What is the Interim Federal Health Program?
The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) is a federal program of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). In IRCC's words, it "provides limited and temporary health care coverage until you're eligible for provincial or territorial insurance or leave Canada." Claims under the program are administered by Medavie Blue Cross, and IRCC directs beneficiaries to providers registered with the program.
The IFHP has three parts: basic coverage, prescription medication coverage, and supplemental coverage. As of the coverage summary published by IRCC (updated May 2026), basic coverage is provided at no cost, prescription medication coverage carries a $4 co-payment for each eligible prescription filled or refilled, and supplemental coverage is paid at 70 percent by the IFHP with the remaining 30 percent paid by the person to the provider. The coverage is not the same as a provincial health plan and does not cover every service.
Understanding what IFHP covers helps refugee claimants and protected persons know what health care they can access at no cost, what carries a co-payment, and what is not covered at all.
Who is Eligible for IFHP?
IRCC's eligibility page lists the groups covered by the IFHP and how long coverage lasts for each. Eligibility depends on immigration status and, for claimants, the stage of the claim.
Refugee Claimants
Refugee claimants receive full IFHP coverage (basic, prescription and supplemental). Coverage begins when the claimant receives their Acknowledgement of Claim, Refugee Protection Identity Document or Refugee Protection Claimant Document, and continues until the person qualifies for provincial or territorial health insurance or leaves Canada. Coverage ends earlier if the claim is withdrawn, if the IRB declares it abandoned, or if the claim is found ineligible for referral and the person is not eligible to apply for a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment. This applies whether the claim was made at a port of entry or inside Canada.
Protected Persons
A positive decision does not end IFHP coverage. IRCC's eligibility page states that protected persons in Canada, including those with a positive asylum decision or a positive Pre-Removal Risk Assessment, keep full IFHP coverage for 90 days after the positive decision or until they qualify for provincial or territorial health insurance, whichever comes first. A protected person is not a permanent resident; permanent residence is a separate application that a protected person may make.
Other Eligible Groups
IFHP coverage also applies to resettled refugees (with basic coverage until they qualify for provincial insurance, and supplemental and prescription coverage while they receive Resettlement Assistance Program or private sponsorship income support), to holders of a temporary resident permit issued as a victim of human trafficking or of family violence for the life of the permit, to persons detained under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act while in detention, and to persons covered by a temporary public policy or admitted at the Minister's discretion.
Proof of Eligibility
IRCC's instructions state that a person who qualifies shows their IFHP eligibility document to the provider when arriving for treatment. For a refugee claimant this is the Acknowledgement of Claim, the Refugee Protection Identity Document or the Refugee Protection Claimant Document.
What Does IFHP Cover?
Basic coverage is the core of the program. It is provided at no cost, and IRCC states that a provider cannot ask the person to pay for basic treatment. IRCC's coverage summary gives the examples below and refers readers to the benefit grids published by Medavie Blue Cross, the claims administrator, for the full list.
Physician Services
Basic coverage includes services from medical doctors, registered nurses and other health care professionals licensed in Canada. Services are obtained from providers registered with the IFHP, and the Medavie Blue Cross search tool lists registered providers.
Hospital Services
Basic coverage includes in-patient and outpatient hospital services. It is not limited to emergencies.
Diagnostic Services
Basic coverage includes laboratory, diagnostic and ambulance services.
Maternity Services
Basic coverage includes pre-natal and post-natal care as part of the services of doctors, nurses and other licensed health care professionals, together with hospital services for delivery.
Mental Health Services
Mental health counselling is listed by IRCC as a supplemental benefit. Supplemental benefits are covered at 70 percent, with the person paying 30 percent of the cost directly to the provider. Services from medical doctors fall under basic coverage. Details of limits are set out in the benefit grids published by Medavie Blue Cross.
Prescriptions and Dental Coverage
The IFHP includes prescription medication coverage with a co-payment, and urgent dental care and vision care as supplemental benefits with a 30 percent co-payment.
