Refugee health Providing the best possible care in the face of crippling cuts

While cuts to refugee health care have negatively affected health outcomes for refugees, confusion surrounding the changes to the program has exacerbated barriers to access for patients, even for those with valid coverage. The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP), a federal program that provides temporary coverage for refugees in Canada, has undergone sweeping changes in the past year.1 In that time, a relatively uncomplicated and comprehensive program has been replaced with one that is far more difficult to navigate and that requires additional administrative work on the part of health care facilities receiving refugees as patients. Our hope is that this article will help providers understand the changes to the IFHP, reduce confusion, and improve health outcomes for refugees and refugee claimants.