Like all other Canadian states, Manitoba Health gives every resident a person-specific card with a nine-digit ID. It is free health care to Canadian nationals, legal residents, and people with working visas who have lived in the area for at least six months. 

To apply for a Manitoba health card, you must gather the required paperwork and fill out the application (per family member). The application form and papers are delivered o the Manitoba Health center via email or fax. Your health card will be sent to you by Manitoba Health.

People who get covered treatments from doctors who don’t work for the program but charge for them can get paid by Manitoba Health. This guide goes into detail about which medical services Manitoba Healthcard covers.

How Does Manitoba Health Care for New Immigrants Work?

Manitoba’s responsibility for health care and related expenses falls under the Department of Health and Seniors Care. The Manitoba healthcare system is available to everybody, regardless of where they were born. 

You must obtain a Manitoba health card with a Personal Health Identification Number (PHIN) that enables you to access care throughout the state. All medical care in Manitoba is handled by the Protected Services Department of Manitoba Health and Senior Care. 

Before using MHSC, you must first have a medical certificate from Manitoba. Manitoba’s health care plan covers all legal, medical procedures, whether done in a clinic, by a primary care doctor, in a private nursing home, or anywhere else. Included in those services are:

  • medical services given
  • surgical and anesthetic diagnostic facilities
  • X-rays

How to Apply for a Manitoba Health Card?

Thank goodness, applying for a Manitoba medical plan is made simple for immigrants by Manitoba Healthcare and Senior Caring. You may get the registration form here.

To become eligible for a Manitoba health insurance card, complete the registration form and upload your supporting documentation. You must submit proof of your legal status in Canada and Manitoba citizenship. Instead of the original documents for these papers, submit photocopies.

Many immigrants find it hard to show proof of their address when they apply for a Manitoba health care card, especially if they spend their first few weeks in temporary housing. Fortunately, you can provide a variety of data, including:

  • A genuine Manitoba driver’s license
  • Your vehicle registration
  • An insurance plan for renters or homeowners
  • two months’ worth of electricity bills

Requests for Manitoba medicare cards are typically processed within 4 to 6 weeks. By enrolling as soon as you can assemble your documentation, you can get health insurance as soon as possible.

Eligibility Criteria for a Manitoba Health Card

You are eligible for the Manitoba health coverage living plan if you have the legal right to reside in Canada. You are still eligible if you intend to spend at least 183 days there in the upcoming calendar year. All new citizens of Manitoba are subject to a waiting period. Your insurance won’t start until the first day of the third month after you become a citizen. 

Suppose you move to Manitoba from another Canadian province or territory. In that case, you will remain covered by that state’s insurance until Manitoba’s coverage kicks in. Most people who move to Manitoba from another country do so temporarily with their health insurance.

You will not be eligible for Manitoba health care if you are a learner from another state who will return to its home city after finishing your studies there. Tourists and visitors are also not eligible. However, when in Manitoba, your original regional would still provide you with coverage.

MHSIP: What Is It and How Does It Work?

The initials MHSIP stand for the Manitoba Health Services Insurance Plan. It is a state-run healthcare program that covers a variety of medical procedures, including trips to your primary care doctor and many specialists.

Emergency and preventive services are provided to Manitobans without charge through MHSIP. Taxpayers are responsible for covering MHSIP’s expenses. All residents of Manitoba contribute to MHSIP through their income taxes. 

Pharmacare, the state’s program for providing prescription coverage to eligible individuals who must reside in the state for a minimum of six months a year, is also a component of MHSIP.

What Does MHSIP Cover?

You should have met the inclusion criteria to be qualified for MHSIP insurance. Manitoba Healthcare pays your doctor directly for any necessary medical services. 

The Manitoba Health service insurance plan covers the following:

  • Hotels and food
  • Caring
  • Every medicine administered in the clinic
  • consultation on nutrition
  • Occupational therapists, physiotherapy, and special education are all possibilities.