Prescription Medications
IRCC's coverage summary states that the person pays the provider $4 for each eligible prescription filled or refilled; the example given is $16 for four prescriptions filled at once. Which medications are eligible is set out in the benefit grids.
Dental Services
Urgent dental care is a supplemental benefit: the IFHP pays 70 percent of the eligible cost and the person pays 30 percent to the provider. Routine and cosmetic dental care is not listed as a benefit. The benefit grids define what counts as urgent dental care and any limits.
Vision Care
Vision care is a supplemental benefit under the IFHP, paid at 70 percent with a 30 percent co-payment. The benefit grids set out what vision services and eyewear are eligible and any frequency limits. Other supplemental benefits listed by IRCC are physiotherapy, speech language therapy, assistive devices such as prosthetics, mobility aids and hearing aids, home care, and medical supplies and equipment.
How to Access IFHP
Accessing health care through the IFHP involves showing the eligibility document to a registered provider. IRCC's page on how to get medical treatment describes the process.
Registering for IFHP
IRCC states that people who qualify for the IFHP do not need to apply, with limited exceptions. For refugee claimants the eligibility document is the Acknowledgement of Claim, Refugee Protection Identity Document or Refugee Protection Claimant Document issued when the claim is made. Where an application is required, it is made on the Application for IFHP Coverage (IMM 5564).
Finding Healthcare Providers
Services are obtained from providers registered with the IFHP; IRCC directs beneficiaries to the Medavie Blue Cross search tool to find one. A registered provider bills the program directly. IRCC states that a provider cannot ask the person to pay for basic treatment; the co-payments for supplemental benefits and prescriptions are paid directly to the provider, and treatment that is not covered by the IFHP is paid by the person.
Community Health Centers
Many communities have community health centers or settlement agencies that are familiar with IFHP and can help refugee claimants access healthcare. These centers often have physicians who are experienced in working with refugees and can assist with IFHP claims.
The Eligibility Document
The eligibility document identifies the person and the basis of coverage. IRCC's IFHP page links to the Medavie Blue Cross portal, where beneficiaries can check their eligibility.
Provincial Health Coverage and Supplements
The IFHP is designed to end when the person qualifies for provincial or territorial health insurance. Whether and when a refugee claimant or protected person qualifies for a provincial plan is set by each province and territory.
Provincial Variations
Provincial and territorial rules on who is eligible for the public health plan, and any waiting period, vary. The provincial or territorial health ministry is the source for what coverage is available to claimants and protected persons in a given province.
Coordination of Benefits
IRCC describes the IFHP as coverage "until you're eligible for provincial or territorial insurance." Once a person qualifies for a provincial plan, IFHP coverage for that person ends, and the provincial plan becomes the primary coverage.
Applying for Provincial Coverage
A protected person keeps full IFHP coverage for 90 days after the positive decision or until qualifying for provincial or territorial insurance, whichever is first, so applying to the provincial plan promptly after a positive decision avoids a gap. The provincial health ministry provides the application process and coverage details.
Limitations and Exclusions
The IFHP does not cover all health care services, and some covered services carry a co-payment.
Services Not Covered
Coverage is limited to the benefits set out in the IFHP benefit grids. IRCC states that treatment not covered by the IFHP is paid by the person. Routine dental care and services that do not appear in the grids are examples of services outside the program.
Approval Requirements
Whether a particular benefit needs approval before it is provided is set out in the benefit grids. IRCC directs questions about coverage to Medavie Blue Cross, which administers claims for the program.
Coverage Limits
The benefit grids set out frequency limits and maximum amounts for particular supplemental benefits. IRCC directs beneficiaries to the benefit grids or to Medavie Blue Cross for the specifics.
Loss of Coverage
For a refugee claimant, IFHP coverage ends when the person qualifies for provincial or territorial health insurance or leaves Canada, or earlier if the claim is withdrawn, declared abandoned by the IRB, or found ineligible for referral where the person is also not eligible to apply for a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment. A positive decision does not end coverage immediately: a protected person remains covered for 90 days after the decision or until qualifying for provincial insurance, whichever comes first.