Interim Federal Health Program

Provide care inside Canada as a professional

The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) relies on a network of registered health care providers. Without them, refugees and other vulnerable persons wouldn’t get access to the care they need.

On this page

• How to become a Medavie Blue Cross registered provider
• Before you treat an IFHP patient
• After you treat an IFHP patient
• How to submit a claim and get paid

How to become a Medavie Blue Cross registered provider in Canada

You can register to become a health care provider with the IFHP online or on paper.

Before you treat an IFHP patient

Once you’re registered, you can start serving patients (also called beneficiaries) covered under the IFHP.

Each time you see a patient, you must make sure:

• they’re still eligible for IFHP coverage by entering their unique client identifier (UCI) in the secure provider web portal
  • You can also call Medavie Blue Cross at 1-888-614-1880 to verify eligibility.
• they have no other public or private health insurance plan or program
  • The only exception is the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).
  • IFHP patients can be eligible for the IFHP and the CDCP at the same time and can coordinate benefits.
• the care they need is listed in the IFHP Benefit Grids
  • Some services need pre-approval.
• you tell your patient if they need to make a co-payment and how much it will cost

If you’re providing services or products that are not covered by the IFHP

You must explain to your patient that:

• the service(s) are not covered
• they need to pay the full amount
• they will not be reimbursed later

If your patient had their coverage issued less than 2 days ago

It takes at least 2 business days for coverage to be activated in the Medavie Blue Cross system after we issue it. Beneficiaries are eligible during this period. You can still provide health services and products if the “effective date” on their certificate is within 2 business days. You must wait at least 2 business days before you submit your invoice to Medavie Blue Cross to have it accepted.

After you treat an IFHP patient

Collecting co-payments (if applicable)

Patients need to pay you directly for part of the cost of:

• supplemental care (30% of cost)
• prescription medication ($4 per prescription)

Give them a receipt after they pay. You’ll submit a claim as usual to get reimbursed for the remainder of the cost.

Check the benefits grids to see what care needs a co-payment.

How to submit a claim and get paid

In your portal account, you’ll find claim forms. You must ask your patient to sign the relevant claim form (if submitting a paper claim form) to confirm they received the services or products.

You can submit claims:

• online by using the Medavie Blue Cross ePay portal
• by mail
  Interim Federal Health Program
  Medavie Blue Cross
  644 Main St.
  PO Box 6000
  Moncton, NB  E1C 0P9
• by fax
  506-867-3841

What you can’t charge

You can’t charge patients for:

•   basic care
•   more than the approved co-payment for supplemental care and prescription medications

The IFHP won’t cover the cost of health care services or products that can be claimed under another health insurance plan (except for the CDCP).