Manitoba Health
What health services are available to you in Manitoba?
Primary care
Staying healthy and finding the right care at the right time with the right health care provider – that’s what primary care is all about. Primary care is a person’s first point of contact with the health care system. It involves a range of health services that promote good health, care for common illness and help patients manage ongoing health problems, such as diabetes or asthma. You may access primary care services at a clinic, a family doctor office or a community health centre. Primary care recognizes that many different kinds of health care providers can assist in helping Manitobans to achieve good health.
Doctors
Manitoba Health covers you and your dependents for any medically
required
doctor services. We pay doctors directly for insured services
provided in their
office, clinic, hospital or other institution, or in your home.
Those services
can include routine appointments, emergency care and care while you
are
in a hospital.
Manitoba Health also covers medically necessary surgery, anesthesia, X-rays and laboratory services when ordered by your doctor.
Finding a family doctor
Training and hiring more
doctors and nurses |
A family doctor knows you and your health needs and provides ongoing care – which means better health for you and your family. Your family doctor is your doorway to the health care system’s other services, such as diagnostic tests or referral to a medical specialist.
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You can find out which family doctors in your neighbourhood are accepting new patients, and how to reach them by calling the Family Doctor Connection line: 786-7111 in Winnipeg This free service, offered by Manitoba Health and the Manitoba College of Family Physicians, operates Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After hours you can submit your questions by email to insuredben@gov.mb.ca. |
Specialist referrals
Your family doctor or primary care provider is probably a general practitioner – that is, a health care provider trained to deal with your overall health. But sometimes, your health care provider may suggest you seek special care for an illness, injury or condition, and refer you to a specialist.
A specialist is a doctor who focuses on a particular area of medicine, and has extra training and expertise in that area. Some doctors, for example, specialize in treating heart disease or cancer.
Usually, a referral from your family doctor is the only way to see a
specialist.
Manitoba Health pays for a specialist if you need to see one.
Community health centres
In clinics or centres in the community, teams of different health care providers work together to offer medical services, home care, public health and mental health services, depending on the community or neighbourhood. Some centres also work in partnership with the communities they serve to assist in addressing a broad spectrum of needs, such as housing, education, employment and safe neighbourhoods.
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Phone: Website: |
Other health care providers
Optometrists – Optometrists measure how well you can see, prescribe glasses or contact lenses and detect eye disease. If you are under 19 years old or 65 or over, Manitoba Health pays for one complete routine eye exam in a two-year benefit period. And if an optometrist decides that regular eye exams are medically necessary for you, we cover them no matter what your age.
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Phone (for more on eye exams): |
Chiropractors – These are practitioners who can diagnose joint or back problems and treat them by physically manipulating the spine and other parts of the body. Manitoba Health covers adjustment of the spinal column, pelvis, arms and legs, up to a maximum of 12 visits in a calendar year. There may be additional costs during a visit to a chiropractor that are the responsibility of the patient.
Dental surgeons – Manitoba Health insures certain dental procedures when hospitalization is required. You (or your private health plan, if you have one) must pay for dental surgery performed in the surgeon’s office.
Midwives – Midwives are health care providers who care for women throughout pregnancy, labour and birth. They also provide care for both mother and baby for six weeks after birth. Midwives can order and interpret lab tests, write prescriptions and if necessary, consult with physicians for women in their care. Midwives work closely with other health care professionals. They have admitting privileges and can manage births in both homes and hospitals. Manitoba Health funds midwifery services provided through the regional health authorities.
Pharmacists – Pharmacists have extensive knowledge and training related to medication and medication therapy. They provide expert advice and opinion to other health care providers and patients about the safe, effective and appropriate use of medication. While some pharmacists work in private settings, such as drug stores, Manitoba Health funds pharmacy services provided in hospitals and other health care facility settings.
Nurse Practitioners (Registered Nurses, Extended Practice) – Nurse Practitioners (NPs) – also known as registered nurses with extended practice – have additional education in health assessment, diagnosis and management of illnesses and injuries. NPs are authorized to prescribe drugs and complement other health care providers by providing a range of health services with a focus on promoting health and preventing illness. NPs can provide care in diverse health care settings, from community health clinics to hospitals and home care. Manitoba Health funds nurse practitioner services provided in hospitals and some other health care facility settings.