MHSIP also covers various Services in the following locations:

Dental

Dental insurance does not cover deep cleaning, extractions, implants, periodontics, endodontics, arches, or other routine or significant operations. Accidental tooth injury therapy is not covered.

There is no coverage for a dentist’s services or any particular dental procedures in the clinic. When necessary, Seniors Care and Manitoba Health Insurance policies can provide coverage for some dental procedures.

Drugs on Prescription

The MHSIP does not provide reimbursement for prescribed drugs. Conversely, Manitoba Healthcare offers the Pharmacare plan, a pharmaceutical benefits program for people whose finances are affected by the high cost of prescription medications. 

For residents of Manitoba who do not have access to prescription drug insurance through private health insurance coverage, Pharmacare is an option. It is determined by adding together a family’s wages and prescription drug expenditures that qualify. 

The deduction is based on your family’s gross income. It is adjusted to take a partner and the number of children into account. Pharamacare is available to all Manitobans, regardless of their age or health.

Please note that Pharmacare will only pay for drugs listed on the Manitoba drug prescription. To qualify for the Manitoba Pharmacare program, applicants must fulfill these requirements:

  • Other federal, state, or local programs do not cover the drugs.
  • You are eligible for coverage under Manitoba Health and Seniors Care.

Sight Care

Because it exclusively reimburses you for specific treatments for qualifying employees and their qualified family members, the Vision Care Plan is advantageous. The Manitoba Healthcare program provides a limited vision care benefit if you or your partner are over 65 or your children are under 18. 

Program for Children’s Opti-Care

The Kid’s Opti-Care System makes prescription eyewear affordable. This program pays each child about $84 per year. The award could be enhanced if the child required eye care for specific needs. This benefit is not available to those who file a claim more than 14 months after acquiring their spectacles.

Older Adult Glasses Program

The Seniors Eyewear Program offers financial assistance to Manitobans 65 years of age and older to purchase eyeglasses. You are allowed to retrieve one pair of eyeglasses per three years. 

This reward could be increased if a medication change is indeed necessary. Except in cases when they are necessary, eyeglasses maintenance, contact lenses, and sunglasses are not covered:

Program for Infant Contact Lenses

Contact lenses for newborns with genetic defects are eligible for a refund when prescribed by an optometrist. Other states or federal programs do not cover the costs. Each child can receive one lens through Manitoba Healthcare. The maximum compensation for a single lens is $190.00, and for duplex contacts, it is $380.00.

Program for Prosthetic Eyes

Those Manitoba residents who require artificial eyes or cosmetic surgery on the advice of a medical practitioner are eligible. Residents whose costs are not covered by other state or federal programs are also eligible. 

Up to a set amount, Manitoba Health will cover the cost of the synthetic eye or cosmetic shells. It also covers associated procedures, including ramping up, retrofitting, exfoliating, and repolishing. Every two years, eligible Manitobans may reclaim one device.

Additional Healthcare

The Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba (LTCAM) is a member-status, non-profit organization that has contributed significantly. It has provided valuable advice to support long-term care in Manitoba. You must be a Manitoba citizen who requires assistance with daily tasks and want to stay in your home or organization.

Out-of-Province and Travel Insurance

A client frequently needs medical treatment or support, which is not readily available in Manitoba. Manitoba Wellness might cover some of the costs of this treatment, pending the outcome of a particular permitting procedure.

You might be eligible for financial aid to cover the cost of receiving medical care in another country or region. This is when a competent doctor advises you to seek care or a diagnosis from a specialist who does not practice in Manitoba.

Program for Out-of-Province Transportation Subsidies

You can ask your Manitoba processing expert to put a transportation subsidy for your representative if they have recommended that you receive hospital care outside of Manitoba. 

If you require medical treatment outside Manitoba, you might be eligible for transportation assistance. You must submit payment for transportation cost recovery within six months of the billing date.

