BILLING CORNER
IFHP - Sans OHIP (Interim Federal Health Program)
The Interim Federal Health Program, funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), provides limited, temporary coverage of health-care costs to protected persons, including resettled refugees, refugee claimants, certain persons detained under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and other specified groups, who are not eligible for provincial or territorial health insurance plans and where a claim cannot be made under private health insurance. The program helps protect public health and public safety, and offers access to urgent or essential health services and products to some of the eligible groups above. The IFHP primarily offers five types of coverage: health care coverage, expanded health care coverage, public health or public safety health care coverage, coverage for the Immigration Medical Examinations, and coverage for detainees. The IFHP provides coverage to eligible beneficiaries, via a contracted claims administrator, through a network of registered health-care providers across Canada. Health-care providers are reimbursed directly for covered services rendered to eligible beneficiaries. - IFHP Program / Medavie Blue Cross
Syrian Refugee Relocation Aid - As of December 3, 2015...
"The OMA is deeply concerned for those impacted by the incredible disruption in war-torn Syria....The OMA ...encourages members to participate in the Syrian relief effort and will update members as the needs of the new refugee communities become known.
For those interested in providing health care to refugees coming to your community, the memo from Minister Hoskins (https://www.oma.org/Resources/Documents/HoskinsMemoSyrianRefugees20151201.pdf) outlines the province’s plans to ensure health care delivery for those refugees resettling in the province.
The federal government will be covering the costs associated with care for the first year in Canada. Medavie Blue Cross maintains a list of registered providers at http://www.ifhp-pfsi.ca so that private sponsors, clients and others stakeholders can readily identify providers in their community...." - Ontario Medical Association
Other References:
- Medavie Blue Cross - website
- Gov't of Canada IFHP Program - Information for Health Care Professionals - website
- List of IFHP Providers in Ontario- download
Become a Medavie Blue Cross Registered Provider
Refer to the IFHP Information Handbook for Health Care Professionals (PDF, 9.4 MB) to find out how to submit the registration form to become a Medavie Blue Cross registered provider.
Determine Client Eligibility
To ensure reimbursement for your services or products by the IFHP, you must verify that a patient is eligible for IFHP with Medavie Blue Cross before providing a service or product each time you see that patient, as a person may cease to be eligible or have their coverage changed at any time.
Before providing a service or product, you can quickly and easily verify your patient’s IFHP coverage:
•Call Medavie Blue Cross at 1-888-614-1880 (08:30 to 16:30 in each Canadian zone); or,
•Log into the secure section of the provider web portal.
•Use these resources to help you navigate the portal and provide services to your patient:
◦Quick Reference Guide – Verify Patient Coverage (PDF, 242 KB)Note that it takes at least two business days for coverage to be activated in Medavie Blue Cross’ system after it is issued by CIC.
◦IFHP Information Handbook for Health Care Professionals (PDF, 9.4 MB)
Submit a claim and receive payment
You must not charge beneficiaries for services or products covered under the IFHP. You must directly bill the IFHP through Medavie Blue Cross. Claims can be submitted electronically via the provider web portal, by mail or can be faxed to 506-867-3841.
Before you provide treatment:
Ask patients if they are eligible for any other private health insurance program or plan that covers the service or product. If the patient has another plan or program, you cannot be reimbursed by the IFHP. Find out more about IFHP coverage types. See the Medavie Blue Cross Provider Portal for benefit grids for each coverage type.
After you provide treatment:
You must ask the beneficiary to sign the claim form before you submit it to Medavie Blue Cross. Submit a claim to Medavie Blue Cross:
•Online:
Submit your claim through the Secure Provider Web portal
•By mail:
Interim Federal Health Program
Medavie Blue Cross
644 Main St. PO Box 6000
Moncton, NB E1C 0P9
•By fax:
506-867-3841
Consult the following Medavie Blue Cross guides for more information on how to submit a claim and receive payment:
•IFHP Information Handbook for Health Care Professionals (PDF, 9.4 MB)
•Quick Reference Guide – Verify Patient Coverage (PDF, 242 KB)
•Secure Web Portal and Electronic Claims Submissions Service Guide (October 2011) (PDF, 125 KB)
•Electronic Dental Claims Quick Reference Guide (PDF, 110 KB)
•Claims Procedures for Point of Sale (POS) Claims Transmissions (PDF, 73 KB)
Resource: Government of Canada Citizen and Immigration - IFHP - website