Manitoba NPs Charge Patients Amid Funding Gaps

In western Manitoba, nurse practitioners are now charging patients directly for health-care services, a situation Michelle Weighell, a nurse practitioner in the Rural Municipality of Oakview, describes as "not what I wanted to do." Weighell opened a private practice in Rapid City last November, charging $60 per appointment, because Manitoba has not yet implemented a funding model to allow nurse practitioners to bill the province directly.

This situation arises despite a federal directive issued last year, urging all provinces and territories to include nurse practitioners under public health plans. Weighell anticipated these changes, which were to take effect at the beginning of this month, but they have not materialized in Manitoba. She now operates from a space provided by a local church, equipped with instruments she purchased herself, and sees over 100 patients who cannot find other providers.

Ashley Carruthers, CEO of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Manitoba, advocates for a separate payment model for NPs, emphasizing their unique understanding of community needs. She noted that while not all of Manitoba's over 400 NPs will opt for private practice, those who do should be compensated. Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara stated the province is in compliance with federal compensation rules and is committed to expanding the scope of practice for nurse practitioners.

The province faces no immediate penalty for not adhering to Ottawa's new interpretation of the Canada Health Act, which prohibits extra billing. However, all provinces and territories must report patient charges for physician-equivalent services by December 2028. Failure to comply could result in deductions from federal health transfer payments.