Eligibility is based on the following criteria: persons who are residents of Manitoba; and are registered with Manitoba Health Services Commission; and have lost the normal function of the digestive or urinary system necessitating ostomy or fistula management; or have drainage from the respiratory or lymphatic system in a quantity necessitating use of an ostomy appliance.
The MOP covers half of the first $600 and everything over that $600 mark each year. Once registered with the program, the ostomate phones his ostomy supply order in to the Material's Distribution Agency (MDA). It is then shipped out to the client or one can go and pick it up at 1680 Church Ave. Payment of the outstanding balance can be made by cash, cheque or credit card. The MOP runs on an April 1 - March 31 fiscal year.
A person is registered with the program either at the time of hospital discharge or by contacting an ET Nurse. Once an assessment by an ET Nurse has been completed, decisions are made regarding the type and quantity of supplies. Products then may be ordered on a bi-monthly basis. If a new item is requested, an ET Nurse must order the item the first time to monitor the quantity and combination of supplies being used. Clients who are noted to be using large quantities of supplies are reassessed by the program ET Nurse.
Efforts are taken to avoid duplicating services already available to the client. For example, if a person is being seen by a VON or Home Care Nurse, then contact is made with this primary caregiver to review their assessment and determine if ET services are required. Registrants are encouraged to initiate contact with the program's ET if they are experiencing questions or concerns. Rural clinics are held in seven locations throughout the province at various intervals to meet with clients on an individual basis, complete hospital visits, conduct staff inservice sessions and attend rural UOA chapter meetings. Health professionals are contacted annually in writing to notify them about the clinic dates and locations, encourage their referral of clients as needed and remind them of the availability of staff development resources. Products trials are conducted with the hospital-based ET's on an ongoing basis when items are deemed as cost-effective alternatives. Hospital supplies are reviewed upon request and suggestions are forwarded; a priority in this regard is the use of products in hospital that are available per MOP to the client once home, which promotes continuity in terms of learning. It has been demonstrated that the purchase of supplies on a volume basis is more cost efficient per person, when compared to retail or reimbursement systems.
