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Government expects $140M in savings this year with refugee health care co-pay
- On May 1, the government introduced a co-pay model under the Interim Federal Health Program , requiring refugee claimants to pay $4 for prescriptions and 30 per cent for supplemental services like dental and vision care.
- Ottawa says the program covered more than 623,000 people in 2024-25, costing about $896 million, prompting the government to project $140 million in annual savings from the new co-pay model.
- Allison Henderson, medical lead at London InterCommunity Health Care, warns the policy will push patients into precarious health situations; she notes officials have not provided data to support the savings projections.
- Claimants may delay care until conditions become emergencies, Henderson argues, creating strain on already overwhelmed emergency services and a perceived 'race to the bottom' in care standards.
- The 2012 Conservative government reduced IFHP coverage, a move later ruled a Charter violation, establishing a legal precedent that creates uncertainty about the current policy's long-term viability.
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37 Articles
37 Articles
Making refugees pay for medical care will further strain health-care system, Ontario doctor warns
Refugee claimants now face out-of-pocket costs for some care under federal changes. A London, Ont., physician warns it could worsen health outcomes and increase pressure on hospitals.
·Canada
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The Toronto Star+32 Reposted by 32 other sources
Government expects $140M in savings this year with refugee health care co-pay
OTTAWA - The government estimates that implementing a co-pay from asylum seekers and refugee claimants for some health care services will cut public costs by about $140 million.
·Toronto, Canada
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The Hamilton Spectator+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
For refugees, “a small health fee” has become a huge barrier
A $4 prescription fee may sound small. But for refugee claimants and resettled refugees arriving in Canada with little or no income, doctors and frontline workers say Ottawa’s new refugee health co-payments could become the difference between filling a prescription…
·Hamilton, Canada
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Total News Sources37
Leaning Left28Leaning Right0Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution85% Left
Bias Distribution
- 85% of the sources lean Left
85% Left
L 85%
15%
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