Federal government's handful of health cut reversals won't help most refugees: doctors
The federal move removes some co-pays for a small share of services, while doctors say dental, vision and other major gaps still leave many costs unpaid.
- On July 31, 2026, Canada reinstated full coverage for specific medical supplies including home oxygen tanks, feeding pumps, and ventilators for refugee children and teens under the Interim Federal Health Program.
- The IFHP imposed a 30 per cent co-payment requirement on May 1, 2026, for products ranging from wheelchairs to mental health counselling, prompting warnings from the Canadian Medical Association and Canadian Nurses Association.
- Dr. Parisa Rezaiefar of the Ottawa Newcomer Health Centre called the recent adjustment a "superficial approach," noting patients still cannot afford 30 per cent co-payments for essential items like wheelchairs and catheters.
- Taous Ait, an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada spokesperson, stated the adjustment is "not a reversal of the measures IRCC introduced in May 2026" and aims to align coverage with provincial health benefits.
- Doctors warn that failing to cover essential services forces refugees to defer care until conditions deteriorate, often resulting in more expensive hospitalizations that ultimately cost the health-care system more money.
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Federal government’s handful of health cut reversals won’t help most refugees: doctors
TORONTO — The federal government has reinstated full coverage for a handful of health-care services for refugees, but doctors say it's not nearly enough. On May 1, Canada's Interim Federal Health Program imposed a 30 per cent co-payment requirement fo...
Liberals facing backlash after restoring previously cut health coverage for asylum seekers
Subhead:The Carney government is reversing cuts it made earlier this year to a program that provides taxpayer-funded health-care coverage for asylum claimants.# The Liberal government is facing increasing criticism after a new report from the Toronto Star shows it has restored health-care coverage for asylum claimants that it had cut in May of this year. The Liberals introduced changes to the Interim Federal Health Program in May requiring mos…
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