The Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario (NPAO) is troubled by the introduction of co-payments under the Interim Federal Health (IFH) program.
Set to take effect on May 1, 2026, beneficiaries of the program will be responsible for the following co-payments:
• $4 for each eligible prescription medication filled or refilled under the IFHP.
• 30% of the cost of all other eligible supplemental health products and services, including dental care, vision care, counselling and assistive devices.
The NPAO shares the concerns raised by the Canadian Refugee Health Network, a collaborative group of nurses, nurse practitioners (NPs), physicians, and social workers. As the representative body for over 6,000 NPs in Ontario, the NPAO is keenly aware that the introduction of co-payments will create financial barriers that will delay care for refugee patients and contribute to the already untenable burdens on Ontario’s – and Canada’s – healthcare systems. These include, but are not limited to, an increase in emergency department use, disruption of chronic and infectious disease management, reduced access to prenatal, primary, and preventive care, exacerbation of untreated mental health conditions, and growth of communicable disease risk.
These factors will ultimately contribute to an increase in system costs that Canadians cannot
afford to bear.
NPs take very seriously their commitment to leadership in healthcare and supporting Canada’s
most vulnerable. The consequences of IFH co-payments are far-reaching and will both reinforce
the structural barriers faced by refugee patients and undermine Canada’s commitment to
equitable access to healthcare services. The NPAO urges the federal government to engage in
close consultation and collaboration with healthcare providers as well as national and provincial
medical and social work organizations to address ongoing concerns and protect patients.
Download the position statement here.
