Starting May 1, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will introduce co-payments for supplemental health products and services for eligible people (beneficiaries) covered under the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP), meaning that refugee claimants will have to co-pay for some of their health-care coverage.
First established in 1957, the IFHP provides limited and temporary coverage for urgent and essential health products and services for eligible beneficiaries until they transition to provincial or territorial health care programs.
A co-payment (or co-pay) is the portion of the cost of supplemental health services and products that an eligible client (also called an IFHP beneficiary) will pay directly to their IFHP-registered health-care provider. The IFHP pays the remaining amount, meaning the cost of supplemental health benefits is shared between the beneficiary and the Government of Canada.
The decision, included in the 2025 Budget, was confirmed this Tuesday by the federal government.
What’s changing
For prescription medication, beneficiaries will pay $4 per eligible prescription filled and/or refilled.
For all other supplemental health benefits, beneficiaries will pay 30% of the cost of eligible services and products. Supplemental coverage covers extended health care like psychologists and counselling therapists; occupational therapists; physiotherapists and speech language therapists; assistive devices like prosthetics, mobility aids and hearing aids; home care and long-term care; urgent dental care and limited vision care; and medical supplies and equipment
Beneficiaries covered by the IFHP will be asked to pay these amounts directly to their health care providers when they receive IFHP-eligible supplemental products or services.
What’s still covered
Basic health care benefits, including doctor visits and hospital care, will remain fully covered under the IFHP, with no co-payments required.
Pre-departure medical services and immigration medical examinations are also fully covered and free-of-charge to IFHP eligible beneficiaries.
Keep in mind
IFHP co-payments apply to supplemental health services and products received on or after midnight (12:01am local time) on May 1, 2026. Co-payments do not apply to benefits received before that date and time.
Before receiving care, IFHP eligible beneficiaries should ask their health-care providers how much they will need to pay for supplemental health services and products.
IFHP eligible beneficiaries continue to pay for any costs that exceed the limits reimbursed by the IFHP.
Advocates criticized the measure, pointing out that full access to supplemental care, especially for things such as dental health and trauma counselling, is crucial to this vulnerable population. “Four dollars doesn’t sound like a lot, but we have many patients who are on four or five, six medications because they’re diabetic and hypertensive,” said to the Toronto Star Dr. Meb Rashid, medical director at The Crossroads Clinic in Toronto, which provides comprehensive medical services to refugees.
In a statement released this Tuesday, IRCC indicated that introducing co-payments “will help keep supplemental health care accessible for eligible beneficiaries while responsibly managing growing demand.” “This change supports the long-term sustainability of the IFHP so it can continue providing essential support to current and future beneficiaries,” it added.
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