Action Alert: Reverse co-payments for refugees and asylum seekers, Minister Diab!

Starting on May 1, 2026, the federal government will introduce co-payments for refugees and asylum seekers covered under the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP). These charges will apply at the point of care for medical services and supplementary health products, including prescription medications, vision care and assistive devices.

Join us! Call on the Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, to reverse co‑payments from the IFHP and ensure equitable, barrier‑free access to health care for all eligible refugees and asylum seekers.

Even modest co‑payments discourage people from seeking early care, weakening prevention and delaying diagnosis and treatment. The result is predictable: poorer outcomes, reduced quality of life and higher downstream costs, as care is pushed into emergency departments and hospitals. Timely, barrier‑free access to primary care remains one of the most effective and affordable investments in our health-care system.

These co-payments affect newcomers already facing poverty, housing and food insecurity, and systemic barriers – further undermining equitable access to care.

Nurses across Ontario will see the consequences firsthand: delayed care, more severe and complex conditions, increased system strain, longer wait times and heightened moral distress among providers committed to delivering equitable, evidence‑informed care.

Sign this Action Alert now!