Here's when Manitobans might be getting new plastic health cards
Plastic health cards will be coming to Manitobans.
The provincial government announced Thursday that funding for new plastic health cards will be allocated in the budget that is set to be released next week.
“It’s 2024 – your health coverage shouldn’t rely on a torn, ripped-up health card,” said Premier Wab Kinew in a news release.
He added there will also be a digital option along with the plastic card.
Kinew said his government anticipates being able to roll out the new cards by next year.
The government said this step is part of a bigger plan to move the health-care system away from paper and toward electronic records.
Design plans for the new cards are expected to be shared in the months ahead, according to Kinew, and the government is also working to make it easier for people to apply for or make changes to health cards.
Manitoba has been an outlier in Canada with its paper cards.
CTV News reached out to each province and territory and asked if they use paper or plastic cards – most have been using plastic for decades.
PEI, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Nunavut and the North West Territories all have plastic cards. Quebec for example has had plastic cards since 1970, according to a provincial spokesperson.
B.C. said plastic cards were introduced in 1989 and then in 2013 the government combined health cards with resident's driver's licenses.
Alberta residents have paper health cards, however, a provincial spokesperson told CTV News the province is exploring potential options for a more durable and secure health card.
The remaining provinces and territories have yet to respond.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ontario to ban use of cellphones in school classrooms starting in September
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Cybersecurity expert weighs in on the possibility of a U.S. ban of TikTok
Anyone who has a Gen-Z person in their life is likely familiar with the popular social media app TikTok, but a new bill in the U.S. may soon take it off of the American market.
Have you heard the one about Trump? Biden tries humour on the campaign trail
U.S. President Joe Biden is out to win votes by scoring some laughs at the expense of Donald Trump, unleashing mockery with the goal of getting under the former president's thin skin and reminding the country of his blunders.
'Do not consume': Gift Chocolate recalled due to undeclared milk, soy
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Quebec to invest $603 million to protect the French language
Quebec is investing $603 million over the next five years to counter what its French-language minister describes as the decline of the French language in the province.
Murder charge laid after man falls to death from Toronto apartment balcony
One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.
Ukraine's army chief reports tactical retreat in the east, and warns of front-line pressure
Ukraine's troops have been forced to make a tactical retreat from three villages in the embattled east, the country's army chief said Sunday, warning of a worsening battlefield situation as Ukrainian forces wait for much-needed arms from a huge U.S. aid package to reach combat zones.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.