The Newfoundland and Labrador government has extended the deadline for residents to apply for new medicare plan cards, in part because so many applications were incomplete.

MCP had set a March 31 deadline to apply for new cards, but has now extended it to July 31.

The province had wanted to re-register all residents for the new cards, which will offer greater security and will allow officials to better track how medicare expenses are made.

Health Minister Ross Wiseman said 88 per cent of the population has re-registered for new cards, but about 25 per cent of those applications — representing 70,000 people — contained "incomplete or inconsistent" information.

The extra time will allow Health Department staff to contact residents whose claims need additional information.

The re-registration program, the first since 1969, was launched following an auditor general's report which called for greater accountability in how MCP is managed.

A recent review found many MCP cards are currently being used in other provinces, because expatriates carried the cards with them and did not register in their new provinces. Those health costs are borne by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.