Dental and prescription benefits extended to Ukrainian evacuees and Government-Assisted Refugees

Prince Edward Island is giving Ukrainian evacuees and Government-Assisted Refugees access to provincial dental and prescription drug programs by modifying the requirements for proof of income.  

Refugees, including those displaced by the current War in Ukraine, sometimes arrive without the level of community and government support available for those who enter via other programs. Evacuees arriving in PEI are coming as temporary residents either on a visitor visa or a 3-year work permit (CUAET stream). These options may not offer the same level of health supports as other refugee pathways.

“Our programs would normally require that someone prove eligibility through income verification from the Canada Revenue Agency, but the Ukrainian refugees are arriving without this kind of documentation. We are waiving the proof of income requirement so eligible refugees may be treated as Island residents and provided with health services from our provincial system.”

- Minister of Health and Wellness Ernie Hudson.

Immigrant & Refugee Services Association (IRSA) PEI will help connect eligible newcomers to the programs.

“IRSA is delighted at this news and appreciates how the province has responded to these needs. We look forward to working with the Department of Health and Wellness to help implement the process,” said IRSA executive director Bernadette Reynolds. 

It is estimated that 80 Ukrainian evacuees will arrive in PEI in 2022 through the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program.  This number may be higher, and there may be additional waves of evacuees coming to PEI under this program.  It is possible that the federal government could include evacuees from countries other than Ukraine in the future.

PEI welcomed 60 people under the Government-Assisted Refugees Program in 2021 and anticipates 100 more in 2022 and each year for the next three years (2023, 2024, and 2025) due to Canada’s commitment to settle Afghan refugees. These refugees will be eligible to apply to provincial income-tested programs under the parameters of this new policy for only those medications and dental services not already covered by federal programs, until such time that they are required to file a tax return.

“As families are coming to Canada from the Ukraine and other areas of conflict, PEI will be open to take in as many as we can accommodate. With our NGOs and other partners, we will facilitate the arrival of Ukrainian evacuees and Government-Assisted Refugees and try to do everything that we can to make life just a little bit easier for those who are impacted by war and conflict,” said Minister Hudson.    
 

Media contact:
Ron Ryder    
Department of Health and Wellness
902-314-6367
rrryder@gov.pe.ca