Hospital care
If you are admitted to a hospital, Manitoba Health covers the cost
of:
- standard accommodation (not a private or semi-private room) and meals
- basic nursing care
- drugs prescribed by a doctor and given to you while you are in hospital
- services performed by audiologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, respiratory therapists, speech therapists, social workers and other professionals in hospitals where these services are available
- laboratory tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures
- operating room and anesthetic facilities
- medical and routine surgical supplies
- diet planning and nutrition counselling
Cancer services
In Manitoba, cancer is fought on many fronts:
- preventing cancer by encouraging people to make healthy lifestyle choices
- detecting cancer as early as possible, while it is still curable
- treating cancer with the help of the latest medical science
- providing palliative care in the final stages of life for patients when the disease cannot be cured
Early detection is key to successful cancer treatment.
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Prostate Cancer
Manitoba Health and CancerCare Manitoba encourage men to
have regular check-ups that include a
prostate examination. This is particularly
important for men 50 and over, and for
those at risk for prostate cancer because
of family history.
Speak with your doctor or other health care provider for more information.
Manitoba Cervical Cancer Screening
Program
This provincial program provides
Manitoba women with awareness and
information on the reasons for and benefits
of Pap smears. This confidential computerized
registry helps doctors remind women aged
18 to 69 of the need for regular Pap tests,
and ensures doctors follow up on abnormal
tests. Family doctors, gynecologists and nurse
practitioners do Pap tests.
Wait times reduced for
cancer radiation therapy |
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Manitoba Colorectal Cancer Screening Program
Manitoba Health introduced this bowel cancer screening program in 2007 for men and women between 50 and 74 years of age. Through the program, eligible Manitobans receive a screening kit (fecal occult blood test or FOBT) for early detection of colorectal cancer and follow-up as required.
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Manitoba Breast Screening Program
Women in Manitoba over age 50 can get free mammography (breast scans) every two years at permanent centres in Winnipeg, Boundary Trails Health Centre, Brandon and Thompson, and at mobile clinics in rural and northern centres. Women under 50 years of age should discuss breast care with their doctor.
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The WRHA Breast Health Centre
If women or men from anywhere in
Manitoba are concerned about breast symptoms, this centre can
provide
diagnosis, treatment planning, information and support.
A hereditary breast cancer clinic provides genetic counselling and
testing
for women or men at high risk of hereditary
breast cancer. Talk to your doctor.
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Phone: |
Community organizations and resources
Communities throughout Manitoba have dedicated, local organizations working with patients and families who are fighting cancer. Call your local regional health authority for the programs nearest you. There are many community organizations that can offer you support.
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CancerCare Manitoba Patient and Family Resource Centre CancerCare Manitoba Breast Cancer Centre of Hope Manitoba Prostate Cancer Support Group - Winnipeg Chapter Canadian Cancer Society - Manitoba Cancer Information Service - Canadian Cancer Society |
Help for patients to reduce wait times
Wait
times vary between facilities and specialists. The Manitoba Wait
Time Information website can help you determine whether you can
get the same test or treatment from a different facility sooner.
Wait List Co-ordinators provide information to patients and their doctors to help them navigate the system and receive care sooner.
Getting wait times down is a top priority for the Manitoba government and good progress is being made. Since 2005, wait times for hip and knee surgeries have been reduced by more than 70 per cent. The number of Manitobans waiting for these surgeries has also been reduced, from 3,400 in 2005 to less than 1,300 in 2009. More colonoscopies are being performed throughout the province than ever before. Activities to improve service delivery efficiency are under way in many health regions to improve the patient’s journey through the health care system. Innovative tools like the Catalogue of Specialized Services have been developed to ensure patients are directed to the right clinician, the first time. The expansion of MBTelehealth, an interactive video connection that allows health care providers to connect with other specialists, enables more rural Manitobans to connect with health care expertise closer to home.
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Referrals to receive treatment outside of Manitoba
Sometimes you require specific medical treatment that isn’t available in Manitoba. When that happens, your doctor can apply to have treatment provided in another province or the U.S., paid for by the Manitoba government.
The treatment must be a necessary, specific medical service recommended by an appropriate Manitoba specialist. The specialist must write a letter to Manitoba Health for review. Manitoba Health will let you and the specialist know whether coverage is approved.
If you start to make arrangements before you have approval, you may have to pay the costs yourself. In most cases, once your application is approved, you do not have to pay for the approved medical treatment in other Canadian provinces or territories (except Quebec). Other provinces or territories bill Manitoba Health directly. Non-medical costs, such as hotel and food, are not covered.
