The reason is "to help make this program more sustainable."
It makes sense in light of the rapidly rising (or doubling) expenses:
I read this CTV News article:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/artic...ekers-and-refugees-to-co-pay-for-health-care/
In the 2023-24 fiscal year, the program provided coverage to nearly 520,000 eligible beneficiaries with total expenses of more than $590 million, up sharply from previous years.
The next fiscal year saw even greater growth with of nearly
625,000 beneficiaries, including more than
440,000 asylum claimants, who received IFHP coverage with total spending reaching approximately just under $900 million.
In comparison, IFHP served less than 100,000 people nationwide in 2016.
However, I don't know where CTV got the figures of refugee claimants from?!
As of 31 December 2025, there are 300,000 pending refugee claims before IRB.
To my knowledge, once a refugee is approved as a protected person, they should apply for the provincial health coverage within 90 days. This means that protected persons who applied for PR (now almost 95,000 as per IRCC estimated processing times) should be no longer eligible for coverage under this program?
Rejected refugee claims: up to Sep 30, 2025: 10,000, in 2024: almost 12,000, in 2023: 9,600 (assuming they are still in Canada).
Government-assisted refugees in 2025: 15,250, in 2024: 19,485, in 2023: 23,300. These receive services only up to 12 months after arriving in Canada.
As per CTV report, there were
625,000 beneficiaries in 2025.
If you add 300,000 as pending refugee claims + 48,000 (est.) protected persons in 2025 + 22,000 rejected claims + 38,350 (total refugees government-assisted, privately sponsored, etc.), still you will not get 625,000 !!
