Interim Federal Health Program for Syrian Refugees
Questions and Answers
Q1.
What level of medical coverage will the Syrian refugees receive?
The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) has designated the
Syrian refugees as a public policy group, and therefore eligible for Type 1 benefits
under the Interim Federal Health Program.

In the case of Syrian refugees, both Government Assisted Refugees
(GARs) and Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSRs) would receive Type 1
benefits.
Type 1 benefits include basic coverage, supplemental coverage, and Prescription Drug
Coverage.
Basic Coverage includes:
 in-patient and outpatient hospital services;
 services of medical doctors, registered nurses and other health-care
professionals licensed in Canada, including pre and postnatal care; and
 laboratory, diagnostic and ambulance services
Supplemental Coverage includes health-care benefits such as:
 limited dental and vision care;
 home care and long-term care;
 services by allied health-care practitioners including clinical psychologists,
occupational therapists, speech language therapists, and physiotherapists; and
 assistive devices, medical supplies and equipment (e.g. prosthetic equipment,
mobility aids, hearing aids).
Prescription Drug Coverage includes:
 prescription medications and other products listed on provincial-territorial
public drug plan formularies.
See Attached Annexes that provide Basic Coverage Grid and Supplemental Coverage
Grid.
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Q2. How long will the Syrian refugees be covered under the Interim Federal
Health Program?
Coverage will be for up to a year, starting immediately upon arrival at point of entry.
Once a refugee is eligible for coverage under a provincial or territorial health plan, basic
health care coverage under the Interim Federal Health Program would cease.
However, the Supplemental and Prescription Drug Coverage would continue for up to
one year.
Q3.
Will Syrian refugees have access to mental health services under the IFHP?
All Syrian refugees will receive Type 1 benefits which includes Supplemental Coverage.
Supplemental coverage includes psychotherapy counselling or psychology counselling
in a private clinic or addiction centre, for a maximum of 10 sessions. (See Supplemental
Coverage Grid).
Q4. How does IRCC ensure that refugees are able to access registered providers
in their new communities?
Prior to settling Government Assisted Refugees, IRCC will ensure that adequate
settlement support is in place, including access to a registered health care provider.
TO BE CONFIRMED BY IRCC
In the case of privately sponsored refugees, sponsors themselves are responsible for
determining that adequate resources are available and for sharing pertinent information
with refugees.
Information is available on IRCC’s website at www.cic.gc.ca/ifhp for both beneficiaries
and providers. In the case of health care providers, the website includes instructions on
how to become registered with the Program, how to determine eligibility and how to
submit a claim.
In addition, Medavie Blue Cross maintains a list of registered providers on their website
at http://www.ifhp-pfsi.ca so that private sponsors, clients and others stakeholders can
readily identify providers in their community.
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Q5. How do Syrian refugees receive services under the Interim Federal Health
Program once they are settled in a community?
Refugees would seek services from a medical service provider registered with the
Interim Federal Health Program.
The registered medical service provider would then be responsible for seeking
reimbursement from the claims administrator for the Program, Medavie Blue Cross.
Refugees do not pay for such services out of pocket.
Q6.
How many health care providers are currently registered under the IFHP?
Medavie Blue Cross maintains a list of registered providers on their website at
http://www.ifhp-pfsi.ca so that private sponsors, clients and others stakeholders can
readily identify providers in their community.
The list of providers (http://www.ifhp-pfsi.ca) is sub-divided by province and territory and
is current as of October 2, 2015.
Q7.
If a health care provider is interested, how can they register with the IFHP?
Information is available on IRCC’s website at www.cic.gc.ca/ifhp for both beneficiaries
and providers. In the case of health care providers, the website includes instructions on
how to become registered with the Program, how to determine eligibility and how to
submit a claim.
Interested health care providers can register by filling out a registration form and
agreeing to the terms and conditions. These registration forms and contact information
on how to submit the forms can be found on the Medavie Blue Cross website at:
https://www.medavie.bluecross.ca/cs/BlobServer?blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlo
bs&blobheadervalue2=abinary%3B+charset%3DUTF-8&blobheadername2=MDTType&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1187212169838&blobheader=application%2Fpdf
A copy of the registration form for health care providers has also been included for
information.
Health providers are also able to verify a patient’s IFHP coverage. This includes
accessing a secure section of the provider web portal
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(https://provider.medavie.bluecross.ca/) or by calling Medavie Blue Cross at
1-888-614-1880 (08:30 to 16:30 in each Canadian zone) to verify a patient’s coverage.
Q8. What happens with Syrian Refugees who may be staying in temporary
accommodations?
Depending on the number of refugees housed in temporary accommodations, they may
receive health care services from teams of health professionals coordinated by the
Public Health Agency of Canada at “mini-clinics” supported by resources from the
Agency’s National Emergency Strategic Stockpile.
If there are very few numbers or if more complex health services are required, this
would be accessed from providers in the community. For example those that require
hospitalization, or emergency dental services, refugees would be transported to nearby
facilities. In these cases, costs would be covered on a fee for service basis through the
Interim Federal Health Program.
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