Refugees score better health benefits than Canadians

Source: The Toronto Sun

Website: http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/09/23/15456241.html

By: Brian Lilley, Parliamentary Bureau

Published: Sep 23, 2010

OTTAWA — The federal government has launched a review of its health-care program for refugees after questions from QMI Agency about the level of benefits offered.

The federal plan that covers refugees, including those whose claims have been rejected, is in some ways more generous than the coverage offered to Canadian citizens, and in other ways less so.

“This program, in my view, should be no more generous than is typically the case within provincial health-care programs,” Immigration Minister Jason Kenney told QMI Agency.

While Canadians covered by provincial drug plans typically are required to pay a portion of the drug costs, those on the federal plan are not. Ontario's Trillium plan requires a co-pay based on income as does Quebec's RAMQ program.

The federal plan covers most prescriptions but won't pay for lifestyle drugs like Viagra or for medical marijuana.

The federal plan for refugees also covers eye exams and glasses or contact lenses, hearing aids and wheelchairs. Provincial plans and many private health plans don't offer full coverage for eye glasses or contacts.

When it comes to surgery, the federal plan appears to be much stricter than what Canadians are offered through provincial health care. Other than abortions, which appear to be offered and paid for on demand, all surgeries must be either an emergency or deemed essential by a doctor.

Kenney said his review may mean that some services in areas like surgery will be expanded.

“If there are certain critical health-care services that are not covered, we should look at that as well,” said Kenney. “We just launched this review and I'm not going to prejudge its outcome.”

According to immigration department information released to QMI Agency, refugees and failed claimants are covered by the federal plan for an average of 888 days.