Applicants for a new Manitoba Health card who expect to receive a modern plastic version featuring the northern lights will be disappointed.
The decades-old paper health card will continue to be issued until the provincial government can roll out the long-promised plastic card.
A spokesperson for cabinet communications couldn’t explain the reason for the delay. Premier Wab Kinew promised in his state of the province address on Dec. 3 that Manitobans would be able to “order” the new plastic card this month. He said at the time that it would replace the printed paper version that hasn’t changed in close to 50 years.
The new Manitoba Health card will feature an image of the northern lights. (Free Press files)
“We’re moving Manitoba strongly, decisively into the 1980s,” he quipped at the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce event.
The government’s throne speech on Nov. 19 also stated that “This December, you can apply for a new, plastic health card illuminated by the winning design, (the) northern lights.”
In a year-end interview with The Canadian Press, the premier said the rollout has been delayed until mid-January, in part because the Canada Post strike prevented a “pile” of new paper health cards from being sent out. Neither the premier nor government communications staff could say how many paper health cards were held up or explain how the strike had slowed the rollout of the plastic cards.
The Canada Post disruption that began Nov. 15 and ended Dec. 17 doesn’t explain the reason for the delay, said Progressive Conservative health critic Kathleen Cook.
“A postal strike doesn’t prevent the government from taking applications online or printing plastic health cards to send out once the strike ends,” Cook said in an email. “This delay is yet another broken promise from the NDP on health care,” the member for Roblin said.
“Details related to the production of the province’s new plastic health cards are still being finalized,” a government spokesman wrote in an email Tuesday, without elaborating.
Once those details and a new online application for the plastic card is in place, Manitobans can apply for it.
They won’t be sent automatically to people covered by Manitoba Health.
“The new plastic card is optional, so until people apply, Manitoba Health assumes people still want their paper version,” the spokesman said.
In addition, it won’t be first-come, first-served, a cabinet communications assistant said.
“The new application system will prioritize those who do not currently have a health card to ensure that we get them the coverage they need first,” she said. Requiring Manitobans to apply for the plastic replacement card will help to ensure that the province has the correct, up-to-date name, date of birth and address information, “and especially so they get delivered to the right address,” she said.
The government, which has promised to fix health care and is 14 months into its mandate, could’ve scored points by offering Manitobans modern, durable and attractive health cards to replace the worn-out paper ones, said one expert, who added it would have been viewed as a quick fix and emblematic of progress.
“It’s a bit of a joke that our cards look the way they do,” University of Winnipeg political science Prof. Malcolm Bird said about the outdated paper health cards.
“I think they thought, ‘Oh, this will be an easy win.’ Like many things, it’s more complicated than one would imagine,” he said. The province has said a digital version will be available for Manitobans to save on their smartphones.
“What might look like to be a good public relations thing — bringing in new plastic health cards— is not moving as fast as it should be or could be, or ideally would,” said Bird.
“That then cast doubt, and cast light on the very serious challenges this government’s facing trying to ‘fix health care’ because that’s complex,” he said.
The underlying problem is Manitoba’s $1.3-billion deficit, said Bird.
The government spokesman said the cost of switching to modern health cards is not available. “However, it is anticipated that the cost will be less than what was spent to produce the COVID-19 vaccination card ( $1.67 each ),” he said.
Cook noted it’s just the latest in a string of delays on government promises.
“They pledged more beds at the Grace Hospital by March this year and minor injury clinics at Grace and Misericordia this fall, but failed to meet both deadlines. Manitobans deserve a government that delivers on its commitments,” she said.
Bird said the latest snafu is telling.
“They’ve had it very easy for the last while, and now things are going to get more difficult.”
The Tories are gearing up to elect a new leader in April and “will have more oomph and more direction and more motivation to really challenge this government. Then it’ll become even harder to govern,” the academic said.
“Their honeymoon period, as it were, was very long and I think it’s now coming to an end.”
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter
Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol.
Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.