What Are Not Covered by MHSIP?

 The Manitoba Health Services Insurance act does not cover the following:

  • Surgery for looks
  • Services for teeth done in a doctor’s office
  • Those between the ages of 19 and 64 can get an eye exam unless they have one of a few circumstances.
  • Care systems are given by places that aren’t certified
  • Some operations in physical therapy
  • until a doctor says otherwise, the favored place to stay is in a hospital.
  • Nurses on personal job

Student Health Services in Manitoba

Before September 1, 2018, all students could use Manitoba Health, no matter where they were. Students worldwide can now use the UMSU Health & Dentistry Program and the Manitoba Foreign Student Health Plan. Although there is a charge for these initiatives, it is based on university fees.

Two medical facilities at the University of Manitoba provide the practical, doctor-coordinated, interdisciplinary medical services that students, faculty, and staff of the university need to succeed and stay healthy. From 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, the Health and Fitness Educator will be reachable by phone and email.

Who Is Covered by the Manitoba International Student Health Plan?

In Manitoba, international students are required to have minimal health coverage. The MISHP will assist each student. There are students in Bachelor’s degree programs, Advanced Education certification courses, and English Training Institute courses.

This health class teaches how to get the proper medical care, which may be hard for international students to pay for outside their home countries. These could consist of hospital stays, X-rays, and other medical procedures. You can buy household insurance up to 30 days before the start of your whole semester. 

Additionally, for four more months after their final session, program graduates worldwide will continue to be covered by their healthcare insurance. First-year students are covered for urgent medical expenses during the first month of classes.

Regular medical needs include expert advice and diagnosis, preventive measures, and vaccinations for things like fever, minor illnesses, itchy skin, and infectious diseases.

To treat critical but non-life-threatening medical conditions, emergency rooms are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Many emergency rooms may be able to offer services, like incisions, unlike many physician services. Still, they are not the same as urgent care.


Who Is Covered by the Enhanced Care UMSU Health & Dental Plan?

When students sign up for one on-campus program and finish it while taking at least six credit hours, they often automatically qualify for membership. As was already said, all students must have health insurance through the government. 

Students are covered for a full year of service from September 1 to August 31 in the spring. From January 1 to August 1, full-time students will benefit from beginning their semester in the fall. Nine credit hours are required for full-time university enrollment.

Healthcare System for Seniors and Active Living in Manitoba

The Residential Care program aims to provide seniors with ongoing medical care. The Long Term and Continuing Care Association of Manitoba (LTCAM) has also greatly improved long-term care for the elderly in Manitoba. LTCAM is a non-profit group.

Household care facilities help you if you need help with daily tasks, want to stay in your home or institution, and need more help than from current assistance. 

If you meet the requirements, the medical experts in your area will look at your situation and decide if you should get the care at home or in a facility. Based on your assessed care needs, you might be eligible for home care, such as:

  • nursing care
  • physiotherapy 
  • home dialysis
  • Personal care and mobility
  • supplies and equipment required for your treatment
  • programs for adult daycare
  • improved options for assistance

How to Replace Your Manitoba Health Card?

If the card is lost, damaged, or stolen, you will have to go through the process of obtaining it. This can take a while, especially if you’re unsure what to do. Also, you must act right away to protect your data or stop someone from misusing your papers or documents.

If your Manitoba Health card is misplaced, taken away, or broken, call the Insured Advantages Branch as soon as possible to ask for a replacement. You can also fill out an application using the notice of Change form. If you have lost your passport, you must keep updating or regenerating your Legal Resident card before it expires.

You might be required to provide your bank with a sworn statement stating that you did not initiate or permit suspicious transfers. It is required if thieves use your credit or debit card after guessing your PIN. 

Check your bank statements frequently, especially the first few months after you lose your card. Verify every purchase to make sure there haven’t been any that weren’t authorized. Contact Equifax Canada if you only want fraudulent charges to appear on your bank statement. This prevents unapproved charges from harming your credit score.

