After her partner’s death, a Hay River resident faces his medical travel debt

Before he passed away in June, Christopher Shaver’s medical travel debt – more than $194,000 – was weighing on him.

“I can see it taking a big toll on my family, which makes it hurt even more,” said Shaver, who spoke with Cabin Radio in April.

The Hay River resident had lived with chronic cancer for most of his adult life but his health deteriorated in 2025, requiring frequent medevacs to Yellowknife and Edmonton for specialized care.

An invoice submitted by the NWT’s health authority and reviewed by Cabin Radio shows expenses accumulating in 2025 and 2026.

After Shaver’s death, his partner, Nicolina Minakis, received a bill for that amount addressed to his estate.

For more than a month, she worried that any life insurance payout she might receive could be swallowed by the outstanding medical travel balance, leaving her and her two daughters with little financial support following his death.

Shaver was unable to work in the last few months of his life. Minakis says she took some time off to help care for him.

With a reduced household income, she said bills were beginning to pile up.

Only now – after weeks of correspondence with Shaver’s private insurer, workers at various levels of the territory’s healthcare system and the offices of Hay River MLAs – has she received assurances that she will not have to pay the outstanding sum herself.

If the insurer declines the claim or provides only partial coverage, whatever remains will be paid by the territorial government, Minakis said she has been told.

Still, she wishes more support could have been available to help her and her partner navigate the administrative side of Shaver’s health crisis.

Minakis said she regrets that such a large bill was weighing on Shaver before he passed away.

Private insurance coverage

Before he died, Shaver said matters with his insurer were complicated because he was being treated as a new employee after returning to work for a new company following a stint on long-term disability.

A welder, he said he took the job with the new company hoping for lighter, easier work as he struggled with his health.

When he filed a claim for his medical travel bills, he said there was a lot of communication back and forth with his insurance company but he hadn’t received a decision about compensation.

Vern Shaver, Christopher’s father, visited his son in hospital when his condition took a turn for the worse last year and the need for travel grew.

He said it was stressful for Christopher and his partner to manage the “almost impossible amounts of paperwork” their insurer required while navigating his health challenges.

Minakis now says the insurance provider is awaiting Christopher’s official death certificate from an Edmonton doctor, and the medical reason he needed to be transferred, before a decision can be made about the claim.

Ultimately, Minakis said, she hopes the territorial government could provide more support to families like hers.

She penned some of her thoughts in an email to an employee of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority who oversees the quality of care provided.

“I keep thinking about how many other families in our community may be going through something similar,” Minakis wrote.

“It would have meant so much to me if someone had reached out earlier and simply asked, ‘Do you need help with anything? Is there anything you don’t understand? Do you know who to contact?'”

Minakis said the stress of dealing with the outstanding financial matters has prevented her from mourning the loss of her partner.

Before he died, Christopher described Minakis as an important part of his life – someone who helped “keep everything together.”

Minakis said Christopher was resilient and stoic.

“No matter what he faced – he went through such a hard time for so long – he always kept his head up high,” said Minakis.

“He was a very hard worker and when he said he was going to do something, he always did it.”

Territorial health coverage

In response to questions about billing practices for medevacs, a spokesperson for the NWT’s Department of Health and Social Services said that when its health authority is informed a patient has private insurance coverage, the entire cost of transportation will be billed to the patient so they use their private benefits first.

“Medical travel benefits, as administered by the NTHSSA, are the payor of last resort,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to Cabin Radio.

Should a private insurer decline a claim, or provide only partial coverage, the spokesperson said the patient can provide documentation of that decision to the health authority.

If the patient had active NWT healthcare coverage at the time, the remaining cost would usually be eligible for coverage through the territory’s medical travel program, the department said. If they were not covered by the territory’s health plan at the time, the patient or their estate would be responsible for payment.

“The executor of the estate can then work with NTHSSA’s collections team to discuss a repayment plan for the outstanding debt,” the spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the territory’s health authority said it has no dedicated staff to help clients navigate matters with a private insurer and people must work directly with those companies.

“We recognize this can be challenging for some clients, and the NTHSSA is available to provide information on what the invoice is for and may be able to provide additional supporting documentation if the insurer requires it,” the spokesperson said.

“The invoice package contains an NTHSSA phone number which clients can contact with questions.”