McGee moved to Saint Andrews from Maine last year with her husband, Brody, a nurse who lived in New Brunswick, and their two young children. They applied for Medicare in October and have been waiting ever since. McGee said her family has no money to pay the medical bills. “We just don’t have $30,000, whether it’s cash, or a line of credit, or a family member, there’s absolutely no way we’re going to pay a $30,000 hospital bill,” he said. McGee said the family moved to New Brunswick partly because Brody has family in the province and partly because it seemed more accessible. Medical bills related to regular childhood vaccinations, an ER visit for a stomach bug and mental health care that required hospitalization. Health Minister Dorothy Shephard was not available for comment, but in an official statement the Department of Health said the effective date for Medicare cards could be retroactive, making it possible to be reimbursed for eligible services. But that doesn’t reassure the McGees. “Even if we had the chance [pay it] … I can’t imagine how long we would have to wait to see this compensation money,” Charlotte said. The CBC previously reported that the province is working through a backlog of Medicare applications due to record numbers of immigrants settling in New Brunswick and a historic wave of Canadians moving east. Although the delay in receiving the Medicare cards is not the couple’s fault, the bill they owe as a result of the New Brunswick government’s pending settlement has now been transferred to a collection agency. About two weeks ago, the agency told McGee she had 30 days to pay in full or provide a Medicare number or the debt would be reported to a credit-reporting agency. If the bills are not paid, the couple’s credit rating will be affected, which will increase the cost of borrowing money. McGee said that could halt plans she and her husband had to refinance their home. “Refinancing a mortgage doesn’t exactly look like it’s in the cards for us right now,” he said.
Pregnant without health care
Brody McGee said he hates to see his credit score take a hit, but he’s more concerned about the lack of care his pregnant wife is receiving. She is 22 weeks pregnant and has gone without necessary prenatal care, such as an ultrasound, fearing extra bills. “She’s very hesitant to access more services without a Medicare number,” Brody said. “She’s afraid we’re going to have this crushing debt and we don’t really have the money for it where I’m the only income.” Brody is a registered nurse and has some experience with prenatal care. He said he did his best to monitor his wife’s readings and their baby’s heartbeat. Still, he said, it would be easy to miss a potential problem. “What if, God forbid, there’s some kind of genetic abnormality or maybe he needs some kind of treatment for something he’s not getting,” he said. “It’s really stressful. What if we’re missing something?” While Charlotte was born in the United States, Brody is a Canadian citizen and previously had a provincial Medicare card. Additional paperwork is required for non-Canadians applying for Medicare, but Charlotte said she’s been extremely thorough and has checked every box. She said her situation in New Brunswick has nothing to do with delays at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. “Medicare contacted us and asked for more documentation because of my immigration status and they wanted more proof that I have the right to be here,” he said. Although he does not yet have a permanent resident card, he said, he has provided the Department of Health with the same documents requested by the federal government. The Department of Health’s official statement said the province cannot comment on individual cases, but people experiencing difficulties with their Medicare application can contact Medicare Customer Support Services. “The Customer Advocate can help answer questions about information that may be missing from their application and inform patients what their rights are when dealing with New Brunswick Medicare,” the statement said. Charlotte McGee said she left several messages with the Medicare advocate and heard back once, with no follow-up.
Working in health care without coverage
Brody McGee works part-time as a registered nurse in New Brunswick and has a year out of school before becoming a nurse.
“It’s very confusing because I work in health care, and yet I can’t really access health care,” she said.
She held a full-time nursing position before moving to a casual one. She currently does short-term nursing contracts in the Northwest Territories, where she said the profession pays better and is more respected.
Dr. Mark MacMillan, president of the New Brunswick Medical Society, says more can be done to show health care workers that they are valuable members of the system. (New Brunswick Medical Society)
Dr. Mark MacMillan, president of the New Brunswick Medical Society, said the organization is working with health authorities and the Department of Health on an aggressive retention and recruitment strategy.
“We should do everything we can to retain, retain and of course recruit, and we need to do a better job so people can access the right health care when they need it,” he said.
McMillan said more can be done to show health workers that they are valuable members of the system.
In the long term, Brody McGee said he would like to work exclusively in New Brunswick, but the current situation with Medicare does not encourage that transition.
“This is really an obstacle to the right thing,” he said.
