Ottawa to restore and expand health care for refugees
“Restoration of the IFH Program is good news both from a public health perspective and an economic perspective. It’s the right thing to do”
The Liberal government will deliver more than it pledged during last year’s election campaign by expanding the Interim Federal Health Program for refugees.
Starting in April, Ottawa will fully restore health care coverage for all refugees and asylum claimants to the 2012 level, before it was reduced by the previous Tory government.
In a surprise twist, the Liberal government will also expand medical services for refugees designated for resettlement before they come to Canada. Expanding the Interim Federal Health (IFH) Program, as it’s known, was not promised during last year’s election campaign.
Immigration Minister John McCallum and Health Minister Jane Philpott
By April 2017, overseas refugees will receive coverage for their immigration medical exam, pre-departure vaccinations, services to manage disease outbreaks in refugee camps and medical supports during travel to Canada.
Once refugees and asylum seekers arrive in Canada, they will all have access to basic health care that is similar to provincial health care insurance, as well as supplemental services such as vision and urgent dental care and prescription drugs that are available to Canadians on government assistance.
“Canadians from many walks of life, from premiers, to front-line health care professionals, to Canadians who privately sponsor refugees, spoke with one voice in rejecting the changes made to the Interim Federal Health Program in 2012,” Immigration Minister John McCallum said on Tuesday. “We have listened, and coverage will be restored.”
While the re-installment of the IFH coverage had been anticipated since the new government dropped its appeal in December against a Federal court order to bring back some of the services for the affected refugees, the expansion of the program to include resettled refugees – long a demand by refugee groups and health professionals – was a shock.
“Restoration of the IFH Program is good news both from a public health perspective and an economic perspective. It’s the right thing to do,” said Health Minister Jane Philpott in a statement.
“A robust program for refugee health care will improve health outcomes, protect public health for all Canadians and help provincial and territorial governments reduce longer-term health care costs.”
Former Conservative Immigration Minister Jason Kenney axed the coverage for many refugees in 2012 in order to save $100 million over five years, but the move was universally condemned by health care advocacy groups and provinces which ended up footing the bills.
The Tory government spent more than $1.4 million to fight a court challenge launched by advocacy groups, a fight it lost.
thestar.com
~Wakenya Canada
