Feds want $411 million to cover refugee health care as the number of new arrivals soars
2024-11-22 from cbc.ca
The federal government is asking Parliament to approve hundreds of millions of dollars in new spending to cover the health-care costs of eligible refugees and asylum seekers — a budget line item that has soared in recent years as the number of these newcomers reached record highs.
The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) is designed to cover migrants who don't yet qualify for provincial or territorial medicare. By removing some barriers to health care, the program makes it easier for refugees — many of them fleeing conflict or persecution abroad — to get the care they need on arrival.
There's also a public health benefit: it helps prevent and control the spread of infectious diseases in Canada.
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