Effective May 1, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will implement a new co-payment structure for the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP). These changes, originally outlined in Budget 2025, introduce a cost-sharing model for supplemental health benefits while maintaining full coverage for basic medical services.

Read the original announcement here.

Under the updated policy, beneficiaries will be required to pay a 30% co-payment for supplemental services directly to their health care provider at the point of care. This includes audiology assessments, speech-language pathology services, and the purchase of assistive devices such as hearing aids. Additionally, a flat fee of $4 will apply to each eligible prescription medication filled or refilled under the program.

Basic health care benefits, including physician visits and hospital care, remain unaffected and continue to be fully covered, with no co-payments required.

For members ofSAC, these changes introduce new clinical and administrative responsibilities. Providers must now calculate and collect the patient’s 30% co‑payment using the IFHP benefit grid, while continuing to bill the remaining 70% to Medavie Blue Cross.

Members should be aware that certain groups, including children under the age of 14 and individuals identified as medically vulnerable, may be exempt from these co-payments. SAC encourages its members to verify specific patient exemptions through the Medavie Blue Cross provider portal prior to the delivery of services.

Administrative requirements for providers include:

• updating clinic listings in the IFHP Provider Search tool to ensure patient visibility;
• providing detailed receipts for all co-payments collected, as patients require these for their personal records and potential transitions to provincial health plans; and
• communicating transparently with clients about potential financial barriers to care, particularly for high-cost items like hearing aids.

As the national voice for S‑LPs, audiologists, and communication health assistants, SAC is committed to ensuring that policy developments support safe, equitable access to communication care for every Canadian. These IFHP changes arrive at a time when access to communication health services is already challenged by workforce shortages, limited resources, and long wait times. SAC remains engaged in advocacy efforts to ensure that financial barriers do not delay essential communication and hearing interventions.

These efforts align with SAC’s broader priorities: promoting equitable access, advocating for culturally safe and community-driven models of care, and strengthening Canada’s communication-health workforce. Members can find further details regarding updated benefit grids, billing instructions and a stakeholder information toolkit on the IRCC website and the Medavie Blue Cross provider portal.