Because costs for health services in the U.S. are always much higher than in Manitoba, you may have to pay some of the costs if you receive your care there. Manitoba Health covers:
- doctors’ services at the same rate a Manitoba doctor would receive; and
- hospital bills, up to 75 per cent of the amount billed or more in cases of financial hardship
Manitoba Health offers assistance to cover some transportation costs
when you receive medical care in another province or the U.S.
through
the Out-of-Province Travel Subsidy Program.
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Phone (Out-of-Province Claims): Website: |
Pharmacare
Pharmacare helps protect Manitobans from high drug costs. You pay
only part
of the cost of your eligible drug prescriptions – these costs are
called the
Pharmacare deductible. Pharmacare pays for the rest. Not all
prescription
drugs are covered by Pharmacare. You can find a list of eligible
drugs on our
website. In Manitoba, Pharmacare has
no
enrolment fees, maximum benefit payments,
co-payments, premiums or age restrictions.
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Who is eligible?
You can apply for Pharmacare benefits if you:
- are eligible for a Manitoba health card
- do not have your prescriptions fully paid for through another provincial, federal or municipal program* and
- do not have your prescriptions fully paid for under a private drug insurance program
* Participants of another provincial, federal or municipal program must produce proof that they
lost an appeal for coverage by the other program to obtain Pharmacare drug benefit coverage.
Pharmacare program continues to expand Click here for more information on Manitoba's Pharmacare program |
What is covered?
The deductible is the amount you pay before Pharmacare starts to cover your eligible drug costs. There is a minimum deductible of $100 per Pharmacare benefit year – from April 1 to March 31. The deductible depends on the amount of your family income.
Click here to calculate your deductible online
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How to apply for Pharmacare
Fill out and return the Pharmacare Application and Consent
Authorization
Form, available at your local pharmacy or Manitoba Health office or online. When you apply to Pharmacare you
have the option of choosing the convenient one-time enrolment
process or
the annual enrolment process. If you choose the one-time enrolment
process,
you are automatically enrolled in the program each year. If you
choose the
annual application process, you must re-apply each year by
submitting a
new application and authorization form. For both processes, the
deadline
to apply to the program is March 31, the last day of the benefit
year.
Pay your Pharmacare deductible monthly
The Deductible Instalment Payment Program for Pharmacare helps reduce financial hardship for Manitobans whose eligible drug costs are a significant part of monthly family income. Rather than paying up-front for drug costs until the Pharmacare deductible amount is met, eligible Manitobans can pay their deductible over 12 instalments as part of their monthly Manitoba Hydro bill. If you are not a Manitoba Hydro customer, an account can be set up to issue monthly billings.
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Palliative drug care
Patients in the final stages of their lives can have their eligible
prescription
drug costs completely covered under the Palliative Care Drug Access
Program.
There is no deductible and the program is available to palliative
care patients
whether they reside at home or in a facility.
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Home care
Often, people need ongoing health services or help with the activities of daily life – but don’t require care in a hospital or a personal care home. The comprehensive Manitoba Home Care Program is designed to help you live with dignity in your own home, for as long as safely possible. The program does not generally include user fees. If, however, you have recently moved to Manitoba from another Canadian province or territory, you may be charged for home care services until your Manitoba health coverage takes effect.
Who is eligible?
There is no age restriction. You can receive home care services if you:
- are a Manitoba resident and have Manitoba health coverage
- need health services or help with day-to-day living; and
- require more help than existing supports such as friends, family and community resources can provide
What services are available?
- Personal care assistance: Caregivers may help you stay mobile (for example, by helping you get in and out of a wheelchair) and meet your personal care needs (such as bathing, using the toilet and getting dressed).
- Home support: Caregivers may help you prepare meals and do light housekeeping.
- Health care: Nurses may provide care as well as health education and counselling; physiotherapists or respiratory therapists may lead you through special exercises; occupational therapists may help you plan your daily living activities.
- Family relief: When a family member who has been caring for your needs requires a short break, an alternative caregiver may be arranged.
- Respite care: For longer periods of relief for a family caregiver, you may be admitted to a hospital or personal care home on a temporary basis. There is a fee to cover part of the cost of this service.
- Supplies and equipment: If needed for your care, some supplies and equipment may be covered.
- Adult day programs: Physical fitness activities and community outings help you enjoy some time away from home and meet other people. There are about 70 such programs throughout Manitoba. There is a fee for this service.
- Volunteer services: Community volunteers may help you with other activities that support your care plan.
How to apply for home care
Your doctor, health care worker or a loved one can refer you for a home care assessment. You may also contact your local regional
health authority yourself to arrange for an assessment.
