Health and Community Services
March 23, 2007

Deadline for Expiry of MCP Cards Extended

In response to the high volume of applications that have been submitted with incomplete information or information inconsistent with the Medical Care Plan (MCP) database, government has extended the expiry date for MCP re-registration to July 31, 2007.

"Re-registering the entire population of Newfoundland and Labrador is a significant undertaking as the last registration of the province�s Medical Care Plan had not been done since 1969," said the Honourable Ross Wiseman, Minister of Health and Community Services. "Approximately 25 per cent of all applications submitted, representing 70,000 individuals, have omissions or inconsistencies with the MCP database."

Ensuring the MCP database is current and accurate is an essential part of the re-registration process. As a result, it will take an additional four months to contact each of these applicants and clarify the information submitted to ensure consistency with their individual MCP file.

"We felt it was only fair to allow additional time for these applications to be processed and for individuals who submitted their application before the deadline to receive their card," said Minister Wiseman. "No eligible resident of the province will be denied coverage of their health care services while their application is being processed."

As of today, approximately 450,000 residents of Newfoundland and Labrador have re-registered for their new MCP card, representing over 88 per cent of the population. To date over 382,000 new cards have been issued. Individuals who have applied and have not received their new MCP card will be contacted by the MCP office for additional information in the coming months."

An additional 60,000 individuals have not re-registered for their new MCP card. Individuals who have not submitted their MCP re-registration form are being asked to do so immediately, as processing may take up to 30 days if there are no omissions or errors on the form. There is no charge for residents of the province to receive a new MCP card, nor will there be a charge upon renewal of the MCP card.

Further questions should be directed to MCP by calling 1-866-449-4459 on the Avalon Peninsula or 1-800-563-1557 in all other areas. Additionally, inquiries may be directed to mcpreregistration@gov.nl.ca.

Government launched the re-registration of MCP in May 2006. The re-registration initiative comes in response to the Auditor General�s 2003 recommendations to strengthen controls over the registration process, improve security of MCP cards and provide an accountable mechanism for monitoring MCP expenditures, which are currently at $295 million annually.

- 30 -

Media contact:
Tansy Mundon
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 685-1741
tansymundon@gov.nl.ca

2007 03 23                                             3:00 p.m.
 


SearchHomeBack to GovernmentContact Us

All material copyright of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. No unauthorized copying or redeployment permitted. The Government assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any material deployed on an unauthorized server. Disclaimer/Copyright/Privacy Statement