A razor-thin Commons health committee vote has set the stage for a full review of a federal program that covers medical costs for refugee claimants and illegal immigrants, with Conservatives arguing the system is ballooning in cost and offering benefits many Canadians can’t access.Blacklock's Reporter says the motion passed 5-4 despite pushback from Liberal MPs and senior immigration officials. Conservative MP Dan Mazier, who sponsored the motion, said the Auditor General must “conduct a comprehensive audit” of the Interim Federal Health Program to determine why costs and usage have surged and how the program is affecting provincial systems already under strain.Conservatives hammered the government over the program’s $598 million budget this year and testimony showing 426,750 people qualified for coverage in 2024 — an increase of more than 400% in under a decade. Mazier said it was unacceptable that millions of Canadians still lack a family doctor while the federal government is expanding medical coverage for non-citizens.Red Deer MP Burton Bailey warned refugee claimants and illegal immigrants appeared to be “receiving potentially better health care than Canadians who are funding the program,” pointing to coverage of dental, vision, mental health services and medical devices that many taxpayers don’t receive. .Assistant Deputy Immigration Minister Soyoung Park disputed the characterization, saying she wouldn’t describe the benefits as superior.Bailey shot back, saying he believed the system was being abused and lacked accountability, adding that “people coming into Canada on bogus asylum claims” were getting health services funded by Canadians. Liberal MP Doug Eyolfson criticized the use of the term “bogus,” noting it implied rejected claimants were fake. Park agreed the word didn’t describe all cases, saying about 17% of claims are rejected.Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski called the Conservative motion a political distraction aimed at stirring resentment toward foreigners rather than addressing pressing national health issues. .He said the committee’s time should be focused on improving Canadian health outcomes, not chasing what he characterized as partisan narratives.Immigration officials acknowledged in their program outline that the federally funded benefits go beyond what many Canadians get under provincial plans, including prescription drugs, ambulance services, lab work, therapists, mental health supports, hearing aids, wheelchairs, urgent dental care and limited vision care.The audit request now heads to the Auditor General, pending acceptance.