Manitoba Health Coverage Extending Beyond Manitoba

Suppose you need medical help while travelling in another province or territory in Canada. In that case, you can show your Manitoba Healthcare card to the medical staff. When you travel outside Canada, you must pay for some of the costs of going to the emergency room or getting medical care.

It is, therefore, always a wise decision to buy transportation healthcare insurance before leaving. Healthcare costs in other countries, especially the U.S., can be very different from what they are in Manitoba.

Suppose you leave Manitoba to get therapy or care outside of Canada. In that case, you will have to pay for these facilities. Outside of Canada, prescribed medicines are not covered.

Suppose you plan to travel abroad for a long time or leave Manitoba for a more extended trip. In that case, you can remain abroad for at least seven months and still qualify for Manitoba Healthcare insurance.

Shared Health Manitoba: What Is It?

The health care system in Manitoba is complicated and dispersed, with eight independent organizations handling their standards, standards-setting, and service delivery in isolation.

This strategy has been acknowledged as a severe barrier to improving access to high-quality healthcare and our capacity to control costs because it is neither practical nor productive.

The recommendations from the 2016–17 KPMG Healthcare Conservation and Advancement Audit and the 2015–2015 Provincial Clinical and Preventive Services Preparation for Manitoba. Dr. David Peachey’s report led to the creation of the new agency, which will be known as Shared Health Services Manitoba.

To deliver a patient-centred, readily accessible, and flexible health service that people can rely on, Shared Health brings together clinical experts from all over the province. Shared insurance coverage medical facilities make the best use of financial, human, and investment resources.

Check Out How to secure Manitoba Health Card:

FAQs

Does Manitoba have Free Healthcare?

Yes, everyone in the province of Manitoba is provided with health insurance through the Manitoba Health, Elderly, and Active Living program. The healthcare plan provides essential medical care and emergency services for its members.

All insurance in Manitoba is handled by the Guaranteed Advantages Offshoot of Manitoba Health and Seniors Care (MHSC). You must first obtain a Manitoba health insurance card to use MHSC.

Are Expired Health Cards Still Valid in Ontario?

People of Ontario can use voided healthcare cards to get medical care covered by insurance. Healthcare providers can still accept insurance cards discontinued in 2022 after the previous cutoff date of the 28th of February.

Ontarians can renew their health cards digitally using Ontario Picture Cards in the coming months. This will make it easier and faster for them to do so. Anyone having trouble updating their health insurance card should speak with Service Ontario.

What is the Income Test for Health Care Card?

There are specific income requirements you must meet to get a healthcare card.

You must start receiving at least one of the following starting September 20, 2022, to pass the earnings test:

• You can expect to make $61,284 a year if you’re unmarried.
• Husband and wife receive $98,054 annually.
• Couples split apart by illness or incarceration receive $122,568 annually.
• Add $639.60 for each baby you are treating to these sums.
• There is no resource check.

Is Dental Care Free in Manitoba?

No. Dentistry, in contrast to medical care, is not accessible in Manitoba. Dental care expenses are paid for by the patient, their health insurance, or the government. Most people in Manitoba lack dental coverage through their local medical insurance. 

Despite how diligent you are about caring for your gums at home, maintaining good oral hygiene requires regular dental visits, which can quickly add up in cost. Yet Manitoba has allocated more than 50 million dollars for dental care of low-income residents and under-care infants.

Final Thoughts

Every permanent resident of Manitoba who spends at least six months of the year in the region is eligible for coverage under the regional health plan. It provides various hospital, medical, personal home, pharmacy, and other services, so you should spare time to get your healthcare card.

Manitoba Health typically does not cover emergency ambulance services, dental care, and eye exams. You must take precautions to avoid paying costs that the Manitoba Health card does not cover. 

We hope you now know how to apply for a Manitoba health card!