Help could be coming from the Manitoba government for a man who underwent emergency surgery in the U.S. and received a $118,000 bill.
Robin Milne, 60, lives just a few kilometres from the U.S. border in Sprague, Man.
When he suffered a heart attack, he rushed to the closest hospital in Roseau, Minnesota, where Manitobans have health coverage through a U.S.-Canadian deal.
A doctor told Milne he needed a heart stent at another hospital in North Dakota, where Manitobans are not automatically covered.
Milne said he made the decision after waiting 90 minutes for an air transfer to a Winnipeg hospital.
Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen said he’s waiting for permission from Milne to contact Altru Health System, the organization that runs the hospital.
“I’m prepared to speak to Altru directly, not just about (Milne’s) particular situation, but about the agreement generally. So I’m awaiting that permission,” said Goertzen.
Earlier this week, a spokesperson for the province told CTV Winnipeg that they could not speak to the details of a specific case. The province said that, by law, the health minister does not have the authority to order Milne’s bill to be covered.
On Friday, Goertzen said he would like to change the agreement, which was signed decades ago at a time when services offered at the Minnesota hospitals were different.
“So the intention of the agreement is probably different today than it may have been 20 years ago,” he said.
“When you look at the agreement, there’s no dispute mechanism, there’s no appeal mechanism within the agreement. It doesn’t specify which services particularly are available. It doesn’t specify who is actually covered under the agreement.”
Goertzen said he’s aware of nine outstanding cases that have similarities to Milne’s. “So I think if the agreement were changed, it would take care of a lot of these situations.”
Manitoba’s NDP health critic Matt Wiebe has called on the minister to do more to help Milne, saying situation shows a need to expand the program.
- With files from The Canadian Press
