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
• How to check if your client is eligible
• 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.

How to check if your patient is eligible

Once you’re registered, you can start serving patients covered under the IFHP.

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

• they’re still covered by entering their unique client identifier (UCI) in the secure provider web portal
• they have no other public or private health insurance plan or program
• the care they need is listed in the IFHP Benefit Grids
  • Some services require pre-approval.

Tell your client in advance if the service or product isn’t covered by the IFHP.

To verify a client’s eligibility, you can also call Medavie Blue Cross at 1-888-614-1880.

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

It takes at least two 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

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.

Get more information and answers to your questions in the Medavie Blue Cross Help Centre.

How to submit a claim and get paid

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

You can’t charge clients for services or products covered under the IFHP. You need to bill the IFHP directly through Medavie Blue Cross.

The IFHP won’t:

•   cover the cost of health care services or products that can be claimed under another health insurance plan
•   coordinate benefits with other insurance plans or programs