A new co-payment scheme for refugee health care is expected to save Ottawa $217 million a year by 2029-2030, but growing backlogs and processing times could derail the projection, says the Parliamentary Budget Officer.
Since May 1, the federal government has required asylum seekers and sponsored refugees to pay out of pocket 30 per cent of the costs of services such as dental, optometry and physiotherapy under the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP). Patients will also be charged a $4 flat rate on each prescription.
