OTTAWA — The Carney government has quietly walked back some of its cuts to a program providing temporary health-care coverage to refugees and asylum-seekers, months after slashing benefits for some of Canada’s most vulnerable newcomers.
Earlier this year, following a budget pledge to lower funding, Ottawa introduced changes to the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP), which provides health care to resettled refugees and asylum claimants who are waiting to qualify for provincial or territorial insurance.
Beginning in May, most people eligible for the program were required to pay 30 per cent of costs for health services, assistive devices and medical supplies that had previously been covered, along with $4 for prescription medication and refills.
