The Manitoba NDP is calling for the province to expand a program that covers the medical bills of people from rural areas who must seek treatment in some U.S. border states.
NDP health critic Matt Wiebe cited the case of Robin Milne, a man from Sprague who suffered a heart attack in October.
Milne was initially treated at a hospital in Minnesota, which has an emergency medical care agreement with Manitoba, but doctors ordered him transferred to another facility in North Dakota where Manitoba patients aren't covered.
He said the Manitoba government has refused to cover medical bills that total $118,000.
"We think the minister needs to take care of these costs for these families. It is an undue hardship on them," Wiebe said Thursday.
"We have heard stories of people who have had to sell their homes or make tough decisions about where they live, take out second mortgages. This is unacceptable."
Wiebe said the province should improve health facilities in rural Manitoba but also needs to pay the medical bills of people who must cross the border to get the help they need.
Wiebe said the government should move quickly to ensure Manitobans are covered if they seek care in either state.
The province has an agreement to pay the medical bills of people in southeastern Manitoba who seek medical care at two clinics operated by Altru Health System in Roseau and Warroad, Minn.
The government estimates that about 850 Manitobans are treated at these facilities each year. The agreement does not cover the costs of transporting patients to other hospitals in the U.S.
Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen said he has ordered a review of the policy and wants more information about what happened to Milne.
"Additional clarity about eligibility of coverage and services is needed for both residents of Manitoba and the service providers in the United States," he said in an email.
"It is our hope this review will prevent similar unfortunate situations in the future.
"Regarding this specific case, we are still gathering information from the service providers to fully understand what occurred."
Wiebe said Milne's case shows the agreement needs to be updated.
"He was actually having a heart attack. He had no ability to make any decisions," Wiebe said.
"These were decisions made by medical professionals on where he should go and what kind of treatment he should receive. He was at the mercy of those medical professionals who we think made the right decision on saving his life."
There are other cases of Manitobans being hit with big medical bills after going to the U.S. for care.
Jon Rozsa said he had a heart attack last March and went to Minnesota for care and was later transferred to a facility in North Dakota.
The bills amount to about $80,000 US.
"It was a life-threatening situation and I would have died at 48-years-old," Rozsa said.
"The Manitoba government should step up to the plate and enforce that Manitoba medical should be paying for these situations."
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.