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 a refugee 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 refugee 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 refugee 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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Get treated
When you arrive for treatment, show your IFHP eligibility document to your provider. Make sure the services you’re getting are covered.
Your provider can’t ask you to pay for covered health services or products. They’ll be paid directly by the IFHP.
If you pay, we can’t reimburse or give your money back.
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After your treatment
Your provider might ask you to sign a form to prove you were treated. This is so they can get paid by Medavie Blue Cross for the treatment.
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
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