Hospital Stays and Discharge Planning

Providing clarity on what to expect during your stay and how to prepare for discharge. Here are a few of the things this article covers:

• Your Stay and What to Expect
• Hospital Room & Bed Accommodations
• Determining Your Length of Stay
• Transfers Between Healthcare Settings
• Discharge Planning
• Support After Discharge
• Frequently Asked Questions

Your Stay: What to Expect

We are committed to delivering exceptional care, which includes creating a care plan tailored to your needs. During your stay, a team of healthcare providers—doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers, and aides—will collaborate with you and your chosen partners in care (family, friends, or caregivers) to support your recovery.

Room and Bed Accommodations

The standard room typically houses three or more patients and is covered by Manitoba Health. Private and semi-private rooms are often quieter, with fewer people coming and going throughout the day when compared to traditional multi-bedded rooms.

Rooms are assigned based on availability and medical requirements:

• Standard Rooms: Shared by three or more patients and covered by Manitoba Health. 
• Semi-Private Rooms: Shared by two patients. $97/day. 
• Private Rooms: For a single patient. $139/day. 

If you prefer a semi-private or private room, confirm with your insurance provider about coverage. If you do not have extended/private healthcare insurance but would like to pay privately for a semi-private or private room accommodation, the hospital will collect payment from you prior to discharge.

The hospital or healthcare centre tries its best to give you the room requested, but sometimes, it may not be available. You will receive a high standard of care regardless of the accommodation setting.

To opt in, complete an Accommodation Request form provided by our staff.

For international patients and uninsured Canadians, you will be required to complete a Responsibility for Payment form at Patient Registration to cover the cost of your preferred room accommodation and the costs of other medical care you received during your stay.

Important: It is your responsibility to verify your insurance coverage, including any limits. Due to privacy concerns, the Winnipeg and Churchill health region is unable to verify insurance coverage and assumes no responsibility to verify insurance coverage. You will be asked to provide credit card information to cover expenses incurred during your stay. The WRHA only direct bills to Manitoba Blue Cross. You will be provided with a statement upon discharge to submit to your private insurance or to claim as a medical expense on your personal income tax.

Note: Availability of specific rooms cannot be guaranteed and is subject to medical and operational considerations.

Switching Accommodations

It is possible to request a private or semi-private room after you've been admitted. If you would like to change your room preference, please notify your healthcare team and they will contact Patient Registration.

In certain circumstances, the hospital may not be able to accommodate requests due to capacity and infection containment protocols on the unit.

Determining Your Length of Stay

The duration of your stay depends on several factors, including your medical condition, overall health status, and recovery. Your healthcare team will be communicating with you regularly and will let you know how long they expect you'll need care at a hospital or health centre.

A decision could be made as early as one to two days after you are admitted, however, timing is dependent on changes in your medical condition. Once you receive information from the healthcare team on your estimated length of stay, you can begin to prepare for when you are eventually discharged.

Care needs will constantly evolve until the time when services provided in hospital or health centre are no longer required.

Transfers Between Healthcare Settings

If your care needs change, you may be transferred to another unit or facility. Transfers help ensure you are receiving the most appropriate care. Examples include:

• Transfer from a medical unit to a rehabilitation unit, such as Stroke Rehabilitation.
• Transfer from the emergency department to a Transitional Care Unit.
• Transfer from a Critical Care Unit to a less intensive level of care.
• Transfer from a hospital in the Winnipeg health region to a hospital in your home community for continued care.
• Transfer to the hospital you arrived from (e.g., the term repatriation is sometimes used by healthcare staff).
• Transfer to a hospice or palliative care setting.
• Transfer to a psychiatric facility for a longer period of stay.

This decision is based on your healthcare team's knowledge of other available services and their assessment of your current care needs.

Discharge Planning

Planning to leave is called discharge. Your healthcare team begins preparing for this almost as soon as you are admitted, giving you the time to identify the supports you may need to continue your recovery. The healthcare team will provide:

• A discharge information sheet with follow-up details, prescriptions, and recommended resources.
• Assistance in connecting with community supports, such as home care, mental health services, or public health programs.

The healthcare team will be communicating with you and your Partners in Care (e.g., family, friends or caregivers) regularly. They will assist with preparing you for a transfer or discharge. You can rely on them to help address your specific care needs and answer your questions.

Disputing Discharge or Transfer Plans

Start by talking with your healthcare team directly when you have questions or concerns about your care and the discharge or transfer planning underway. You can also ask to speak with a supervisor or manager about your care.

Further assistance can be provided by the WRHA Client Relations team. 

If you are concerned that your needs cannot be met at home, your healthcare team will work with you and your Partners in Care (e.g., family, friends or caregivers) to apply for and transfer to the first available bed that meets your care needs. This could mean going to an alternate site such as:

• Specialized housing with higher-level supports
• A personal care home where you can await your home of choice
• A hospice facility or palliative care services

Refusing Discharge

Manitoba's healthcare system is a shared service for all Manitobans. If you decline to be transferred or decline discharge from the hospital/health centre when medical care is no longer required, access will be limited for others who require care.

You will be charged a daily rate, as set by Manitoba Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care, for remaining in a space that is no longer medically required.

