Interim Federal Health Program
Co-payments for supplemental health benefits
Starting May 1, 2026
On this page
How co-payments work
In the context of the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP), a co-payment is the portion of the cost that a beneficiary (someone covered by the IFHP) pays directly to their health care provider when they receive eligible supplemental health services and products in Canada. The amount paid will depend on the service or product.
Beneficiaries will pay:
- $4 for each eligible prescription medication filled or refilled
- 30% of the cost covered by the IFHP for other eligible supplemental health benefits
Health care providers should tell beneficiaries how much they’ll need to pay for any IFHP-eligible service or product before they receive it.
What’s included in supplemental health benefits?
Supplemental health benefits include:
- prescription medications
- urgent dental care
- vision care
- mental health counselling
- occupational therapy
- physiotherapy
- speech language therapy
- assistive devices like prosthetics, mobility aids and hearing aids
- home care and long-term care
- medical supplies and equipment
Co-payments do not apply to:
- basic benefits (like doctor visits, hospital care, ambulances)
- supplemental health services and products received before May 1, 2026
- pre-departure medical services outside Canada
- immigration medical examinations
Examples of co-payments
Note that the costs shown in the examples below may not reflect actual amounts.
Prescription medications (co-payment of $4 per prescription filled or refilled)
Example: Mary’s family doctor prescribes 3 medications. The following steps show the payment process:
- Mary brings her prescriptions to a pharmacy registered under the IFHP.
- The pharmacist checks Mary’s IFHP eligibility, confirms that Mary can pay the required co-payments, and then fills the prescriptions.
- One prescription costs $10, the second costs $25, and the third costs $100—for a total cost of $135.
- Mary pays the pharmacist the co-payment of $12 ($4 for each of the 3 prescriptions).
- The pharmacist submits a claim to Medavie Blue Cross and gets reimbursed by the IFHP for the remaining cost of the medications ($123).
Other supplemental services and products (co-payment of 30%)
Example: Kai breaks a tooth and needs urgent dental care. The following steps show the payment process:
- Kai doesn’t have a regular dentist. They find a dentist nearby who is registered under the IFHP, and they make an appointment.
- At the time of the appointment, the dentist checks Kai’s IFHP eligibility, confirms that Kai can pay the required co-payment, and then provides urgent dental care.
- The total cost of the urgent dental care is $500.
- Kai pays the dentist the co-payment of $150 (30% of $500).
- The dentist submits a claim to Medavie Blue Cross and gets reimbursed by the IFHP for the remaining cost ($350).
Basic coverage (no co-payment needed)
Example: Alex needs emergency care in a hospital. The following steps show the payment process:
- Alex visits the emergency department of a hospital after experiencing chest pain.
- At the time of the visit, the hospital checks Alex’s IFHP eligibility and then provides medical care.
- One week later, Alex visits his family doctor, who refers him to a specialist for a follow-up appointment.
- The total cost of the emergency department visit, medical care and medical appointments is $1,000.
- A co-payment doesn’t apply since hospital and physician services are fully covered and free of charge to beneficiaries under the IFHP’s basic health care benefits.
- The hospital and physicians submit claims separately to Medavie Blue Cross, and they get reimbursed by the IFHP for the total cost ($1,000).
Printable poster
This poster has key information and facts about co-payments under the IFHP. You can download and print it to share with beneficiaries or display it in your service delivery locations.
