to VAC and to the economic development for the people of PEI. The Technology Centre provides close proximity to VAC and easy access for our walk-in clients who use our Quick Pay services," said Mr. Dowie. "There's no better place to showcase our capabilities than in the Atlantic Technology Centre where we will be able to take advantage of and provide new technology for training and application building and support."
ABCC has already begun the recruiting process and expects to have the office fully staffed by mid-May. The 30 positions will be a mix of technical, operational, information management, training and medical.