Support After Discharge

Community resources are available to support your recovery, including:

• Home care services
• Primary care services
• Community partner agencies
• Palliative care services
• Interdisciplinary healthcare teams (e.g. occupational therapists, physiotherapists, respiratory therapists, etc.)
• Mental Health and Addictions Services
• Population and Public Health Services

System Navigators

System Navigators can also help to guide you through health and social services supports and resources. Reaching out to a System Navigator can give you a measure of familiarity and security when you're not sure where to go for information or who to talk to about the supports you might need. 

If a safe and stable living environment is not available, your healthcare team will connect you with programs to meet your needs. 

Printable Handouts

• Handout & FAQ on Semi-Private and Private Room Accommodations: Comprehensive details about room options, costs, private insurance and payment processes.

• Handout & FAQ on What to Expect During a Hospital Stay: A patient-friendly guide to support successful transitions from hospital to home.

Additional Resources

The Healthy Management Guide: On-demand access to resources designed to help you develop healthy habits.

A Guide to Living Safely at Home: A helpful list of services to maintain health and well-being in your community.

211 Manitoba: Connects you with 20 different categories of supports to manage your basic needs and well-being. It's a free and confidential service, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in more than 150 languages, including 4 Indigenous languages.

Relevant Regional Policies

• Partners in Care (80.00.060): replaces the Family Presence Policy and encourages the presence of designated caregivers, family, and other support persons as “Partners in Care” in healthcare environments.
• Discharge Planning (80.20.130): was developed to assist healthcare teams with the processes to follow when talking with patients about how and when they will leave the healthcare environment

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the hospital verify my secondary or private insurance with the insurer? 

Due to privacy concerns, the hospital is unable to verify insurance coverage and assumes no responsibility to verify any patient’s insurance coverage. It is your responsibility to verify insurance coverage, including any limits. 

Who is responsible for submitting the expense claim for a private or semi-private room to the private insurance provider? 

It is your responsibility to verify your insurance coverage, including any limits. You will receive a statement at the time of discharge, which you can use to request reimbursement from your provider. The WRHA will only direct bill Manitoba Blue Cross. 

My private/extended health insurance is limited, can I provide my spouse's insurance or pay the difference? 

Yes, multiple insurance policies can be used when submitting a claim to recoup the cost of your preferred accommodation (e.g., you and your spouse both have insurance policies). You will receive a statement at the time of discharge, which you can use to request reimbursement from your provider. The WRHA will only direct bill Manitoba Blue Cross. 

Can I still request a Private or Semi-Private room if I don't have a secondary or private health insurance plan? 

Yes. You will be asked to sign for your request and will be billed accordingly. 

If I would like to change my room preference request now that I am on a unit, what do I do? 

It is possible to upgrade your accommodations to a private or semi-private room after you've been admitted. If you would like to upgrade your room preference please notify your healthcare team and they will contact Patient Registration. In certain circumstances, you could be required to relocate due to a change in service or a medical emergency. 

Am I guaranteed to get the room I choose? 

We will make every effort to provide you with the room you have requested. Rooms are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. However, sometimes the room you request may not be available due to medical or infection control needs. 

I have private/extended health insurance. Can you bill my insurance directly? 

The WRHA can only bill Manitoba Blue Cross directly on your behalf. For all other insurance companies, you will be provided with a statement and it is your responsibility to submit the expense claim with your private insurance provider using their method of submission 

What happens if my private/extended health insurance is declined or the claim exceeds my available coverage? 

You are responsible for covering the cost of an outstanding balance. A receipt will be provided to you at discharge, which you can use to claim on your personal income tax or to follow up with your insurance provider. The WRHA can only direct bill Manitoba Blue Cross.  

What if my insurance does not cover a preferred room? 

When you request for a private or semi-private room accommodation, your credit card information will be collected. You are responsible for paying costs associated with your preferred room. You will be invoiced for any outstanding balance after discharge.

Why do you charge extra for private rooms and what do you do with the money? 

Proceeds from preferred accommodations assist the health authority in funding ongoing operations, including patient care, capital projects, training and education. 

What does it mean to no longer require medical care? 

You no longer require medical care when your condition has become stable, your care team has finished looking for new diagnoses, you are at low risk for decline and do not require the high level of services provided in your current care setting. 

What if I disagree with the discharge or transfer plan? 

If you have questions or concerns about your care and discharge plan and feel the healthcare team has not appropriately addressed them, we encourage you to ask to speak with the manager or supervisor.  

Is there a cost if I decline the transfer or discharge plan? 

Manitoba's healthcare system is a shared service for all Manitobans. If you refuse to transfer or leave the hospital/health centre when medical care is no longer required, access will be limited for others who require care. You will be charged a daily rate, as set by Manitoba Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care, for remaining in a space that is no longer medically required. 

When is it time to ask for additional help with disagreements about discharge or transfer planning? 

WRHA Client Relations is a service designed to help navigate your healthcare journey in the health region. Reach out to them after you've exhausted discussions with the healthcare team, supervisor or manager. Your feedback at this stage is documented to help improve the overall quality of health services you received. 

• Phone: 204-926-7825 

• Email: [email protected]