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Primary Caregiver Tax Credit
Manitobans who are the primary caregivers for family members or other loved
ones are now eligible for a $1,020 tax credit. Caregivers eligible for the
provincial tax credit are those who provide ongoing assistance with tasks such
as bathing and dressing, preparing and eating meals, transportation and other
needs, due to a loved one’s cognitive, behavioural or physical challenges.
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Phone for information on claiming this tax credit through the income tax system (Manitoba Tax Assistance Office): |
Supportive housing for seniors
As needs and abilities change with age, older Manitobans may find themselves in need of a safe, comfortable housing option. The Manitoba government-supported Aging in Place initiative may have the answer. Through this initiative, seniors have access to community housing with options for support and assistance that can be increased over time, according to need. These options may include supportive housing, group living facilities and specialized supports. Living in a supported environment offers independence while at the same time providing social interaction, personal safety and basic amenities like community dining rooms, housekeeping help and laundry assistance. Residents pay the cost of rent and a service package (ex: meals, laundry and housekeeping), as required.
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Personal care homes
Personal care homes are designed for individuals who require 24-hour daily nursing care as well as other care needs that cannot be met in the community.
Who is eligible?
All Manitoba residents with a Manitoba health card are eligible for personal care home placement, with the following exceptions:
- If you have previously lived in Manitoba for 30 years and have been absent from the province for less than 10 years, you are eligible on the date of your return to Manitoba.
- If you are a new resident of Manitoba, you are eligible after you have lived in the province for 24 consecutive months.
What services are covered?
Licensed facilities that are covered include:
- meals, including meals for special diets
- assistance with daily living activities like bathing, getting dressed and using the bathroom
- basic nursing care
- routine medical and surgical supplies
- prescribed drugs eligible under the Pharmacare program
- physiotherapy and occupational therapy, if the facility is approved to provide these services
- routine laundry and linen services
What you’ll pay
Every resident of a personal care home pays a daily residential fee
based on
income. Your spouse or partner's income is included in this calculation. The residential fee covers only a portion of the cost of
staying in a
personal care home – the province covers the remaining cost.
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To
move to a personal care home
A case co-ordinator performs an initial assessment and helps you apply. You and/or someone who can legally make decisions on your behalf need to decide in which Manitoba personal care homes you would prefer to stay. If you are eligible, there may be a waiting period before your preferred home is available. If you need immediate placement, or if you are in hospital waiting for a bed, you may be asked to accept a temporary placement. Once a bed is available, you are moved to the personal care home of your choosing. To speak with a case co-ordinator and start the process, contact your local regional health authority.
Palliative care
When patients are in the final stages of a terminal illness, the focus of care shifts to providing comfort and managing the symptoms of their illness. This is called palliative care. It can include medical and nursing care as well as prescription drugs and social, educational and spiritual care.
Palliative care can involve the patient’s family. It may be offered in hospitals, a long-term care facility or the patient’s home.
Each regional health authority has
a palliative care co-ordinator.
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Hospice and Palliative Care Manitoba
is a community-based organization
providing resources on palliative care
and bereavement services.
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Vision and eye care
Seniors' Eyeglass Program
The Seniors’ Eyeglass Program provides financial assistance toward the purchase of eyeglasses for eligible Manitobans 65 and older. One pair of eyeglasses may be claimed every three years, more often if a doctor diagnoses a change in vision. A $50 deductible applies to all claims. The benefit amount is based on a fixed fee schedule, not the actual amount paid for dispensing fees, frames and lenses:
To obtain this benefit, get a claim form from your eyeglass supply company, complete the form and send it to:
Ancillary Programs
Manitoba Health
300 Carlton Street
Winnipeg, MB R3B 3M9
Infant Contact Lens Program
Manitoba Health pays for contact lenses for infants born with a congenital eye defect.
Prosthetic Eye Program
Manitoba Health pays for part of the costs of artificial eyes or prosthetic shells. The program covers a new device every two years, with a maximum allowable benefit.
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Phone (for more info on eyeglasses): |
Care for expectant mothers
Women
in Manitoba have the option of choosing care from a midwife throughout
pregnancy, labour, birth and for six weeks after birth. For information
on midwifery click here.
Expectant and new mothers can get help and support through the Families First and Healthy Baby programs, including prenatal care and an income-based benefit to help expectant mothers learn about and purchase nutritious foods.
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Special medical equipment
Breast Prosthesis Program
Manitoba Health also covers part of the cost of medically prescribed breast prostheses or surgical brassieres for people who have had a mastectomy (that is, surgery to remove a breast or breast tissue).
