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What can I claim in accommodation and meals for a conference I attend?

For each day you receive instruction, you can claim:

  • If a hotel stay is required:
    • $300 per day for both accommodation and meals, for conferences outside of Manitoba
    • $200 per day for both accommodation and meals, for conferences within Manitoba
  • If a hotel stay is not required:
    • $70 per full day of instruction for meals
    • $35 per half day of instruction for meals

You must provide proof of the event so we can verify the correct number of days.

If you claim a per diem for hotel accommodation, do not also claim a meal per diem, as the hotel per diem includes meals. 

If you share accommodations with another physician who is claiming a CME rebate for the same conference, you can each claim $300 per day outside Manitoba and $200 per day inside Manitoba. 

Can I claim office overhead expenses in addition to the accommodation/​meals expense?

Yes, you should claim both the overhead expense and accommodation/​meals expense for days you attended the CME event and incurred overhead expenses in Manitoba. Overhead expense claims should not be claimed for travel days or days your office is not open.

How do I file a claim for an event paid for over two years?

If you incur expenses for a discrete conference over two years, all expenses can be claimed in the earlier year, as long as the event took place and had been paid for before the claim deadline date for the earlier year. 

For example: If you paid a CME conference registration fee in December of one year for an event that will take place before the end of May of the following year, you can claim all conference costs in the earlier year, as all expenses will occur early in the following year. You also can wait and claim all the expenses in the later year if you prefer. 

Physicians must not split claims into two years. (This does not apply to annual fees paid for a series of periodic CME sessions held over the course of two years, e.g. The Foundation for Medical Practice Education or the University of Manitoba Continuing Medical Education Program. Those expenses should be fully claimed in the year they were paid.)

Can I still apply for a rebate if I received reimbursement or had CME Costs covered by a third party (such as my employer, RHA, a third party agency, pharmaceutical company, etc.)?


  • Under this Rebate program, each physician who receives fee for services income in Manitoba is entitled only to the maximum rebate set (currently $4,000) from all sources.
  • If your employer, a third party etc. provides you with the maximum rebate amount or more, you are not entitled to an additional rebate.
  • If your employer, a third party etc. provides you with less than the maximum rebate amount, you may be entitled to the difference between the amount received and the program maximum amount. For example:
    • If you file a valid claim for $4,000 and have already received $2,500 under your contract, you would receive the difference, which is $1,500.
  • You must declare all reimbursement of costs covered by a third party on your Claim Form.
How do I claim if I have been in Manitoba for less than one year?

Any eligible expenses you submit will be prorated according to the number of months you have worked in Manitoba. You should submit as many eligible expenses as you can up to the amount that you are eligible for after the proration (i.e. if you only worked in the province for six months you will be eligible for half of the full maximum amount, or $2,000).

What can I claim under the Education Materials Component?

You can claim expenses such as:

  • Subscriptions to medical journals, as long as you provide a receipt of payment for the journal (not subscription order/​renewal forms)
  • CME related software, for example, diagnostic tools for use with smart phones.
  • Medical audiotapes, videotapes and texts, with a receipt for proof. Medical-audio tapes provided by the American Seminar Institute are claimable, however, travel costs and per diem are not, as it is not necessary to incur travel to take these seminars.

For more details, see the Medical Educational Materials section under What you can claim.

What can I claim under Registration Fees?

You can claim the cost of registering for the meeting or event, as long as it is an accredited program sponsored or co-sponsored by a recognized medical educational body (i.e. university, hospital, provincial/​state/​local medical society or association). Non-accredited events will not be eligible for reimbursement.

You cannot claim the specified costs of meals or social events that are charged in addition to the registration fee. Those costs are covered under the daily per diem you can claim. Conversely, if a registration fee includes meals (e.g. Manitoba College of Family Physicians Annual Scientific Assembly) you cannot claim an additional $35 or $70 meal per diem, as you are already being rebated when your registration fees are reimbursed. 

If you pay a registration fee for a meeting that is subsequently cancelled or that you cannot attend, that cost will not be reimbursed. 

What can I claim for travel to a conference?

You are eligible to claim up to $1,000 per event for travel costs (both inside and outside of Manitoba). This $1,000 maximum may include:

  • Airfare, with a receipt showing the cost, destination and dates of travel, as well as proof of attendance at the CME event, and/​or
  • Mileage if you traveled by car, at 50 cents per kilometre.
    • You must provide proof of attendance at the CME event and the place where it was held, as mileage will be calculated using Google Maps.
    • You may only claim mileage for meetings in Manitoba that are held outside of your own practice community.
    • You may not claim mileage for travel while you are at an event.
Last updated
July 3, 2024