Greater Winnipeg Relief Plan

This plan, implemented in 1934, provided medical care to residents of Winnipeg who were on municipal relief. The plan allowed the recipients to choose their own doctors and to receive diagnostic services, treatment for short-term ailments, surgical care, hospitalization and maternity care. Although it cost about $2.76 per person per year, rather than the anticipated $1.75 per year, the plan showed that a medical insurance scheme paid for by government could effectively deliver a range of services to the poor.