Last Updated On 28 January 2026, 7:56 AM EST (Toronto Time)
Today, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will implement co-payments in the Interim Federal Health Program, effective May 1, 2026.
The Interim Federal Health Program offers temporary federal health coverage to specific refugee-related groups until they can transition to provincial or territorial health insurance.
Starting May 1, 2026, beneficiaries will have to make co-payments for prescriptions and other supplemental services, while core medical services like doctor visits and hospital care will remain fully covered.
This change, initially mentioned in Budget 2025, aims to shift some of the costs of supplemental benefits to the beneficiaries at the time of service.
What is the Interim Federal Health Program in Simple Terms
The IFHP provides temporary coverage for urgent health products and services to eligible beneficiaries until they can access provincial or territorial health care programs.
Refugee claimants, protected persons, resettled refugees, and certain other groups are eligible for short-term health care coverage in Canada through the IFHP.
Eligibility for the IFHP is typically based on immigration status, and beneficiaries do not usually need to apply for it.
The program relies on a network of registered health care providers, and eligibility and services provided must be verified during billing.
According to the official IFHP page, healthcare coverage is automatically activated or canceled.
Changes Effective May 1, 2026
IRCC’s announcement outlines two co-payments for supplemental health benefits:
- $4 for each eligible prescription medication under the IFHP
- 30% of the cost of other eligible supplemental health products and services, such as dental care, vision care, counseling, and assistive devices
Beneficiaries will directly pay these amounts to their health care providers for IFHP-eligible services.
What Remains Unchanged
Core health care benefits, like doctor visits and hospital care, continue to be free under the IFHP without any co-payments.
This distinction is crucial as it separates basic medical care from supplemental benefits subject to the new co-payment rules.
IRCC sees these co-payments as a way to manage increasing demand while ensuring accessibility to supplemental health care in the long run.
The government’s goal is to maintain the program’s sustainability to support both current and future beneficiaries.
Implementation of Co-payments at Clinics and Pharmacies
A co-payment is the portion of the cost that beneficiaries pay directly to the provider, while the rest is covered by the IFHP.
