Canada Restores Full Coverage for Limited Refugee Care, but 30% Co-Pay Remains
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Canada has restored full federal coverage for a limited group of medical devices and health services used by refugees and asylum claimants, while keeping the 30% co-payment requirement for most supplemental benefits.
As of July 31, the Interim Federal Health Program, or IFHP, fully covers selected items including home oxygen tanks, feeding pumps, sleep apnea monitors, ventilators and implantable hearing aids for children and teenagers. Long-term care is also covered up to $1,736 per month.
The change does not remove most of the cost-sharing measures introduced in May. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says beneficiaries still pay $4 for each eligible prescription and 30% of the cost of supplemental benefits such as urgent dental care, vision care, mental health counselling, physiotherapy, assistive devices and medical supplies. Doctor visits and hospital care remain fully covered.
The department described the move as a targeted adjustment rather than a reversal of the May changes. It said fewer than 1% of the roughly 600,000 people currently eligible for the IFHP use the services that have returned to full coverage.
Doctors working with refugee patients say the change will help people with some complex medical needs, but many patients will still face costs for services such as dental care, eyeglasses, counselling and mobility equipment.
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Tahani Elghazaly5098 Posts
