How to get medical treatment
To get health care covered by the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP), you need to have 1 of these documents to prove you’re eligible:
Acknowledgement of Claim and Notice to Return for Interview Letter (AoC)
You get this letter after you make an asylum claim to an officer or submit your claim online.
Refugee Protection Claimant Document (RPCD) or Refugee Protection Identity Document (RPID)
You get this document after your interview and we either:
- refer your asylum claim to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), or
- decide your claim isn’t eligible to be referred to the IRB but you are eligible to apply for a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA)
You can replace your RPCD/RPID if you’re still eligible and it’s:
- expiring soon or expired
- lost or destroyed
Interim Federal Health Certificate (IFHC)
You get this certificate if you’re a resettled refugee going to live in Canada or a member of another eligible group.
An officer from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will give you your IFHP eligibility document.
I don’t have any of these documents but I think I’m still eligible for the IFHP
You may need to apply for an IFHP eligibility certificate (IFHC) if:
- you think you’re eligible but don’t have any of the documents above
- your asylum claim was rejected and your RPID or RPCD has expired or has been lost, stolen or destroyed
- you need to restart or extend your coverage
How to get treatment
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Find a health care provider
Use the Medavie Blue Cross search tool to find a provider registered with the IFHP.
Contact the provider and make an appointment if needed.
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Prove that you’re eligible
When you arrive for treatment, show your IFHP eligibility document to your provider.
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Check if you need to pay for treatment
Before you get any treatment, your health care provider must tell you if:
- you need to make a co-payment for supplemental benefits or prescription medication
- you need to pay for treatment because it’s not covered by the IFHP
-
After your treatment
Your provider can’t ask you to pay for basic treatment.
Co-payments for supplemental treatment or prescription medications go directly to your provider. Ask them for a receipt so you have proof of payment for your records.
If you agree to get treatment that is not covered by the IFHP, you need to pay your provider for that too.
Your provider might ask you to sign a form to confirm you were treated. This allows them to get paid by Medavie Blue Cross.
If you get a letter from Medavie Blue Cross
You might receive a letter from Medavie Blue Cross asking you to confirm that you received health services or products on a given date.
They will ask you to
- respond to the question
- sign the letter
- send it back to Medavie Blue Cross
This will help to prevent fraud. The letter
- isn’t a bill
- won’t affect your eligibility for the IFHP
- won’t affect your immigration status