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November 14, 2006 PROVINCE TO PAY FOR AMBULANCE TRANSFERS– – –New Funding to Bring Equity to Rural Manitoba: Oswald Manitoba patients will save roughly $7 million each year when the province begins funding the full patient cost of inter-facility transports, effective tomorrow, Health Minister Theresa Oswald announced today.
“Manitobans told us the fees for inter-facility transports weren’t fair and we have listened,” said Oswald. “Today’s announcement builds on our investments in health care and will cover the cost of inter-facility transports for all Manitobans, regardless of where they live or their ability to pay.”
Medically-necessary, land ambulance inter-facility transports happen when a patient is being transferred between designated health-care facilities for diagnostic tests or treatment, or from a more specialized level of care to another facility closer to home for rehabilitation or recovery.
“Inter-facility patient transfer has been an issue for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) since our members first passed a resolution on this matter back in 1999,” said AMM president Ron Bell. “We are very pleased that the Province of Manitoba is going to cover these costs. It really will bring more fairness to the health system in rural Manitoba.”
Eligibility criteria for coverage of inter-facility medical transports will include:
· the patient be a resident of Manitoba with a valid Manitoba Health card,
· the patient medically requires transportation by ambulance as determined by a physician, and
· the patient is being transferred between designated health-care facilities for diagnostic tests or treatment, or from a more specialized level of care to another facility closer to home for rehabilitation or recovery.
“Ambulance service really is an extension of our health-care system and, as such, we need to ensure all Manitobans have access to appropriate and consistent care,” said Eric Glass, chair of the Paramedics Association of Manitoba. “Today’s announcement is welcome news, and it’s one more step toward ensuring Manitobans receive the continuity of care they deserve when they need it most.”
Since 1999, the Manitoba government has invested in other emergency medical services including:
· developing of the $7.8‑million Medical Transportation Co-ordination Centre in Brandon,
· operational funding improvements for regional health authorities, and
· investing more than $15 million in a fleet vehicle program that includes the purchasing of 160 ambulances.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
INTER-FACILITY TRANSPORTS
IN MANITOBA
The cost of land ambulance inter-facility transports varies across the province because of the distances travelled to access diagnostic testing or specialized medical care.
First- or third-party insurers will continue to cover these services for their clients. Examples of first- or third-party insurers include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, National Defence, the Worker’s Compensation Board and Manitoba Public Insurance.
Ambulance services are not an insured service under either the federal Canada Health Act or the provincial Health Services Insurance Act. Consistent with practices in many other provinces, patients will still be responsible for emergency ambulance transportation costs. These costs may be covered by other insurance coverage.
Since 1999, Manitoba has invested more than $1.1 billion in health capital projects and diagnostic equipment to bring Manitobans better care sooner and closer to home including:
· investing more than $135 million for the redevelopment of Health Sciences Centre, the largest redevelopment of a health facility in Manitoba’s history;
· developing a $30 million centre of excellence for cardiac care by consolidating cardiac surgery programs at St. Boniface General Hospital, which includes a new, 15-bed cardiac intensive care unit;
· investing more than $58 million to redevelop the Brandon Regional Health Centre;
· expanding and modernizing more than 65 health-care facilities across the province including investing $33 million to rebuild the Swan Valley Health Centre, investing $13 million to redevelop the Gimli Hospital, investing $11.2 million to rebuild the Beausejour Hospital and Primary Health Care Centre and investing $6-million to renovate to St. Anthony’s Hospital in The Pas;
· investing $23 million to redevelop Selkirk Mental Health Centre;
· investing $9 million to build a 35-bed personal-care home in Thompson;
· building a new $9.7 million personal-care home in The Pas;
· investing $7 million to redevelop the Westman Laboratory in Brandon,
· investing $5.2 million in a new renal health and treatment unit at Garden Hill First Nation, the first unit to be located outside a Manitoba hospital and the first in a remote community;
· opening a $1.6-million community health centre in Wabowden;
· developing a new regional acute-rehabilitation program to help people recover after joint replacement surgeries at the Riverdale Health Centre in Rivers;
· building new community cancer centres in Pinawa, Deloraine, Neepawa, Russell and Hamiota; and
· investing in diagnostic equipment including:
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