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Hearing aids for children
When a qualified doctor prescribes a hearing aid for a child under 18, Manitoba Health pays 80 per cent of the cost over a specific deductible amount. The program covers one new hearing device per ear every four years (or more often if the doctor diagnoses a change in hearing).
Orthopedic shoes
This program helps parents pay for orthopedic shoes for children under age 18 with foot deformities. Manitoba Health covers a portion of the cost of medically prescribed shoes, up to a maximum amount. The program covers two pairs of shoes per year.
Prosthetics and orthotics
Some people with physical disabilities need a medically prescribed prosthetic device (such as an artificial limb) or orthotic device (such as a brace for a weak joint or muscle) for everyday living. In most cases, Manitoba Health covers the full cost, up to a maximum amount.
Telecommunications devices (TDD)
Manitoba Health helps pay for a telecommunications device (TDD) for Manitoba residents of any age with a profound speech or hearing impairment. The program covers 80 per cent of the cost up to a maximum of one device every five years, subject to a deductible amount.
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Phone (Client Services): |
Mental health services
Mental health problems range from mental stress and strain to severe disorders. Mental health is as important as physical health and spiritual health to our overall well-being.
Manitoba’s mental health services include:
- promoting good mental health
- identifying and intervening early in mental illness
- helping people living with mental health disorders
These services are provided through regional health authorities, the Selkirk Mental Health Centre and self-help and family support organizations.
If your family doctor or Employee Assistance Plan refers you, Manitoba Health pays for the services of a psychiatrist. To find a psychiatrist in your area contact your local regional health authority or ask your family doctor.
Manitoba Health pays for the services of a psychologist if the services are provided while you are hospitalized or receiving institutional care. Fees for psychologists in private practice are not covered by insured benefits but may be covered by private insurance plans such as Blue Cross.
To find a psychologist in private practice in your area, ask your family doctor, call the Psychological Association of Manitoba at 204-487-0784 or visit their website at www.cpmb.ca.
Community mental health services
Community mental health services include assessment, case management, rehabilitation, supportive counselling and crisis intervention. Community-based mental health services are operated by regional health authorities or through contracted organizations. These services assist people with mental health difficulties to develop coping and living skills and obtain other community services needed to meet their living needs and personal goals.
Acute-care treatment facilities provide psychiatric care and treatment in inpatient psychiatric units of general hospitals or community health centres operated by regional health authorities.
Outpatient services are provided at many community hospitals and health centres. These services include identification, assessment, treatment and case management services for persons with mental health difficulties.
Mental health self-help services
Community-based mental health self-help organizations provide help and support from others with similar mental health experiences. These organizations also help the public understand mental illness.
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Phone: Canadian Mental Health Association Manitoba Schizophrenia Society Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba Eating Disorders Self-Help Program Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Centre Manitoba Inc. Alcoholics Anonymous |
Learning more about mental illness
The Mental Health Education Resource Centre (MHERC) has a website and a
library
of educational resources. Service providers and the public can
borrow print
materials and videotapes on a wide range
of subjects, including eating disorders,
substance use disorders and suicide prevention.
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Opportunities for people with mental health challenges
Partnership for Consumer Empowerment works with consumers to educate the public, service providers and others about opportunities for people with mental health challenges to become more involved in their communities.
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Manitoba Farm and Rural Stress Line
The line responds to farmers and others in rural Manitoba communities who are experiencing a broad range of stress-related issues.
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Trained counsellors
can be reached toll-free: |
Provincial mental health centre
The Selkirk Mental Health Centre (SMHC) is an inpatient facility providing long-term treatment and rehabilitation for Manitobans whose challenging mental health needs cannot be met elsewhere in the health care system. SMHC also provides short-term inpatient care for Manitobans from regions where acute mental health care services are not locally available.
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Addictions services
An addiction can have devastating consequences, not only for the addicted person, but also for families, friends and communities. The Manitoba government provides funding to addiction agencies and specific regional health authorities to provide a continuum of addictions prevention, treatment and recovery services for youth and adults across Manitoba.
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Phone: Youth Addictions– Centralized Intake Addictions Foundation of Manitoba Behavioural Health Foundation Inc. The Laurel Centre Salvation Army – Anchorage Program Tamarack Rehab Inc. The Native Addictions Council of Manitoba Esther House Addictions Recovery Inc. Two Ten Maryland St. Raphael Wellness Centre Main Street Project The Addictions Unit at Health Sciences Centre Rosaire House (The Pas) Website: For more information about youth substance abuse prevention, youth treatment programs and the Youth Addictions – Centralized Intake Service, click here. |
