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As the province rolled out its new digital health cards this week, some of the first Manitobans to access their cards online say the sign-up process is “frustrating” and “overly complicated.”
Winnipeg resident Dorothy Stephens said she was initially excited to get a digital health card, as she regularly uses an e-wallet and does her banking and calendar scheduling online.
She downloaded the MB Wallet app on Monday — the day the province launched the digital health cards — but quickly found the process to be “frustrating” and “more cumbersome than it needs to be,” she said.
Manitoba residents who are already registered with the province’s health system can request a digital version of their health cards, which are accessed through an individual’s My Manitoba Health Card account and stored in the MB wallet app on mobile devices.
The Manitoba government said people will be able to request a digital version of their health cards as of Monday — about a year after the province began replacing paper health cards with plastic ones. (Prabhjot Lotey Singh/CBC)
To get started, people need to set up a My Manitoba Health Card account online, where they can request a digital card via the “replacement card” option, according to the government’s website.
Residents then fill out the online form, submit and wait up to two hours for the digital card to become available.
At the same time, they should download the MB Wallet app to their mobile device.
Once available, users can download a QR code for the card from their My Manitoba Health Card account. That QR code is then scanned in the MB Wallet app — which is downloaded separately onto a mobile device.
Finally, users can click accept to add their new digital card to the app, under the credentials tab.
“It’s doable, but it’s just a hassle,” Stephens said, adding those who are less comfortable with technology may just “give up.”
“Why can’t it just be simpler?”
In a statement, a provincial spokesperson wrote the app was tested comprehensively before its release.
As of Friday, 15 285 digital cards had been issued, with 293 in process, according to the spokesperson. Last week, 23 000 Manitobans applied for plastic health cards, “underscoring this is about expanding access, not replacing existing services,” wrote the spokesperson.
The spokesperson said while most applications for the digital cards take 30 minutes, some have taken up to a day, as applicants have to provide information that matches what is in the health registry— they can’t just scan the QR code on the back of their plastic card.
When the app requests a QR code, people should use the code generated at the online site.
“Some applicants may have experienced delays in the digital health card download process and improvements to that process are already being implemented,” wrote the spokesperson.
David Sawatzky, who lives in Altona, Man., said getting his digital health card was “such a no-brainer” because he already uses his phone for payment and identification.
But when he started setting up his account and downloading the app on Thursday, he found the multi-step process to be “overly complicated” and so time consuming that he had to return to it the next day.
“It was a process of emails, creating pins, a separate pin for the app, a separate ID for logging into the Manitoba Health website. It all just seemed like a lot of steps for people to take …” Sawatzky said.
“I just really think the process could be simplified,” he said.
Altona, Man., resident David Sawatzky said he was excited to get his digital health card, but found it was ‘overly complicated’ to access it. (Zoom)
As someone who often uses a phone in place of a wallet, Sawatzky said it was a “great idea” for the province to introduce digital cards. He just wants it to be easier for Manitobans to get them.
“Make it simpler for people so that anybody can take care of it on their own,” he said.
On Monday, Premier Wab Kinew said the digital cards, which cost the province $1.9 million, are “totally optional.”
“If this is going to make your life easier, get a digital health card,” Kinew said.
People applying for a new health card will be able to choose between the digital or plastic versions — or both.
Stephens said she would like to see the government simplify the set-up process and make it more “user friendly.” Otherwise, she thinks few people will bother.
“This is supposed to be for Manitobans, average users,” she said.
“I think it’s worth it to have this stuff on your phone. It’s definitely the trend that we’re going. There’s just bugs to be worked out.”
