The Big Lie: Conservatives did cut refugee health insurance coverage

Ideologues often forget that their stone-faced action in sensitive areas such as health care often results in a situation in which they find themselves trapped between the reality of their action and their manufactured campaign talking points.

Often they end up lying with bogus reasons similar to Conservative campaign claims on bogus refugees.

A classic case of denial occurred at the recent Calgary debate when Justin Trudeau attacked the Conservative government’s failure under Stephen Harper’s leadership for taking away refugee’s health care coverage.

Harper was livid: “We have not taken away health care from immigrants and refugees. On the contrary, the only time we’ve removed it is where there had clearly bogus refugees who have been refused and turned down. We do not offer them a health care plan than ordinary Canadians can receive.”

What was shocking was Harper’s adamant denial of what his government had done. He was clearly lying as federal court documents show. The Conservative government had diminished the medical insurance provided to tens of thousands of refugees saying they can save hundreds of millions in five years.

To understand the changes, according to Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care (CDRC), it is important to recognize the different types of refugees in Canada.

1. Privately-sponsored refugee who are identified as refugees prior to coming to Canada. They are provided health insurance upon arrival but rely on Interim Federal Health (IFH) insurance for access to medication, vision and emergency dental care. They also receive federal income assistance usually for one year.
2. Refugee-claimants are people who make their refugee claim upon landing in Canada. They are given a work permit but if working cannot avail of social assistance.  They access physicians and obtain laboratory and diagnostic testing through the IFH. The government further divided this group into two categories: People from designated country of origin (DCO) or claimants that originate from countries at war or implementing anti-human rights policies against their own population and all other countries.

After the changes to IFH in June 2012, all refugees, excluding government assisted refugees, lost access to medication coverage, vision and dental care through IFH. Likewise, people from DCOs no longer had coverage including for urgent and essential care.

These were essentially the Harper’s Conservative government sweeping cuts to the Interim Federal Health (IFH) program made sometime in April 2012.  The changes came into effect on June 30, 2012. He denied them all on camera and before the public in Calgary.

The two groups represents some 59,285 of refugees who came to Canada between 2012 and 2014, data from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada show.

These refugees no longer have health insurance for prescription medication and supplemental services such as physiotherapy, counselling as well as emergency dental and vision care.

“The Conservatives repeatedly tried to sell the cuts to the public by saying they are only taking away gold-plated health care from bogus refugees,” a source from the Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care said.

It would appear that the Conservative justification for their action was itself bogus.

This developed as the BC Health Coalition came out with a proposal to thousands of supporters in British Columbia to sign up to a pledge they will only vote for Members of Parliament (MP) who supports health care and support refugees.

“Show the parties that you’re voting for candidates who will make sure everyone has access to the care they need by pledging to vote for health care in 2015,” Rick Turner, co-chair of the BC Health Coalition said.

“Vulnerable Conservative MPs are hoping Canadians have forgotten about the cuts to refugee health care. We need to send a strong message now that we haven’t forgotten and that voters expect whoever forms government in October to restore health care for refugees. Can you add your support for care for refugees here: www.votepublichealthbc.ca/#pledge?” he asked supporters.

He said the Federal Court ruled that the government cuts were unconstitutional, “cruel and unusual,” ordering the Harper government to restore care. “To date, the current government has refused to do so, and instead, has spent $1.4 million fighting the ruling in court,” Turner added.

He said all provincial premiers and over 20 national health organizations have joined the call for a reversal in the cuts to services for some of the most vulnerable people in Canada.