Strategic environmental and economical assessment (SEEA) conducted for the funding of the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP): Public Statement - Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) provides health care coverage to refugees, asylum claimants, immigration detainees, and certain other foreign nationals in especially vulnerable circumstances, such as survivors of human trafficking or family violence. The scope of the IFHP is based on the understanding that these migrants may be temporarily ineligible for health insurance plans or programs offered by provinces and territories. The IFHP is therefore intended to bridge the gap in medical coverage until recipients quality for public health insurance or, in the case of failed asylum claimants, until they leave Canada.
Under the IFHP, the Government of Canada covers the cost of basic health care benefits similar to provincial and territorial health insurance (e.g., hospital, physician, and laboratory services), as well as supplemental health care benefits (e.g., limited dental and vision care, mental health counselling, disability supports) and prescription drug benefits, similar to extended health coverage provided to social assistance recipients.
Administered by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC), the IFHP supports Canada’s settlement objectives by ensuring that eligible beneficiaries have access to health care coverage so they can address their urgent and essential medical needs, helping to enable long-term integration and full participation in their new communities. Failure to provide this coverage could lead to health risks and reduced quality of life for these vulnerable populations, ultimately increasing federal, provincial and territorial spending in other more cost-intensive areas of medical care.
Investments in the IFHP therefore play an essential role in protecting the health of these vulnerable newcomers by facilitating equitable access to necessary care, as well as that of the Canadian public by preventing onward transmission of communicable diseases and mitigating exacerbation of medical conditions, thereby offsetting long-term costs on Canada’s health care system.
The strategic economic analysis undertaken for the IFHP determined that the proposal would have negligible economic impacts at the national level in both the short and long-term. As delivery of the IFHP is not focused on any specific region, local economic impacts were not able to be assessed. However, it is noteworthy that IFHP beneficiaries in Canada tend to have a high propensity to live in urban areas. Short-term economic impacts for the health care sector were determined to be low and negligible in the long-term.
The funding received to provide health care through the IFHP contributes to the 2022 to 2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy Goal 3 - Support mental health and adopt healthy behaviours by covering mental health services, as well as primary care and specialist services that will enhance clients’ ability to adopt healthy behaviours.
As the SEEA did not detect any significant environmental impacts, no strategic environmental analysis was undertaken. There were also no anticipated impacts on Indigenous Peoples. As such, no consultations were required.