Ottawa spent nearly $885 million last year providing a wide range of health services to illegal immigrants and refugee claimants, according to newly released figures tabled in Parliament that have triggered a Commons committee audit.Blacklock's Reporter says records disclosed through an inquiry of ministry show the Interim Federal Health Program cost taxpayers $884.6 million annually, including hundreds of millions for services not typically covered under provincial health plans. The figures were released after the House of Commons health committee voted to examine the program’s ballooning costs.Of that total, $462 million was spent on so-called “supplemental” health services, according to the Department of Immigration. These included vision care, counselling, assistive devices, home visits, nursing homes, transportation, taxes, and therapies such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, as well as interpretation and translation devices.Another $327.3 million went toward “basic health services” such as prescription drugs, while $34.5 million covered medical exams. Administrative costs totalled $33 million, with an additional $25.7 million spent on pre-departure medical services and $2 million on oversight costs, including insurers’ fees..The figures were provided in response to a written question from Conservative MP Dan Mazier (Riding Mountain, Man.), who asked the federal government to disclose total annual spending under the program.According to the department, 501,275 people received supplemental health benefits last year alone. Commons health committee members were told at a November 20 hearing that this represents an increase of more than 400% over the past decade.Mazier, who sponsored the motion calling for an audit by the Auditor General and Parliamentary Budget Officer, said the numbers raise serious concerns about fairness and priorities in Canada’s health system.“Six and a half million Canadians don’t have a family doctor,” Mazier told committee members, arguing the program appears to provide more generous coverage than many Canadians receive.In its own mission statement outlining what is covered, the Department of Immigration acknowledged the program includes benefits unavailable to most Canadians, such as prescription drugs, ambulance and clinic fees, lab tests, therapists, hearing aids, wheelchairs and other assistive devices, along with urgent dental care and limited vision care..The health committee voted 5–4 to investigate the spending, over objections from Liberal MPs. Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski (Thunder Bay–Rainy River, Ont.) criticized the decision, saying the committee should focus on broader health care challenges.“There are a lot of health issues we could be addressing,” Powlowski said. “Instead we’re going after this Conservative notion that we’re wasting money on these foreigners who are coming in here and using our health services.”Powlowski said he opposed devoting time and resources to the issue, adding he believed the motion was aimed at appealing to a Conservative political base rather than addressing systemic problems in Canada’s health care system.
