Interim Federal Health Program: Get health products and services
To get health services and products covered by the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP), you need to show that you’re eligible. Any of these documents will prove your eligibility
- an Acknowledgement of Claim and Notice to Return for Interview Letter
- You get this letter after you make a refugee claim and you’re scheduled for an interview.
- a Refugee Protection Claimant Document
- You get this document after your interview and we either
- refer your refugee claim to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB)
- decide your claim isn’t eligible to be referred to the IRB but you are eligible to apply for a pre-removal risk assessment
- You get this document after your interview and we either
- an Interim Federal Health Certificate
- You get this certificate if you’re a resettled refugee going to live in Canada or a member of another eligible beneficiary group.
What to do with your eligibility document
Sign your IFHP document as soon as you get it. Don’t lend or give it to anyone. You don’t need to sign the Acknowledgement of Claim.
You must show your IFHP eligibility document to your health care provider each time you need a service or product so they can confirm your coverage.
Your coverage can be cancelled without notice if your immigration status changes and you stop being eligible for the IFHP. This is why health-care providers must confirm that you’re eligible for coverage before providing a product or service.
Lost or stolen document
If your document is lost, stolen, or destroyed you can apply to request confirmation of coverage. Once the application is processed, a new Interim Federal Health Certificate will be sent to you.
How to get treatment
If you’re eligible for IFHP coverage, don’t pay for health-care services.
Follow these steps
- Find a health-care provider registered with the IFHP claims administrator, Medavie Blue Cross.
- The IFHP claims administrator is the company that administers IFHP claims for health-care professionals, pharmacies and hospitals.
- Show your IFHP eligibility document to your health-care provider before you seek treatment.
- After you receive treatment, your health-care provider may ask you to sign a form as proof that you received the health service or product.
Letter to confirm that you received health services or products
You may receive a letter from Medavie Blue Cross asking you to confirm if you received health services or products on a given date.
You are asked to
- Respond to the question
- Sign the letter
- Return it to Medavie Blue Cross.
This isn’t a bill. This will help to prevent fraud. Signing this letter won’t have an effect on your eligibility for IFHP coverage or on your immigration status.
Know your coverage
IFHP doesn’t cover all health-care services or products. Know what health care products and services are included in your IFHP coverage before you request them. If you need a health-care service or product that isn’t covered, you will have to pay for it.
Your health-care provider should not ask you to pay for IFHP-covered products and services at any time. If you’re eligible to get coverage for something, we’ll reimburse your provider directly.
If you pay your health-care provider for a product or service that we cover, we won’t reimburse you for it.
If you have private or public health insurance from another source
- IFHP won’t pay for any service or product for which you may claim under that plan, regardless of the amount that will be paid by your plan for that service or product.
- IFHP will pay for any products or services for which you can’t make a claim under your private insurance plan and for which you are covered under the IFHP.
Coverage under a provincial or territorial health insurance plan
Unless you’re a resettled refugee, you’ll stop being eligible for all benefits through IFHP when you become eligible for coverage under provincial or territorial health insurance.
IFHP does not
- cover any health-care service or product that you can claim (in whole or in part) under a public or private health insurance plan
- coordinate benefits with other insurance plans, or process co-payments
If you’re a resettled refugee
If you’re covered by provincial or territorial health insurance, you won’t be eligible for basic benefits through IFHP.
You’ll still be covered for supplemental benefits until either
- your private sponsorship period ends
- you stop receiving income support through the Resettlement Assistance Program (or its Quebec equivalent).
Features
Connect to the secure IFHP beneficiary web portal
The Secure Beneficiary Web Portal lets you access important
- benefit and service information
- resources
Your first step is to register online
To use the portal, register for an account
- You’ll need to create a user ID and a password.
- Fill in the required fields and agree to the terms and conditions.
You’ll need your UCI number and an email address to register. Your UCI is on official documents we send you.
Once registered, you can
- talk to a member of the customer care team at Medavie Blue Cross
- verify your eligibility status
- view available services
- submit inquiries about your IFHP coverage
- find IFHP service providers
- access the Medavie Blue Cross IFHP Information Handbook for Beneficiaries
You can use the Secure Beneficiary Web Portal to sign up for our customer satisfaction surveys. These surveys give Medavie Blue Cross your feedback on customer service and the IFHP.
You can also sign up for automatic email notifications and stay up to date with the latest IFHP updates.
More information about how to use the Secure Beneficiary Web Portal is in the Beneficiary Web Portal Help Centre.
If you need help
Medavie
Contact Medavie if you
- have questions about eligible benefits and services
- want to confirm a claim payment or pre-approval of a benefit
- need help finding a health-care provider
How to contact Medavie
- Check the Medavie website
- Telephone: 1-888-614-1880 (in Canada only)
- TTY: 1-800-855-0511 (Voice to TTY)
- 711 (TTY to Voice)
- 1-800-855-1155 (TTY to TTY)
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Contact us about
- eligibility documents
- questions about your IFHP eligibility status and validity period
- questions about your refugee application status
How to contact us
- our website
- Telephone: 1-888-614-1880 (in Canada only)
- TTY: 1-800-855-0511 (Voice to TTY)
- 711 (TTY to Voice)
- 1-800-855-1155 (TTY to TTY)
Newcomer services in your area
Questions about the Interim Federal Health Program
Access the Secure Beneficiary Web Portal
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