Immigration Minister Jason Kenney: Refugee Health Policy

Interim Federal Health Program Dept: Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced reforms in April to the Interim Federal Health Program, which provides temporary health benefits to refugees until they qualify for provincial and territorial coverage, according to Vancouver Sun. When the changes were announced, a Citizenship and Immigration Canada press release said "the reformed pro-gram will end the coverage of supplemental health care benefits," which Kenney said was motivated by a sense of fairness: "We do not want to ask Canadians to pay for benefits for protected persons and refugee claimants that are more generous than what they are entitled to themselves." The federal government appears to have quietly backtracked on sweeping changes to its refugee health policy, a move applauded by doctors even as it is denied by the immigration ministry. Historically, the benefits included basic medical care as well as supplemental benefits such as pharmaceutical, vision and dental care, at a level similar to that provided by provinces to people on social assistance. It was given to most refugees, whether they came as part of a government resettlement program, were privately sponsored, or asked for asylum on arrival on Canadian soil. It also applied to rejected refugee claimants awaiting deportation. The cost of the program was estimated at $84 million a year. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.