'Makes me wonder why I moved back': Long wait for health cards causing stress for Manitobans

A man who recently moved back to Manitoba says he's been waiting six months for a health card and without it, he'll have to pay out of pocket for blood work he needs.

David Finch applied for a Manitoba Health card in July and is still waiting. He's originally from Manitoba, but his job as an archeologist has taken him around the country. 

"The four weeks that they list on the website doesn't bear any resemblance to reality," he said in an interview on Up to Speed Thursday. 

Finch lived in the Northwest Territories for 10 years and had a health card from there. He also lived in Newfoundland, but retained his N.W.T. health card, which expired this past August. 

Without a health card, Finch will have to pay out of pocket for the blood work he needs, he said. During his wait, one of the types of tests has changed, which Finch said means he has to go back to a doctor to get a new requisition form. 

"It's just the bureaucracy and the sitting there waiting, it kind of makes me wonder why I moved back to Manitoba. It's really frustrating," he said. 

Backlog reduced

Manitoba Health's website says health card coverage applications take four weeks, but also that the province is currently processing requests received in July. 

In a statement to CBC News, a provincial spokesperson said Manitoba Health has been experiencing service delays due to increased demand for services from thousands of requests from people arriving from Ukraine and other parts of the world. 

The statement also said the current backlog has been reduced by 50 per cent — although it did not reveal the actual number of people waiting — and continues to decrease on a weekly basis. Individuals who have submitted an application for service are asked not to reapply, as duplicate applications delay processing time, the statement said. 

Those who don't have a physical health card yet, but have Manitoba Health Registration and a PHIN number, can contact the service provider and have them bill Manitoba Health for the services, the statement said. People without those numbers will have their coverage backdated to their arrival in Manitoba or the date of their legal status in Canada, once their applications have been processed.

Earlier in the week, provincial Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara also said they're working hard to address the delays. 

"It's so important to us that all Manitobans are able to access vital documents in a timely manner," said Asagwara. "We've been working very hard on this particular task and we anticipate being able to bring those wait times right down into a window that's reasonable." 

Family thinks twice about medical visits 

Sanjeev Thakur said his wife, who has 18 months left on a work permit after arriving from India, applied for a health card July 27 but is still waiting. Because he's a student, Thakur said he's considered a dependent, so he and his two daughters are also without proper documentation.

The province requires all work permit holders to have proof of a permit that is a minimum 12 consecutive months duration and proof of residence in Manitoba. 

Thakur said his family has spent over $1,000 on medical expenses. 

"We don't have access to the health care. Every time we fall sick, we have to think twice before we can visit any physician or any health-care services," he said. 

Up To Speed6:53Manitoban frustrated with long wait time for Manitoba health card

David Finch was born and raised in Manitoba. But he moved around the country for his studies, then moved back to Winnipeg from the North West Territories this past May. He applied for a Manitoba Health Card, but almost six months later he still hasn't received the paper card. He shared how he's feeling about that with guest host Shannah-Lee Vidal

Finch acknowledged his application from July is likely being worked on, but he recently received an email from Manitoba Health asking for more information. He now worries that will push him further down the queue. 

"There's no clarity on it, and it's nice that they're giving what their standard is and that their deviation from standard is on how much extra time it's taking, but there's still no good way of getting feedback," he said.

"It's basically just a number on a website. It's not like I have a case officer that I can just contact.… It's frustrating, because I really don't know what the process is going to be and what the end point is going to be."