Submitting Claims

You can obtain Claim Forms from:

Phone: (204) 775-0151
Toll-free: 1-800-873-2583 (outside Winnipeg)
Fax: (204) 772-1231
E-mail: health.claims@mb.bluecross.ca
Website: www.mb.bluecross.ca

Include your group and contract number on any communication to Manitoba Blue Cross. Your group and contract number can be found on your Manitoba Blue Cross ID card.

Manitoba Blue Cross accepts either copies or original receipts for medical expenses; however, original receipts will not be returned. If you are claiming medical expense deductions on your Income Tax Return, you do not need to provide original receipts. The Canada Revenue Agency will accept the Statement of Benefits that Manitoba Blue Cross issues to you with your benefit cheque. Please retain the Statement of Benefits for your records.

Note: Healthcare and Dental Plan claims must be submitted within two years of the date services were provided. Expenses that are more than two years old will not be accepted.

Please refer to Healthcare Spending Account Claims (below) for further details regarding the deadlines for submitting claims under the Healthcare Spending Account (HSA).

Ambulance/Hospital Benefits

You can present your Manitoba Blue Cross ID card to the ambulance provider or the hospital to receive coverage.

For out-of-pocket expenses, submit the itemized receipt for reimbursement to Manitoba Blue Cross.

Prescription Drugs - BlueNet

Use your direct-pay Manitoba Blue Cross ID card to receive on-the-spot coverage for your prescription drug purchases. You pay only the portion that is not covered under your plan. This system eliminates the need to file paper claims.

If your pharmacy does not participate in the BlueNet system, submit paper claims to receive reimbursement for your prescription drug purchases.

Vision Care Claims

Submit claims for eligible vision care expenses by completing a Vision Care Claim Form along with itemized receipts from the dispensing optometrist or optician to Manitoba Blue Cross.

Employee Travel Health Claims

For expenses incurred within Canada, present your original receipts or statements to your provincial health plan. Upon receipt of payment, submit the following documents to Manitoba Blue Cross:

For expenses incurred outside of Canada, Manitoba Blue Cross will coordinate payment with Manitoba Health. Submit the following documents to Manitoba Blue Cross:

Other Healthcare Benefits Claims 

For other eligible healthcare expenses, please submit the following to Manitoba Blue Cross:

Dental Claims

  1. If required, obtain a Manitoba Blue Cross Dental Claim Form from your employer. A separate Claim Form is required for each member of your family who obtains dental services. Present the Claim Form to your dentist at the first appointment.
  2. Following your examination, the dentist may discuss a proposed course of treatment and possibly book follow-up appointments. If the cost of treatment exceeds $500 or if treatment consists of major dental services (e.g., crowns, bridges, orthodontics), the dentist will have to submit a completed Claim Form to Manitoba Blue Cross for approval before treatment can begin.
  3. Your dentist has the option of billing Manitoba Blue Cross directly or continuing to bill you. Please inquire at the beginning of treatment how billing will be made. Should your dentist choose to seek payment from Manitoba Blue Cross directly, it will not be necessary for you to submit the claim. You will be asked to assign the benefits over to the dentist, where indicated on the Claim Form.

Healthcare Spending Account Claims

Beginning in 2011, the HSA benefit year runs from January 1 to December 31.

90-Day Run-Off Period

You have 90 days from the end of the HSA benefit year (i.e. by March 31 of the following year) in which to submit an HSA Claim Form for any eligible expenses incurred in the preceding calendar year, and limited to your maximum HSA benefit amount. If you do not submit an HSA Claim Form to request reimbursement of your eligible expenses by March 31 of the following year, any of your prior year’s HSA benefit amount remaining will be forfeited.

Note: The 90-day run-off period is not applicable to claims that have been carried forward. If carried forward, claims must be submitted by December 31 of the following year, or will no longer be eligible for reimbursement.

Carrying Forward Claims

1. Prior Year Claims - Claims incurred in the prior year must be submitted by March 31 of the following year in order to be paid from the prior year’s HSA benefit amount. If not submitted by March 31, these claims may be carried forward and paid from the following year’s HSA benefit amount. If carried forward, claims must be submitted by December 31 of the following year, or will no longer be eligible for reimbursement. Any eligible expenses incurred in 2010 must be claimed in either the 2010 benefit year, or the 2011 benefit year, but not further. The maximum allowable carry forward for a claim is one benefit year.

Example: In 2010 you incurred a vision care claim for $400 and were reimbursed $150 from the Healthcare Plan. You did not submit an HSA Claim Form to request the remaining $250 to be paid from your 2010 HSA benefit amount by March 31, 2011. Although you can no longer request the reimbursement of this claim from your 2010 HSA benefit amount, you can carry this claim forward to be paid from your 2011 HSA benefit amount. In order to have the claim paid from your 2011 HSA benefit amount, you must submit the HSA Claim Form by December 31, 2011. If you do not submit the HSA claim form to request payment by December 31, 2011, the claim is forfeited and no longer eligible for reimbursement.

2. Excess Claims - If you incurred a claim in excess of your prior year’s HSA benefit amount, you may carry the excess claim forward to the next HSA benefit year. The excess claim cannot be carried forward more than one HSA benefit year.

Example: In 2010 you submitted a vision care claim for $1,000 to the Healthcare Plan. An amount of $150 was reimbursed under the Healthcare Plan, and $250 was reimbursed from your 2010 HSA benefit amount. The remaining amount of $600 is carried forward to the 2011 HSA benefit year. You may request payment for the remaining amount, limited to your maximum HSA benefit amount for 2011. Any excess amount still remaining for the claim after December 31, 2011 is not eligible for reimbursement.

Submitting an HSA Claim

1. Obtain an HSA Claim Form from your human resources department or designated employer representative, or print a copy from this website.

2. Complete the subscriber and patient portion of the HSA Claim Form. Be sure to provide all required information or:

Late claims will not be processed (no exceptions will be allowed).

3. Submit the following documents to Manitoba Blue Cross:

Note: If this receipt was previously submitted to Manitoba Blue Cross through the Healthcare or Dental Plans, it does not need to be resubmitted. An HSA Claim Form is still required.

Claims will be paid out once every two months if your eligible HSA expenses are $100 or more. If your claims have been submitted and do not exceed $100 in eligible expenses, they will be paid out after the 90-day run-off period from the end of the benefit year.

For coordination of benefits between two or more benefit plans, see the Coordination of Benefits section.

For more information about your benefits or claims procedures, contact Manitoba Blue Cross directly at:

Manitoba Blue Cross
Phone: (204) 775-0151
Toll-free: 1-800-873-2583 (outside Winnipeg)
Fax: (204) 772-1231
E-mail: health.claims@mb.bluecross.ca
Website: www.mb.bluecross.ca