Refugee Claimants and Interim Federal Health IFH Program

Interim Federal Health IFH Program: In June 2012, the federal Conservatives made sweeping changes to the Interim Federal Health IFH Program. Before that, all refugee and refugee claimants were entitled to the same benefits as Canadians on social assistance, according to The Chronicle Herald. Thats for people who are lucky enough to still qualify. Many refugees have been denied care outright. Refugees from the government-defined list of safe countries can no longer access essential or emergency health services. What this means is that some of the most vulnerable people in our country cannot get the care they need. Thousands have no medical coverage even in the case of emergencies. Many refugee claimants have been turned away from physicians. There is no drug coverage, even for insulin; refugees claimants with cancer have been denied funding for chemotherapy. Pregnant women cannot access prenatal care. There are no mental health services for survivors of rape, torture and organized violence and Pregnant women, children, and men with life-threatening conditions are being denied urgent medical attention across Canada. Why? Because they werent born in this country and the federal government has deemed them unworthy of care. The changes have created a confusing web of bureaucracy; the IFH website lists 10 different categories based on immigration status, each with different levels of access to federally funded health care. In fact, the changes are so complicated that many health professionals are unsure of who qualifies, let alone people who have fled to Canada who often have little or no grasp of English. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.